cajundave
Pro Tracker
Reged: 05/15/07
Posts: 1930
Loc: Metro Mess
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Not sure if this is in the right spot. If not, Mods please move.
I have a hunting trailor(4'x5') that I just installed a new lights kit on after exchanging the old one because I couldn't figure out how to get it to work. I installed a light kit from Walmart according to the color codes. I even checked my trucks factory colors to make sure they matched the diagram and still problems.
When I turn on the parking lights, the back lights come on just fine but the middle/side ambers don't light up at all. When I hit the brakes, everything goes dark. I've been over the wiring diagram as well as the trailor wiring several times and can't see anything wrong.
I know my truck is good because I've hauled several trailors including my boat last weekend without any light trouble.
Please help with any advice before I take a match to it.  I'm desperate to fit my BIL's ATV on this trailor so we can carpool to the lease. The gas money is killing us! 
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That's why they call it hunting and not killing!
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helomech
Extreme Tracker
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 3700
Loc: Latexo, tx
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You must have a wire wrong if the lights go out when you hit the brakes. Unhook the trailer, and get a meter. Disconnect the harness. Then have someone turn on the lights one at a time. This way you can find the wires on your truck. The brake lights should be on the same wire as your turn signals. If you don't do this right you will have two hots, or two grounds. It is hard to diagnose over the internet. I think the yellow, and brown are the turn signals, man I can't remember the rest of the wires. Make sure your ground wires are getting a good ground. If you could ask a specific question I might be able to answer.
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yukons95
Bird Dog
Reged: 05/28/07
Posts: 386
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check your ground!!!
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cajundave
Pro Tracker
Reged: 05/15/07
Posts: 1930
Loc: Metro Mess
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Thanks Helo,
I think the ground is it. I keep thinking it's a ground issue because I have power to all the lights when used my tester. I got on the light's website and they mentioned that the lights need to be mounted to the frame. Right now they are in partial wood and that may be part of the problem.
As for as the signal goes, the park light and the signal both seam to work fine(with the exception of the amber). I'll test my truck lights first thing in the morning. That's a good idea.
This thing will make you loose sleep.
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That's why they call it hunting and not killing!
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helomech
Extreme Tracker
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 3700
Loc: Latexo, tx
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Your welcome. You really need to check for continuity from the ground to the plug. I don't know if you have a meter or not, but if you do go to the plug, and find the wire that is your ground, I think it is white. Hook to the plug, and touch the metal on the trailer. If you don't have continuity clean off the metal where your grounds hook up.
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cajundave
Pro Tracker
Reged: 05/15/07
Posts: 1930
Loc: Metro Mess
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Thanks. 
It was a bad ground on EACH light. As I ran each ground again the lights started working. What a headache. There is a reason I don't have a career dealing with electricity.
Every things working well which means car pooling will save about $85 a month this summer. 
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That's why they call it hunting and not killing!
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helomech
Extreme Tracker
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 3700
Loc: Latexo, tx
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Great, glad to hear you got it fiqured out. You ought to try tracing down a wire on the helicopters.
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cajundave
Pro Tracker
Reged: 05/15/07
Posts: 1930
Loc: Metro Mess
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Quote:
Great, glad to hear you got it fiqured out. You ought to try tracing down a wire on the helicopters.
No thank you! I used to work across the street from PHI's headquarters and got to know a few of them. I saw those boys working day and night on stuff that fustrated them. I'm not smart enough for that--that's why I teach!  LOL!
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That's why they call it hunting and not killing!
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helomech
Extreme Tracker
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 3700
Loc: Latexo, tx
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Thats funny.
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chevk4
Tracker
Reged: 11/21/07
Posts: 544
Loc: North Texas
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Ok now its my turn. Four flat, ran yellow and brown to the left, brown and green to the right. running lights work on both sides just fine. left turn signal and break lights work while running lights on right stay on. right turn and break light does not work. Already checked the fuses in the truck and a 2nd truck. Checked the ground several times. what gives?
Oh yeah when I have the ground disconnected the lights work as stated above.
Any help would be awesome. 
