trailer lights fixed finally but have a question

[The motor guy]

ok so I finally got my trailer lights working and hopefully they will stay that way. I found out they have butt connectors with that have heat shrink on them so I used those. Then I was having ground problems so I grinded a portion of the galvanized coating off of the trailer and drilled a hole and bolted the ground wires on both sides to the trailer with an eye connector which was also heat shrink. My question is can I put some grease on top of that connector and area that I grinded down to keep it from rusting? That shouldn't affect the ground since the grease won't get behind the ground wire since it's tightly bolted right?

 

[Rand]

I use something similar to
http://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/LubriMatic/11755.html

It works good on the trailer electrical connector(s) too.
also if using bulbs(non led) its good on the sockets.

 

[Klutch9]

Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
ok so I finally got my trailer lights working and hopefully they will stay that way. I found out they have butt connectors with that have heat shrink on them so I used those. Then I was having ground problems so I grinded a portion of the galvanized coating off of the trailer and drilled a hole and bolted the ground wires on both sides to the trailer with an eye connector which was also heat shrink. My question is can I put some grease on top of that connector and area that I grinded down to keep it from rusting? That shouldn't affect the ground since the grease won't get behind the ground wire since it's tightly bolted right?


To answer your question, yes you are correct. As long as the ground is making good contact, you can slather it with grease. As you stated, grease won't come in between those two contact surfaces if they're tightly mated together.

 

[racer12306]

You should be able to paint over it too. Grease will come off in time, paint shouldn't.

 

[The_Jeff]

Another thing you can do is get those star shaped washers, they are deliberately aggressive and dig into the frame/ connector a little better. Buys time before you have to do it again.

Realistically though you can grease EVERYTHING and the connections will squeeze out the grease where needed to work.

 

[bullwinkle]

Solder & heat shrink work the best for me, but a close 2nd is the heat shrinkable butt connectors with GREASE IN THEM (aka marine connectors)-those work well too.

 

[wally6934]

What you want is called.

Dielectric Grease.

http://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/LubriMatic/11755.html

 

[The motor guy]

Ok so I tested out the trailer lights today again. (took the boat out) Why is it that when I first connect the trailer the lights won't work but then i'll check them when I get to my destination and they will be working? This happened twice.

 

[The_Jeff]

Vibration is your friend somehow, knocking some semi bad connection together.

Check everything, stem to stern (no pun intended) with the bulbs, sockets, connections, splices. Check the tow vehicle plug too.

If your ground is bad, it can ground through the tow ball, but this is a shaky way of doing it. After you drive, you scrape enough to get a clean connection.

 

[The motor guy]

The ground setup is the part I had the most confidence in.

 

[AVB]

Do you also have the white wire at the connector grounded to the frame? Make sure the truck side of the connector is grounded too. It really sounds like it is having to ground through the ball.

 

[The motor guy]

Yeah it's connected to the frame on both tail lights plus there is a ground wire that connects to the tongue of the trailer which is connected to the plug on the truck.

 

[AVB]

Ok, when you said you grounded it on both sides I wasn't sure if you meant just at the lights on both sides.

The trailer sounds like it should be good, I would check the truck.

 

[The motor guy]

It's grounded to the trailer on both tail lights and the tongue. What do I check on the truck?

 

[AVB]

First just check to be sure you have a good ground at the connector. Often with a bad ground they will do just like you described and start working a few miles down the road after the ball and coupler rub together and make a ground.

 

[The motor guy]

I think you might be right. I checked the plug end and the ground prong was dirty and a little corroded. I might take some sand paper to it. There was some dirt way inside it also and I was able to get a lot of it out by tapping it against the trailer. I hooked it up without having it hooked to the truck and they worked so we'll see.