Trailer lights not working

[The motor guy]

Bought some led trailer lights from academy to replace the old incandescent lights. The lights didnt work when I hooked them up to the trailer wiring, so I went ahead and replaced the wiring harness. The lights still don't work. I'm [censored].

 

[The motor guy]

So off to academy to buy a new set. This happened last time on my jet ski trailer. I might rob a light from it just to confirm. How c9mmon is it to get a bad batch of led lights?

 

[The motor guy]

It's an aluminum I beam trailer so the ground wires are grounded to the aluminum.

 

[mk378]

You should test the lights before installing, just touch the wires to a live 12 volt battery. White wire to (-) and the hot wires to +

I don't like trusting the trailer frame as ground-- run a white ground wire network all the way from the plug to the back.

Once you know the lights are OK and the wiring seems correct, time to start tracing with a voltmeter. First make sure the truck is OK by testing at the truck plug. Many trucks have separate fuses for the trailer lights. If those are blown, the trailer may get no power even though the lights on the truck still work.

 

[The motor guy]

I'll try that. Thanks

 

[The motor guy]

Maybe they get thrown around a ton and break that way.d

 

[Snagglefoot]

Tell us about the wire color coding on the LED units and the color coding on the harness.

 

[The motor guy]

Snagglefoot, the drivers side has a yellow and brown wire and the passenger side is green and brown. The lights themselves have a white ground wire, which I connected to the aluminum trailer frame on both sides.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Run a separate ground.

Any time I wire a trailer I run a ground from the white wire on the plug/harness to each of the lights. Either in series or to each light individually.

 

[Andrew1972]

A few potential life lessons:
1) don’t replace what is not broken in first place
2) electrical work, get a multimeter
3) you learned some troubleshooting

 

[supton]

Yeah, don't fix what ain't broke.

If it's LED then polarity should matter. I'm guessing a kit though would have taken care of that for you. I'd get a 12V battery that can source a few amps and some clip leads and debug. That or a pile of scotchlocks.

I like separate GND also. I've "fixed" a few ground issues doing that.

 

[mlatour]

Are you getting power on the vehicle's trailer connector?

If not, some vehicles like my 2014 F150 have a dedicated circuit breaker or fuse for the trailer connector/lights.

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted By: madRiver
A few potential life lessons:
1) don’t replace what is not broken in first place
2) electrical work, get a multimeter
3) you learned some troubleshooting
+1

 

[WyrTwister]

Yep !

 

[Snagglefoot]

Have a look at this link. I wired some lights that were manufactured in China and had odd color coding. +1 on running ground wires.



https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4761239/Re:_LED_lights_for_boat_traile#Post4761239

 

[grampi]

I had a motorcycle trailer that I had constant problems with the lights not working. It ALWAYS ended up being a bad ground...for some reason, and I can't figure out why, trailers are notorious for losing grounds. I was constantly having to clean the grounds to keep the lights working...

 

[The motor guy]

Well I hooked them up to a battery, they work fine. Every trailer I have has a ground connected from the plug to the tongue on the trailer somewhere along with a ground on every light. Or atleast the the two main tail lights. I guess I thought since it was aluminum with no paint, it would have grounded just fine and the two grounds for each tail light would have sufficed. I guess i'll polish the aluminum where the ground is and hook up the ground to the tongue. It's not all a waste though, Imo it needed to be done anyways, so might as well have fresh wiring with good water tight heat shrink butt connectors. I have two other trailers with led lights on them and haven't had to mess with them for 3 or 4 years now since I put them on. I guess I've gotten rusty. lol I need to remember the KISS method. No need buy a new house just cause the toilet isn't working and that's pretty much what I did.

 

[chemman]

Remember with aluminum, once it is exposed to air, an essentially invisible layer of aluminum oxide forms rather quickly. Aluminum oxide is not a very good electrical conductor. After you polish the aluminum and make your ground connection, you might want to spray some battery terminal sealant over the connection to slow down the inevitable process of aluminum turning into aluminum oxide.

 

[mk378]

Get another plug like the truck has and connect a battery to it (ideally, through a fuse). Plug in the trailer. Do the lights work?

I guess i'll polish the aluminum where the ground is and hook up the ground to the tongue.

OK I'm done here.

 

[The motor guy]

Originally Posted By: mk378
Get another plug like the truck has and connect a battery to it (ideally, through a fuse). Plug in the trailer. Do the lights work?

I guess i'll polish the aluminum where the ground is and hook up the ground to the tongue.

OK I'm done here.


Sorry mike