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word's avatar
word
Explorer
Apr 16, 2014

Trailer lights have me baffled?????

Hoping someone can help
me out here. I have a 1988 Skyline Nomad..24ft. Just bought this not quite a month ago. Had to add a 7 way receptacle to my 05 Ford Expedition to hook up the camper. The trailer was missing the tailights, so I purchased new one. Hooked them up yesterday...and here is my issue. I have brake lights and both turn signals. I have the running lights on the drivers side of the trailer, but I have no tail lights? No running lights on the passenger side of the trailer either? Not sure if the bulbs even work on the passenger side ( I have new ones coming), but I can't figure out why no tail lights? I do not know much about wiring, but from what I gather, the brown wire works the tail/running lights. The fun part is when I disconnected the brown wires at the front of the trailer, I still had my drivers side running lights. I still had my drivers side brake lights, however, now I did not have my passenger side brake lights? Any thoughts?

Thanks for your help
  • Almost invariably when the exterior lights start acting up it's a grounding problem. Usually the lights gain a ground through a different lights. This can cause weird behavior like when yuo step on the brakes one taillight goes out.

    But, I would first check though that the lights have the correct bulbs in them. Pull the bulbs and look in the sockets. If the socket has two contacts, make sure the bulb base has two contacts.
  • Don't know if I have markers without the rear lights...haven't checked. Lights are wired correctly. Appreciate the wiring diagram BB, what doesn't make sense to me is why when I disconnect the brown wire (tail lights / side markers) I still have side markers? Does it just sound like it is wired up wrong? I sure hope not, cause all the wiring is running under the floor. No idea how to get to it without tearing up the floor?
  • Check how you hooked up the rear lights. Maybe a ground wire hooked wrong. Do you have markers if you remove the rear lights?