Re wiring LED lights on tralier help

[raging]

Maybe there is a different fuse. From the intereweb

”The fuse is located on a separate circuit right under the batter positive cover or hidden around the back of battery either way it is there near the positive post somewhere ( I do believe it will not be part of the normal fuse system- in a triton”

[kingie chaser]

16 minutes ago, raging said:

Maybe there is a different fuse. From the intereweb

”The fuse is located on a separate circuit right under the batter positive cover or hidden around the back of battery either way it is there near the positive post somewhere ( I do believe it will not be part of the normal fuse system- in a triton”

You could be right as the towbar & wiring was done by a 2nd party even though the Triton was bought new from Mitsy.

They outsource some of the add ons like flexiglass canopy or other parts you want to add, I have the companies name on the compliance so I could also ask.

 

As mention by Zoran the vehicle tail light output is of concern but also independently testing the trailer lights will also give me some answers.  

 

The easy test is to plug the trailer into another vehicle, not sure I know someone with a 7 pin but Im also now researching if I can make my own testing unit from a 12v battery connected to a female 7 pin connection??

I have spare 5 core wiring, a spare 12V battery & a connector so its just a matter of working out how to set it up??

Not sure if its ever been attempted but I am looking at it in the interim while I try to find someone I know with a 7 pin connection.

 

 

Edited March 12, 2019 by kingie chaser

[kingie chaser]

1 minute ago, Mmg said:

I thought Flat 7 pin plug was compulsary now?

and usually only 5 pins in the 7 pin plug are used.

No idea, that's what I was given when I bought the car from new 5 years ago.

Funny though how though there is the 7 sockets but even the wiring from the car doesn't have 7 core wired that include reversing signal & service brake.

You would think if they are setting up a 7 plug outlet they would at least make all options available even if reverse signal & service brakes aren't  not really required in most situations!!

[zmk1962]

47 minutes ago, kingie chaser said:

Im also now researching if I can make my own testing unit from a 12v battery connected to a female 7 pin connection??

 

Hi Adrian, 

You don't have to go to all the trouble to use a female 7pin connection.  

Take 2 lengths of wire. Connect one end of each wire to the positive and negative 12 volt source (a 12v battery, or a 12 v battery charger etc). If you have them connect an alligator clip to the other ends of the wire or just strip the plastic to expose  a bit of the wire. (Be careful not to let the wires touch as you will get a short circuit...)

Now connect or touch the negative wire to pin 3 (the Earth) on your trailer 7 pin connector.

Keeping the Earth connected, touch the other wire (Positive) to the other Pins as per the diagram. You should see the respective lights turn on as you work your way around the pins. 

 

1. Yellow - LH blinker

4. Green - RH Turn

6. Red - Brakes

7. Brown - side markers, Tail lights, Licence plate light

Cheers Zoran

[zmk1962]

Hi @Mmg

I understand  from your post below you added a second plug to power the electric brakes....

7 hours ago, Mmg said:

it initially only had one and i needed to wire up an electric trailer brake for my car trailer.  so i thought i,d just add a whole new plug and incorperate a trailer brake wire. "(scratched ( elec ) into the towbar so i remember what one has electric brakes hooked up 😜)"

Now in going to add a reverse wire so i can run guide post lights.

Most people facing this problem upgrade their 7pin plug to a 12pin plug - which gives you the extra poles to drive brakes and other equipment and accessories.   

That's the path I went down for my electric / hydraulic brakes.  There is a standard wiring schematic for 12pins just like there is for 7pins. This approach keeps the vehicle wiring standard, in case you ever want to tow another trailer with brakes etc.  

BTW, using the 12pin plug, you can still plug in a standard flat 7pin plug with no problems - the top 7pin layout has not changed and accepts a 7pin connector. Thats how I  connect my box trailer to the 12pin plug on the car. 

Here's the wiring schematic:

Cheers Zoran

[noelm]

Lots of good advice been offered, but, one thing I have learned over a very long time of boating and messing around with trailer lights, is to just remove the whole lot and start again, it sounds dramatic, but in the end, it works, first thing, make sure your car plug is "standard" wiring, so you can tow other people trailers, and they can tow yours, if your lights are good, you can reuse them, but, all other wiring needs to be removed and replaced, do it properly and do it once! I know things can be repaired/patched, but in the end, it will bite you hard.

[zmk1962]

17 hours ago, Mmg said:

can you plug 2 plugs in at once?

Hi Marty, nope you cant plug 2 at once. One at a time 12pin or 7pin.  My comment was as per @noelm, if it was important to you to keep your car wiring standard so you can tow other trailers.

There's room on the 12pin so you could have run the other set of lights out of that,  but I understand that you already had another 7pin car plug so decided to use that. 

Cheers Zoran

[kingie chaser]

Just an update.

Yesterday I got back under the rear of the car & disconnected every connection I could see, there was 6 in total which I have no idea why.

There was one in particular that was filled with dirt which was surprising seeing they are supposed to be sealed units.

Gave them a jet spray with WD40 & reconnected then & tried connecting the trailer & no change 😔

 

This morning hooked up the boat in near dark at 6.45am & turned on my car lights & hey presto the trailer lights all work that I replace, even the side light 😁

I thought the side light would blink but it doesn't?

Now just need to replace the right hand side light which I have a new one, just didn't get around to it.

The right side light was flickering for a while then stopped so definitely a short there somewhere. 

 

Got home & tested the brown rear lamps/side light socket on the car with my multi meter & it was showing good current flow so even though I didn't catch a fish today I am still very happy 

 

Thanks again to all those that contributed with suggestions 👌

Edited April 1, 2019 by kingie chaser

[jeffb5.8]

On ‎3‎/‎10‎/‎2019 at 11:16 AM, frankS said:

Sometimes ( pretty rare ) the little wire connectors within the plug close up and the male part doesn't make contact with the female part, get a small flat screwdriver and put in gap and open up slightly (not too far ) so that both are in contact with each other.

Frank

This happened to my plug from new, I thought it was the car as the trailer lights worked on my wife's car but not my Ranger made the pins slightly wider and it now works on all cars.