Right Break and turn signal light, Wiring help needed

[SEABEE#2]

I have been working on this stubborn trailer. I am not getting the the right break and turn signal to work. When I remove the light bulb, I am getting electricity because my probe light lights up. When the lightbulb gets put back into place, the probe light no longer lights up. The trailer light is ground to the pole that it is on as well as to the trailer...(an attempt to ground it incase it wasn't ground)...Im stumped. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Right Brake and Turn Signal lights, Wiring help needed

Re: Right Brake and Turn Signal lights, Wiring help needed

First the obvious.
Have you tried a KNOWN good bulb. I "Think/Believe" it is Good, is not good enough!
Swap the Left and Right bulbs.

EXACTLY where were you placing the tips of the probe?

Turn on your Headlights AND the 4 Way/Emergency flashers.
Put the probe directly in the bulb socket. Does it work?
Work your way back to the trailer connector until you find the problem.

P.S. Brake not Break.

 

[SEABEE#2]

Re: Right Brake and Turn Signal lights, Wiring help needed

Re: Right Brake and Turn Signal lights, Wiring help needed

It is a known working bulb. Brand new and tested with switching out left working and right working bulbs. Both work and are new. The tip of the probe is going into the bulb socket. I can get a good read with brake, running, flashers, and turn signals all while the bulb is out. When the bulb is in, I only get light on the probe with the running lights. Nothing else.

While the probe is in the socket with flashers and running lights, I get a good read on both of them. When the bulb is placed back into the socket and I try the probe above the socket where the cables connect to the light, the flashers no longer light up leaving only the running lights.

 

[airshot]

Re: Right Break and turn signal light, Wiring help needed

Have had some similiar problems in my many years of trailering. You tests have shown that you have power to the socket and the bulb is good so it has to be the way the bulb sets in the socket. These sockets are very cheaply made, thin sheetmetal formed into a circle with a couple slots to locate the bulb pins. Socket may be out of location to contact pins in the base of socket. Sometimes the socket can be rotated to line up the pins again and sometimes you are better off to replace the light fixture. Sometimes you can try twisting them (bulb) slightly out of location and they will work but won't stay that way. Normally it is time to replace the light fixtures, and yes I have seen new ones with that same problem, especially the really cheap ones. Even the better fixtures leave alot to be desired as far as quality construction goes. Good Luck!!

Airshot

 

[SEABEE#2]

Re: Right Break and turn signal light, Wiring help needed

Airshot,

I understand what you are saying...the weird thing is that I have tried 3 different light bulb fixtures (new, some round others square) with the same exact problem. Could it be that all three different fixtures all have the same problem or is it something else in the wiring that could cause this? I am messing with the bulb in a bit to see if it could be the bulb.

As soon as both strips of metal get connected with the light bulb, the probe light no longer goes on with the flashers, brake, and turn signal. This does not affect the running lights the same way it affects the other lights oddly enough. I know for a fact that I'm getting contact in just don't know why its not working.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Right Brake and Turn Signal lights, Wiring help needed

Re: Right Brake and Turn Signal lights, Wiring help needed

... When the bulb is placed back into the socket and I try the probe above the socket where the cables connect to the light, the flashers no longer light up leaving only the running lights.

The voltage in the wire is disappearing, Let's assume the socket and bulb are good.

There could be a High Resistance/Corrosion in the wiring upstream.
There is enough current available to power the test light but not enough for the actual bulb.

With the bulb powered, what voltage is on the GREEN Wire at the Hitch connector?
If Good, the problem is in the trailer.
If Bad, the problem is in the truck. What Year/Make/Model ?

If the tow vehicle has separate bulbs for Brakes and Turn Signals (Very Common), There is a wiring converter in the Tow vehicle with more than one connection that may be corroded.

 

[airshot]

Re: Right Brake and Turn Signal lights, Wiring help needed

Re: Right Brake and Turn Signal lights, Wiring help needed

UncleWillie has made some very good suggestions, one more thing to look at though is it a possibility that you have a short or crossed connection due to corrosion inside the frame of either the trailer or tow vehicle that stops the flow of electricity when the bulb makes connection but allows just enough power to get thru to show up on the meter. I have seen corrosion due some quirky things to electrical connections.

