- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Coaching Changes
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Boat trailer light help
Posted on 6/13/24 at 8:53 pm
Posted on 6/13/24 at 8:53 pm
I loathe boat trailers. I seem to have bad luck with bearings, tires and lights.
Doesn’t help that I’m not handy.
A few years ago I replaced the trailer lights and wiring. I soldered the connections, ran the wires tucked away and in one of those plastic protectors. I added silicone around the seal of the light housing. They’re LED lights.
Nothing is working on the right light all of a sudden. I got under there and all the connections look good. How should I go about troubleshooting what the problem is?
Doesn’t help that I’m not handy.
A few years ago I replaced the trailer lights and wiring. I soldered the connections, ran the wires tucked away and in one of those plastic protectors. I added silicone around the seal of the light housing. They’re LED lights.
Nothing is working on the right light all of a sudden. I got under there and all the connections look good. How should I go about troubleshooting what the problem is?
7
Posted on 6/13/24 at 9:04 pm to bobdylan
9 times out of 10 it’s a grounding issue. I’d start there. If it’s a galvanized trailer, I’d take all the ground wires lose and hit the trailer with a grinder and put them back.
Posted on 6/13/24 at 9:07 pm to bobdylan
I’d start with the easiest…make sure it’s not your truck or a dirty plug first.
If that’s good, I’d check voltage at the light to see if the light failed internally or if you have a bad connection somewhere dropping your voltage. With LEDs, they need a certain threshold voltage to turn on, unlike incandescent which would just be dim. Low voltage = bad connection somewhere.
If that’s good, I’d check voltage at the light to see if the light failed internally or if you have a bad connection somewhere dropping your voltage. With LEDs, they need a certain threshold voltage to turn on, unlike incandescent which would just be dim. Low voltage = bad connection somewhere.
Posted on 6/13/24 at 9:21 pm to bobdylan
quote:you have a broken solder. No need to do that. Crimp connectors under heat shrink tubing is SOP. Vibrating will break a soldered connection
wiring. I soldered the connections
Posted on 6/13/24 at 9:23 pm to bobdylan
Like posted above it’s almost always the ground.
Start at the plug for your truck and work your way back. Also you can order a cheap trailer plug tester on Amazon
LINK
Also get you a basic tester and test to make sure you juice getting through the wires.
LINK
If the plug tests good and the wires have power then it likely at the point where the light is connected and almost certainly a ground.
Good luck. I hate trailer lights.
Start at the plug for your truck and work your way back. Also you can order a cheap trailer plug tester on Amazon
LINK
Also get you a basic tester and test to make sure you juice getting through the wires.
LINK
If the plug tests good and the wires have power then it likely at the point where the light is connected and almost certainly a ground.
Good luck. I hate trailer lights.
Posted on 6/13/24 at 9:39 pm to Mister Bigfish
Thanks everyone.
This may be a very dumb question, but I don’t think any of the wires are ground to the trailer, the ground wires go to the pigtail that plugs to the truck - is that not possible? I’m not out looking at it but almost positive that’s how it is and if so, was working that way for years, so not sure how to figure out if it’s a ground issue with this configuration?
I have another trailer so I can see if its lights are working or if it’s my truck. That plug tester is a heck of an idea!
This may be a very dumb question, but I don’t think any of the wires are ground to the trailer, the ground wires go to the pigtail that plugs to the truck - is that not possible? I’m not out looking at it but almost positive that’s how it is and if so, was working that way for years, so not sure how to figure out if it’s a ground issue with this configuration?
I have another trailer so I can see if its lights are working or if it’s my truck. That plug tester is a heck of an idea!
Posted on 6/13/24 at 9:42 pm to bobdylan
When you hook up the light to the wire, one is the hot wire and one is the ground.
Posted on 6/13/24 at 9:57 pm to Mister Bigfish
My guess is a fuse in your truck. My GMC 2500 has separate fuses for right side trailer light and left side trailer light
Posted on 6/13/24 at 11:18 pm to bobdylan
Use drill powered wire cup brush. Clean the rust from your ball mount and clean inside the trailer hitch where ball mount goes. Also pull out hitch mount and clean rust off of it. The rust will prevent trailer being grounded to your vehicle.
Harbor Freight
Harbor Freight
Posted on 6/14/24 at 6:52 am to bobdylan
I assuming you're not in the 'Sip, no trailer of any kind has working lights.
This post was edited on 6/14/24 at 6:53 am
Posted on 6/14/24 at 7:05 am to REB BEER
quote:
9 times out of 10 it’s a grounding issue. I’d start there.
^^^^^^ Absolutely. ^^^^^^
Posted on 6/14/24 at 7:49 am to lctiger
quote:
My guess is a fuse in your truck.
I also checked this and they’re good.
Posted on 6/14/24 at 3:36 pm to bobdylan
Make sure the white wire on the trailer end is actually grounded to the trailer(ring terminal nut/bolt.) truck end too for that matter.
The coupler will ground to the trailer ball but that's not always foolproof.
Get a cheap test light and test the wire near your soldered connections, on each side of connections.
Are the amber park lights working on that side?
The coupler will ground to the trailer ball but that's not always foolproof.
Get a cheap test light and test the wire near your soldered connections, on each side of connections.
Are the amber park lights working on that side?
Posted on 6/14/24 at 4:48 pm to 24nights
quote:
Are the amber park lights working on that side?
I don’t have those.
Posted on 6/16/24 at 9:02 am to rustyjohnson
quote:
a dirty plug first.
Check this, I chased a problem forever before realizing I had a shite in my plug. Cleaned it out and everything was good.
Posted on 6/17/24 at 8:53 am to bobdylan
Get a test light. You start at the truck and work backwards. Truck male is producing power? Cool, now check the trail female plug, looks good? Next the white ground wire at the trailer plug needs to be grounded to the trailer tongue. You do not want to rely on your hitch ball grounding your trailer. Next, check for power in the wires with your test light. The last 2-3 trailer light issues I’ve come across recently have been corrosion inside the wiring. Quality harnesses are hard to come by. Good chance that may be your issue. If that checks out, keep working back.
Page 1 of 1
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News