Running Lights: Brown and Black Wires

[burlesot]

Okay, again, a very big newbee especially with electrical.

I'm following Desert Dawg's electrical diagram for my trailer. She has integrated running lights on the rear of her trailer, I have separate amber and red lights on the side. I have connected the running lights to the brown wire as she has shown (my light fixture has red and black wires.) I connected the brown wire from the trailer to the red wire of the light. The black wire is connected to the right and left front marker lights and then grounded to the frame.

My trailer is in my back yard and I cannot test it without dragging it out to the road; I was going to wait until I had the front and back running lights wired to drag it out, but it's raining so I had to come in and ask for help.

If I follow Joanne's diagram and again connect the red wire on the back marker lights to the brown wire from the trailer and again the black wire to a ground, as above, should everything be okay?


Thank you many times in advance.

Todd

[burlesot]

Help.

[Dale M.]

I generally direct everyone to this diagram.....

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

The brown wire for a flat four connecter is usually the running and tail lamp ...

What wire colors that come out of you fixture is design dependent... IF fixture has two filament bulb, "generally" the red wire is STOP/TURN and a the black wire is tail/marker. Ground is generally through metal housing of fixture...

IF its a LED lamp assembly used for STOP/TURN and TAIL... RED will be STOP/TURN, BLACK will be TAIl/MARKER , WHITE will be GROUND...

Side markers are generally single wire (black) and it will connect generally connect to the BROWN wire of flat four connector system.... Ground is generally through mounting screws...

Many lamp fixtures assume they will be mounted on a metal, GROUNDED surface.... Not always true and you may have to run additional ground wire to fixture from "WHITE" wire ground... The white wire should probable be bonded to trailer chassis AND run to any fixture mounted on wood or fiberglass ... Actually ground wire can extend to ALL fixtures with out any harm...

Just remember these are generalities, you have to know how fixtures function and be able to recognize if something does not follow general guide lines.....

And electrons do not care what color the wire insulation is, its only for humans doing assembly work... IF its a new install, try to follow guidelines, if its somebody else's work you are trying to decipher/fix, good luck...

Dale

[burlesot]

Dale,
Really appreciate your input.

Just a point of clarification, for me. The fixtures are only running lights. They had a black and red wire extending from them. I used the black wire as my ground. I used the red wire to connect to the brown, running light, wire. So, the only 'power' that is going to the lights is from the brown wire. I guess the circuit is completed when the black wire, which is the ground, is anchored to the frame.

Am I correct in my presumption?

I was unable to test the lights because my tow vehicle is in another place.

Thank you,
Todd

[Dale M.]

Dale,
Really appreciate your input.

Just a point of clarification, for me. The fixtures are only running lights. They had a black and red wire extending from them. I used the black wire as my ground. I used the red wire to connect to the brown, running light, wire. So, the only 'power' that is going to the lights is from the brown wire. I guess the circuit is completed when the black wire, which is the ground, is anchored to the frame.

Am I correct in my presumption?

I was unable to test the lights because my tow vehicle is in another place.

Thank you,
Todd

From the information you have supplied your presumption is correct.....

Fot testing use, use just a 12 volt battery or even a 12 volt battery charger, as mentioned in another message thread...

Dale

[burlesot]

Awesome tip. I have my battery charger all set; when I get home tonight I'll give it a test!
THANKS,
TB

[goldcoop]

FYIW/PS-

I have had some 4-way trailer harness/wiring from China that were color-coded wrong (at least didn't match "our" standard flat four color codes)!

Cheers,

Coop

[burlesot]

I tested it out.

Several interesting observations:

1. My battery charger would not make the lights light. I did use the battery and found some interesting results.

2. With the white and brown wires connected to the battery, only the left tail light and left red marker lights worked.

3. With all for wires connected, both tail lights and the red marker lights lit.

Any suggestions?

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1369786609.656927.jpg (15.44 KiB) Viewed 2412 times

[burlesot]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1369786667.886983.jpg (15.64 KiB) Viewed 2411 times

[Dale M.]

You have wiring issues.... Both real tail lamps (not turn/stop) and both side markers should work with White wire as ground and Brown wire as the power.... Is brown wire extended to all 4 lamp fixtures?

Also where is your amber front clearance lamps?

Also what is amperage output of battery charger... IF its output is at least 5 amps it should have lit up the marker/tail lamps...

Dale

[goldcoop]

Also what is amperage output of battery charger... IF its output is at least 5 amps it should have lit up the marker/tail lamps...

The new battery chargers have reverse polority & low or no battery voltage detection/protection and so, as such, they can not be used as a 12V power supply anymore...

Cheers,

Coop

[burlesot]

Dale,
Not sure the amperage on the charger.

My amber lights are in the front.

Yes, the brown wire, the same brown wire, is extended to all four running lights.

Seems strange the the back lights will light up when the same wire is extended from the front lights to the back. It would seem that if the front lights were not properly connected that the back lights would not work either, right?

I guess I'll pull the connectors off of the front marker lights and try again; I may try soldering the connections this time. I didn't do that last time because it is over my face/head when I'm under the teardrop doing it. Do you have any tips on the best way to make the connections? I've used waterproof butt joint connectors and those two to one trailer light connectors. Obviously those are not working as planned.

Have I mentioned how much I don't like these darn wires?

Grrr.

Thanks for your advice.

Todd

[Dale M.]

Its really hard to analyze your exact problem from a distance and your interpretation of what is wrong may not translate into text in a way I understand what your are trying to say.....

IF you have skinned the wires correctly and crimped them correctly there is nothing wrong with crimp type butt connectors....

IF some laps work correctly, and some don't and all are connected on same circuit, you need to start at the non functioning lamp and inspect ever inch of wire and connection from non functioning lamp to where it gets it power (from properly functioning circuit).... Some thing as simple as poor ground connection, dirty lamp socket even bad bulb can drive you crazy... A misinterpretation of wiring diagram or simply lamp fixture connected to wrong circuit will drive you nuts....

Main thing is do not assume anything.... Even if wiring is new and you ran it your self, do not assume its proper.... A volt-ohm meter or a simple test lamp can be a great tool to help you....



This is my favorite tool for testing,.. Although I have some very expensive meters, this is simplest and fool proof.... Alligator clip to ground and use probe to hunt for the 12Volt power that is supposed to be illuminate your lamps... Once you have good ground on clip and you find power(12 volts), test probe lamp lights... simplest trouble shooting tool ever...

Dale

[burlesot]

Dale,
Thank you.

I have a small volt meter. I only know how to use it to measure the charge on the battery.

It's a cheap meter from Harbor Freight; it has lots and lots of additional choices on the meter face.

I'll start working backwards, like you said. I'm thinking that it might be a bad ground. I will double check everything and then report back.

T