1996 explorer trailer lights?

[johnnyz48]

The lights work on my trailer I tested them with a battery. The factory trailer hookup is round. Using a wire straight to the negative side of the battery as a ground wire I cant get a test lamp to light from any of the terminals. I back tested that plug and have no power there. I followed the pigtail back to it's connetion in the left back tail light and tested it also nothing out of it either and back test shows nothing into that connector either. I've checked fuses twice in the car and under the hood. there are supposed to be 2 relays for this but I can't figure out what is what anymore. Can anyone tell me which relay is which and why in the world would they both go at once. I have been looking in the power distribution box and figure I better ask before I plow in

 

[dchris]

Re: 1996 explorer trailer lights?

You lost me a little bit.
1. Do you have brake lights?
2. Do you have blinkers?
3. Do you have running lights?
If you do missing all of these, you probably have a bad ground. Are you grounding throught the hitch or do you ave a wired ground?

 

[johnnyz48]

Re: 1996 explorer trailer lights?

brakes, blinkers ,lights there is nothing. I hooked a separate battery up to the trailerand it all works. The ground is wired in. I tested the ford trailer connection for power coming out with a test lamp directly back to the battery and NO lamp on any three of the above. Ford has turned towing into a nightmare. My lights on the car all work and I have been told that you CAN'T wire into the lights. I may try that later if nothing else works. Ford has said that it may be "green death" in the wiring somewhere

 

[dolluper]

Re: 1996 explorer trailer lights?

Save the hassle with one of these,or you may have one already on the left side http://www.hitchesonline.com/hh elec/t_connectors_all.htm#FORD

 

[johnnyz48]

Re: 1996 explorer trailer lights?

Thanks, I have one of those conectors. Ther is a place to connect back behind the license. No juice is coming out there. I followed that back to the connection behind the left rear taillight and there is no juice there either. Ford put this in and there are 3 relays for it and it is protected by a 20 amp fuse. The fuse is good. I think that somewhere between the power distribution box and auxc box #4 there is corrosion in a connection. If I can't wire a new one in the old way then I may have to take this to Ford for the fix. I am a fairly good home mechanic. I do all my own work on my cars, my tractor,and my boat. It is a little embarassing to get whipped by trailer lights.

 

[i386]

Re: 1996 explorer trailer lights?

fwiw I had a 98 Explorer. When I wanted to add trailer light wiring I got a kit at AutoZone for about $25. There was a box I had to plug in-line to some connectors at the left tail lights. I installed the whole business in about an hour. I used that for about 7 years until I traded the vehicle. It might be an option if the dealer wants too much.

Thanks, I have one of those conectors. Ther is a place to connect back behind the license. No juice is coming out there. I followed that back to the connection behind the left rear taillight and there is no juice there either. Ford put this in and there are 3 relays for it and it is protected by a 20 amp fuse. The fuse is good. I think that somewhere between the power distribution box and auxc box #4 there is corrosion in a connection. If I can't wire a new one in the old way then I may have to take this to Ford for the fix. I am a fairly good home mechanic. I do all my own work on my cars, my tractor,and my boat. It is a little embarassing to get whipped by trailer lights.

 

[johnnyz48]

Re: 1996 explorer trailer lights?

fwiw I had a 98 Explorer. When I wanted to add trailer light wiring I got a kit at AutoZone for about $25. There was a box I had to plug in-line to some connectors at the left tail lights. I installed the whole business in about an hour. I used that for about 7 years until I traded the vehicle. It might be an option if the dealer wants too much.

Thanks, that's what ford put in for me. It is all bad now with no power coming out of it. For anyone else with this problem I bought a trailer hookup at napa that takes the seperate turnsignal and runs it into the brake lights. You wire in five wires and only four come out. Ford said I couldn't do it, but it works

 

[freddyray21]

Re: 1996 explorer trailer lights?

sounds like you solved the problem, but the converter boxes on those Explorers go bad all the time and that is usually the problem.