Thanks Tim
God Bless Our Troops
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helomech
Extreme Tracker
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 3700
Loc: Latexo, tx
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Having a hard time understanding what is happening. But it sounds ground related also. Some running lights don't have a ground on the lights, they ground through the bolts. Make sure that you have a real good ground. What might be happening is the extra load of amps when applying the breaks aren't making it to ground.
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cibolo
Tracker
Reged: 02/05/08
Posts: 895
Loc: central texas
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it all happens when the ground is disconnected?
like helomech, said a lot of trailer lights ground through the bolts,so make sure the area were the nuts tighten down have an area were the metal make's contact. it also can be in the housing that holds the bulb if it is loose the bulb's will make intermintent contact and only work some time's,blown bulb-since they are dual element on of the filiments may be burn out. wiring gremlins can be a pain in the arse.
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cajundave
Pro Tracker
Reged: 05/15/07
Posts: 1930
Loc: Metro Mess
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Quote:
Having a hard time understanding what is happening. But it sounds ground related also. Some running lights don't have a ground on the lights, they ground through the bolts. Make sure that you have a real good ground. What might be happening is the extra load of amps when applying the breaks aren't making it to ground.
What worked for me, I wasn't too clear above, was drilling an new spot for white ground wire on the original white ground wire from the plug in adition to running grounds on each individual light. Some of the place where the grounds connected I had to steel brush until they were clean metal before my connection was good. It was a tedious process to say the least.
If it's a cheap walmart trailor kit like mine , each light will have to have a good ground from each light bolts to the frame. Between Helomech and the Peterson light website, that's what I learned.
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That's why they call it hunting and not killing!
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caprocker
Tracker
Reged: 10/27/06
Posts: 972
Loc: howard county texas
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i got my hitch installed on my fifth wheel and brought it home today..for some reason all the lights/blinkers etc work except for the running lights for night use..anyone have an idea on that one?? i am thinking that one of the connections in the 6 hole is for nightime running lights and it is not making a circuit for some reason...any ideas?...cibolo , the new gooseneck conversion that i had built worked really good...it just seems to be a little bit tall in the front(like about 3-4 inches)..any drawbacks to that?
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chevk4
Tracker
Reged: 11/21/07
Posts: 544
Loc: North Texas
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Quote:
.
What worked for me, I wasn't too clear above, was drilling an new spot for white ground wire on the original white ground wire from the plug in adition to running grounds on each individual light. Some of the place where the grounds connected I had to steel brush until they were clean metal before my connection was good. It was a tedious process to say the least.
If it's a cheap walmart trailor kit like mine , each light will have to have a good ground from each light bolts to the frame. Between Helomech and the Peterson light website, that's what I learned.
I will work at it on THursday and get back to you guys.
Thanks for the help and whats up with all the trailer problems on this site?
God Bless Our Troops
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helomech
Extreme Tracker
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 3700
Loc: Latexo, tx
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Quote:
i got my hitch installed on my fifth wheel and brought it home today..for some reason all the lights/blinkers etc work except for the running lights for night use..anyone have an idea on that one?? i am thinking that one of the connections in the 6 hole is for nightime running lights and it is not making a circuit for some reason...any ideas?...cibolo , the new gooseneck conversion that i had built worked really good...it just seems to be a little bit tall in the front(like about 3-4 inches)..any drawbacks to that?
The running lights use the same wire as the turn signals. They just have power all the time until the turn signal is applied, then the relay just sends more power down the wire to get it to blink. The additional 3 wires on the 7 pin are for trailer brakes.
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cibolo
Tracker
Reged: 02/05/08
Posts: 895
Loc: central texas
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the blinkers are working though,just not the running lights. are the taillights one of those sealed units or just the square two stud type. one thing is to make sure in your trailer plug and socket is that they are making good contact and there is no corrosion inside. if it's a typical old 6 way pollak ,just take a little pen type flathead screwdriver and spread the prongs out in the truck socket and scrape the inside of the trailer plug contact. get you a test light and check to make sure your getting power at the trailer light and if your registering the blinkers with the test light then the problem is in the light socket ,possibly the ground were the light mounts or somthing. if not start chasing wire back towards the front of the trailer. as far as sitting a few inches high, it's best to be as close to level as possible. otherwise it is putting a little more weight on the rear axle sitting like that and if it has brake's on both axle's you will be wearing out the brake's on the rear axle quicker,and have less stopping power. not to mention the ride will get a little loose on you, especially with cross winds and such. did he weld on an adjustable coupler,if so you should be able to drop it a couple of hole's and get as close to level as possible.