Airshot

 

[SEABEE#2]

Re: Right Brake and Turn Signal lights, Wiring help needed

Re: Right Brake and Turn Signal lights, Wiring help needed

Im thinking of checking the voltage, but need to get my hands on one of those machines tomorrow. Then I can measure the voltage on the GREEN wire hitch.
The van is an 02 Honda Odyssey.

The trailer has a new harness, two weeks old, which was put on because the old harness on the trailer was doing the exact same thing. The tow vehicle harness is always inside the van when not in use. Corrosion was not to be seen inside the vehicle.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Right Brake and Turn Signal lights, Wiring help needed

Re: Right Brake and Turn Signal lights, Wiring help needed

I'm thinking of checking the voltage, but need to get my hands on one of those machines tomorrow. Then I can measure the voltage on the GREEN wire hitch.
The van is an 02 Honda Odyssey.

The trailer has a new harness, two weeks old, which was put on because the old harness on the trailer was doing the exact same thing. The tow vehicle harness is always inside the van when not in use. Corrosion was not to be seen inside the vehicle.

The test probe between the Green and White Wires at the hitch connector WITH the Trailer Attached is a valid test.
Your van HAS a converter module in it.

When testing the power at the Lamp. what were you using for ground?
The frame? The White Wire? Or the Lamp socket?
Does the trailer use the frame for lamp ground or is there a white wire running to every fixture?

Is the Socket Round with 1157 bulbs, or Flat with 3157 bulbs?

Replaced the Harness >>> Just the Connector Harness or the entire converter assembly?

Is the Connector 4,5 or 7 pin?

Without pictures I need a thousand questions. Sorry!

 

[SEABEE#2]

Re: Right Break and turn signal light, Wiring help needed

I was using the trailer frame as the ground when testing the power (so far only with the probe)

I replaced the trailer harness not the harness inside the van.

The socket is has an 1157 bulb that came with the trailer wire harness kit.

The connector is is a FLAT 4 pin

Appreciate your help! Thanks!

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Right Break and turn signal light, Wiring help needed

Thanks for answering the questions!

So far the answers indicate a poor connection somewhere in the green wire.
When replacing the Trailer Harness >>> Just the first few feet, or ALL wiring back to the Lights?

With the Lights Powered (4 Way Flashers ON), Probe the GREEN Wire at the Hitch connector.
If Good, the problem is in the Trailer.
If Bad, the problem is in the Van.

 

[SEABEE#2]

Re: Right Break and turn signal light, Wiring help needed

ALL wiring from front to back of the trailer was replaced. (Weird thing is that same problem existed with old wire harness.)

Ok. I will do that tomorrow morning and let you know the results.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Right Break and turn signal light, Wiring help needed

DON'T poke holes in your wires!
those will be the locations of your future problems....
If wiring was replaced including connector then MOST likely it comes down to one of two issues.... bad ground or an issue on the tow vehicle.

get a couple bullet connectors, some wire, and the battery out of your boat. put a male bullet on a wire from the negative side of the batt to the white wire in the trailer plug and a female on a positive wire... hook it to brown and you have tail s and yellow and green will be the stop/turns.... if it works from the batt then you have an issue on your tow vehicle.


for the bad ground, you can unhook the ground wire from the fixture to the trailer and you should see 12v from the wire to the frame where you plan to attach it.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Right Break and turn signal light, Wiring help needed

you CAN run ground wires from the trailer connector to each tail light.... takes rusty ground connections out of the equation.

 

[SEABEE#2]

Re: Right Break and turn signal light, Wiring help needed

The probe lights up when at vehicle connection...Which means something in the harness.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Right Break and turn signal light, Wiring help needed

...The trailer light is ground to the pole that it is on as well as to the trailer...(an attempt to ground it incase it wasn't ground)...

ALL wiring from front to back of the trailer was replaced...

The probe lights up when at vehicle connection...Which means something in the harness.

Don't ignore the possibility of a bad ground connection.
95% of lighting issues are bad ground issues.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Right Break and turn signal light, Wiring help needed

The probe lights up when at vehicle connection...Which means something in the harness.

Unless you did that test with the trailer hooked up it doesn't mean anything at all since the probe ALSO lit up at the light socket.

you need to check the vehicle with a bigger amperage load than the test light

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Right Break and turn signal light, Wiring help needed

Don't ignore the possibility of a bad ground connection.
95% of lighting issues are bad ground issues.

actually I think that would 99.5%