I am new to trailer and boating, please help me with my trailer taillight problem.

[houstonnoob]

OK I've own the boat/trailer for about a month and half but NEVER at any point I tow the boat at night. Normally I'm on my way home from the lake before sun down however last week I was a bit late and got dark and notice my trailer tail light isn't on.

The turn signals, the brake lights work fine. I have the 4-way flat connector at the trailer and the truck end. There's white= ground, brown=? <==this one connected to brake light it seem, yellow=left turn, green=right turn. When I turn on my truck headlight, there's no power coming from the brown wire on the truck side, ONLY have power on this wire when I press on the brake.

Should the truck and the trailer needing maybe a 5-way flat connector with separated light and brake?

 

[roscoe]

Re: I am new to trailer and boating, please help me with my trailer taillight problem

If you have separate tail and brake lights on the truck, you will need a converter.

Available everywhere for under $20 on most cases.

Also, the wiring harness on the truck, MAY be connected wrong.


http://www.etrailer.com/faq-wiring.aspx



Brown, tail and running lights.
Green, right turn and brake light
Yellow, left turn and brake.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: I am new to trailer and boating, please help me with my trailer taillight problem

Brown on the trailer is the running lights (tail and side marker). If brown on the truck side is only active when pressing the brake pedal then you have a wiring issue and very likely the converter is necessary as Roscoe says. What tow vehicle are we talking about?