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atascosa_red
Pro Tracker
Reged: 07/10/07
Posts: 1221
Loc: San Antonio, Texas
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Do you have the trailer hooked up to the ball on your truck when you are checking these lights? If not, your ground is not good enough. Hook the trailer up like you are going to pull it and see if it changes the operation of the lights at all. Your ground is going to come from the frame of your truck due to the battery ground being hooked up to same. Just thought I would throw that in....did not read all of the posts so I do not know if someone has mentioned that as a possible problem. Good luck!!
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caprocker
Tracker
Reged: 10/27/06
Posts: 972
Loc: howard county texas
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Quote:
Quote:
i got my hitch installed on my fifth wheel and brought it home today..for some reason all the lights/blinkers etc work except for the running lights for night use..anyone have an idea on that one?? i am thinking that one of the connections in the 6 hole is for nightime running lights and it is not making a circuit for some reason...any ideas?...cibolo , the new gooseneck conversion that i had built worked really good...it just seems to be a little bit tall in the front(like about 3-4 inches)..any drawbacks to that?
The running lights use the same wire as the turn signals.
with that said , what would cause the blinkers to work but not the rear lights?
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helomech
Extreme Tracker
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 3700
Loc: Latexo, tx
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
i got my hitch installed on my fifth wheel and brought it home today..for some reason all the lights/blinkers etc work except for the running lights for night use..anyone have an idea on that one?? i am thinking that one of the connections in the 6 hole is for nightime running lights and it is not making a circuit for some reason...any ideas?...cibolo , the new gooseneck conversion that i had built worked really good...it just seems to be a little bit tall in the front(like about 3-4 inches)..any drawbacks to that?
The running lights use the same wire as the turn signals.
with that said , what would cause the blinkers to work but not the rear lights?
Because when the blinkers flash there is more current going through the bulb, that is why it gets brighter. If the ground is not good enough to carry the extra current, then it will not work.
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Mykol
Green Horn
Reged: 03/14/08
Posts: 7
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Each light assembly should have 2 wires each. One wire powers the prong in the socket that illuminates the larger (brighter) element (brake and turn) and the other wire powers the prong in the socket that powers the smaller (dimmer) element which is parking lights. Of the 4 wires in your trailer wiring harness, green is right turn, yellow is left, brown is tail marker (parking) light and white bolts to the trailer frame anywhere for a ground. Be sure the brown (parking light) wire goes to BOTH left and right light assemblies.
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helomech
Extreme Tracker
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 3700
Loc: Latexo, tx
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Thanks, it has been years since I rewired trailer lights. I could not remember exactly what wires did what.
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cajundave
Pro Tracker
Reged: 05/15/07
Posts: 1930
Loc: Metro Mess
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Quote:
Each light assembly should have 2 wires each. One wire powers the prong in the socket that illuminates the larger (brighter) element (brake and turn) and the other wire powers the prong in the socket that powers the smaller (dimmer) element which is parking lights. Of the 4 wires in your trailer wiring harness, green is right turn, yellow is left, brown is tail marker (parking) light and white bolts to the trailer frame anywhere for a ground. Be sure the brown (parking light) wire goes to BOTH left and right light assemblies.
That's what my skematic says!
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That's why they call it hunting and not killing!
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chevk4
Tracker
Reged: 11/21/07
Posts: 544
Loc: North Texas
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Ok I re-ran the trailer.
And hooked it up to the tahoe instead of my 4x4.
Works great.
Help me with the hitch hook up now, please.
Running lights on {work}.
left turn sig's: turn right and left on.
Break lights: left one only turns on
Right turn sig: right only, left stays off as it should.
Thanks
God Bless Our Troops
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cajundave
Pro Tracker
Reged: 05/15/07
Posts: 1930
Loc: Metro Mess
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Check the bolts on the lights to make sure they have good and clean ground. I did this on each light until they were working. Now, she works like a charm.
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That's why they call it hunting and not killing!
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