Trailer Wiring

[Chubminnow]

Maybe someone here might know the answer. In wiring up the lights on my trailer how come when I turn the turn signals on all I get is a brighter light as if it were the brake light? When I turn the lights on everything comes on just fine, hit the brakes and the brake lights come on just fine. But when I engage the turn signal all I get is a brighter light.

I asked someone else and they mentioned to me that the problem they had with their turn signals was once the trailer is hooked up to the truck his turn signals flash extremely fast, but as soon as he unplugs the trailer his truck turn signals go back to flashing at a normal speed.

Any advice on either of these two situations?

[DJD]

Ist problem sounds like a bad ground. Is the white wire terminated? Sometimes the ball isn't enough.
2nd problem sounds like a bad bulb on the trailer. Have you checked those on the trailer that would engage when the turn signal is turned on?

[Moose1am]

Might try finding a heavy duty flasher for your truck to see if that helps. Sometimes the cars are not equipped with heavy enough turn signal flashers to run the car lights and a trailers lights.

If your wires are wired up correctly then it's the flasher in need of being beefed up. Most auto stores will have heavey duty turn signal flashers for automobiles

Check the ground also to make sure that your lights are properly grounded with the White Wire.

[MLTSPCS]

If all else fails buy a tester for a few dollars. Get the one that shows lft trn, rt turn, tl lghts, and brk lghts. If everything checks out ok on your tow vehicle, then buy a new boat trailer wiring kit w/submersible lights included. That is what I ended up doing to fix my father's wiring problem when replacing bulbs and checking grounds didn't cure his trailer light problems. Just a thought because it only takes a few dollars and 1/2 hour to 1 hour to fix it and know it's all right. Good luck.

[MarkW]

Moose is right----get a heavy duty flasher.

[stratosjoe]

some times these newer vehicle need an adapter because of the way the turn signals are wired my 99 ford ranger needed it and they do go bad .

[dpage70]

check your grounds first. where i work we do a lot wiring on trucks and 90% of the time when things just dont make sense it's a bad ground somewhere.

[Cobra190]

I'm in aggreement that the heavy duty flasher will fix the fast turn signal problem. Have had to do this myself in the past. As for the turn signal lighting problem, either you have bad bulbs or your not wired into the turn signal from your vehicle. Wiring from truck tail lights to plug may have both wires tied into the brake wire and not the turn signal.
Good luck in figuring this one out!!