Trailer lights

[bankbuster]

I just bought my new but used 2005 silverado and hooked the boat up to it this morning and found that everything except the tail lights and side lights work. Does anyone have any idea or quick fixes before I start tracing wires?

[Carter1]

Check fuses in your truck; check where the wires connect to the lights for any that may be disconnected or broken. Those two things have been the problem I have had once or twice in the past.

[bankbuster]

Thanks Carter,
I know the trailer itself is good so I'll check the fuses. Are there fuses specific for trailers? I thought that the trailer lights were in same circuit as their corresponding lights on the truck.

[crappiepappy]

Biggest problem with trailer lights is usually not being grounded good. Then comes broken wires, bared wires shorting out against the trailer, blown bulbs, blown fuses, and poor connection grounding via the trailer ball/coupler or plug prongs. I've experienced them all ... and have yet to find any short cuts to figuring out WHY the lights don't work. You may just have to work your way thru all the possible problems, until you isolate them ... then fix it to last.

... pappy

[coombro]

Biggest problem with trailer lights is usually not being grounded good. Then comes broken wires, bared wires shorting out against the trailer, blown bulbs, blown fuses, and poor connection grounding via the trailer ball/coupler or plug prongs. I've experienced them all ... and have yet to find any short cuts to figuring out WHY the lights don't work. You may just have to work your way thru all the possible problems, until you isolate them ... then fix it to last.

... pappy

Hit the nail on the head. Grounding big issue. some use the trailer tongue and ball for grounding as some use the white wire.

[jrunger]

Trailer lights can be a tedious pain --- I've found for me the best way to deal with them is to get a battery, set it near the tongue, and then individually (with some small pieces of wire) test every combination of power to the different circuits (?) of the trailer. When I do it that way it helps me figure out if it is a trailer wiring problem or a truck/trailer connection problem. After I figure out what is going on with the trailer wiring I can them test the connector at the truck with a test light or meter.

It's got to be "at one end or the other" -- the trailer wiring or the connector at the truck. There are too many variables if you try to figure it out all at once.

Sometimes you'll find that the truck connector is corroded "in" one of the holes --- that has happened to me more than once -- you can clean them with electrical contact cleaner and either a very small wire brush (like you use to clean a gun) or some rolled up (with the rough side out) emery paper.

And sometimes the connectors just get old and corroded enough that it is almost easier to just replace them. But I save that as the last resort.


Good luck with it

Jeff

[floatman]

I just bought my new but used 2005 silverado and hooked the boat up to it this morning and found that everything except the tail lights and side lights work. Does anyone have any idea or quick fixes before I start tracing wires?

I have a 05 silverado, my trailer were giving me trouble, we tried everything, found it was the round plug that goes into the bumper, it came with the truck, it's a GM and a piece of junk, if you plug it in and roll it around you bend the contacts back, after checking I looked inside the end that goes in the truck and each post had a flat peace of metal, I took a small straight screw driver and bent them towed the middle of the plague, that was it, try it and after bending those posts your lights work get you another plug......JMO

Gary

[kydonky]

Hit the nail on the head. Grounding big issue. some use the trailer tongue and ball for grounding as some use the white wire.

If you have good connection to turn signals it's probably not a ground problem. You say the side marker and tail lights are not working. The tail lights and the side lights are on the same circuit (powered with the same wire). I would say you have a bad connection with the tail light wire.

Get a cheap 12v tester. Start at the plug connection then the wire behind the plug. If you have power going to the plug but not out of it get a new plug.

[bankbuster]

Woo-Hoo Found bad fuse under the hood. It is even labeled Trailer Parking Lights. Thanks for all the suggestions guys.

[Carter1]

Don't you just love a quick and cheap fix

[Tyme2fish]

Woo-Hoo Found bad fuse under the hood. It is even labeled Trailer Parking Lights. Thanks for all the suggestions guys.

Happened to me on my F-150. The question to be answeered is why did the fuse blow? Trace your wires on the truck and the trailer and try to locate any bare wires that might have shorted out.

My situation was that I had "crimped" my trailer wire connector and that led to the short.

[bankbuster]

I bought x-tra fuses just in case but more than likely the blown fuse happened from previous owners trailer. After inspecting my trucks wiring it is completely incased in convelutant covering. I pulled my boat for a few miles and lights are still working. Again, thanks for all the suggestions.