Trailer light Difficulties

[chesterlion]

I went through the trailor light tutorial and got all the lights to light however, the right side lights are much brighter than the left side. Why and what can I do to fix the problem?

[madjack]

...hi CL...who are ya and where are ya from...the #1 problem with all lights is the grounds, so make sure they are grounded properly...if you are using a standard 4flat plug, the lights should be hooked up as follows...white=ground, brown=tail and marker lights, green=right side blinker and brake light and yellow=left side blinker and brake light...confirm those and we will go from there....
madjack

p.s. if we knew more about ya and what you are doing it would help...for example...are ya building on a bolt together frame...do ya have incandescent or LED lights...ya know...things like that...the devil is in the details...pics of your project would be nice as well........MJ

[Sam I am]

Madjack is right - trailer light problems are almost always bad grounds!
I used a separate wire for grounds on mine rather than rely on screwing wires to the trailer frame. It works much better!
Sam

[chesterlion]

I just registered this evening I'm new at this. I'm from Ohio and trying to fix up a trailer my wife and I bought a couple years ago. The trailer frame is red with incandescent lights I guess they are not LED. I don't know if it is bolt together or not. I've not looked under it that close to see. The ground is bolted to the hitch frame on the tongue. I'm not sure what you mean by grounding each one separately. They didn't work at all until I went through the light tutorial tonight and found the ground on the trailor had pulled out.

[madjack]

http://tnttt.com/viewto ... 987#217987

...the above link will take you to a post by "tear les"...it is an excellent tutorial on checking trailer lights...if all lights had been working and this is a used trailer, I would first check the ground on the light that is dimmest, then the light that is brightest...you may not have one that is too bright but rather one that is too dim, due to a bad ground...one more question...do all of the lights function properly otherwise...do both brake lights come om, do the blinkers work, do the tailights??????
madjack

[satch]

Should check to see if you have the brake light and tail light connections reverse one light. Most trailers light are grounded by bolting it to the frame, make sure it is free of rust and dirt at all the connection points. If all else fails, run a separate ground wire to each light, that should tell you if you have a bad ground to the frame. jmo

[Steve F]

I just registered this evening I'm new at this. I'm from Ohio and trying to fix up a trailer my wife and I bought a couple years ago. The trailer frame is red with incandescent lights I guess they are not LED. I don't know if it is bolt together or not. I've not looked under it that close to see. The ground is bolted to the hitch frame on the tongue. I'm not sure what you mean by grounding each one separately. They didn't work at all until I went through the light tutorial tonight and found the ground on the trailor had pulled out.

Does this mean they are relying on the towball and trailer frame to provide the earth back to the battery in the tow vehicle? I don't know about most trailers but I would have thought this could be the problem right there and that they should run an earth wire back to the wiring harness in the tow vehicle and back to the battery that way.

Cheers
Steve

[madjack]

Steve, I think he is saying that the ground on the trailer side of the plug goes to the trailer frame...I would hope for a dedicated ground on the tow vehicle side
madjack

[Steve F]

Ahh, that makes sense. Although it wouldn't be the first I've seen with no ground wire and the lights grounded to the frame which is using the hitch as the method of ground back to the battery.

Cheers
Steve

[bobhenry]

Once again ~~~~get out the jumper cables and clamp to tow vehicle frame and trailer frame for a positive ground if this cures the problem run a dedicated ground. If it doesn't leave it on and check each fixture by using a small guage grounded wire and touch each outside socket of each offending light if it brightens up you are in need of a better ground first try a new slightly larger attachment screw if this doesn't do it a ground wire may have to be added. I have used a mini worm clamp around the socket and a short wire to the attaching screw to get a good ground. A corroded socket can sometimes be wire brushed but it's probably easier to just replace it .Light problems can be maddening I have spent almost 30 hours correcting my build mistakes in the last 2 weekends
good luck

Bob

[Arne]

Have you checked the bulbs to see if they are the same number/type?

You can pull one bulb out and see if it affects the other, etc....

[chesterlion]

MJ- Yes all the lights work. The one side is either too bright or the other is too dim. That tutorial is what I used to get them working in the first place. It is great information. I'm still not sure how to ground each light separately. I'll check to be sure both bulbs are the same. The wires are not crossed- the colors all go where they are supposed to. Sounds like I've got a ground problem somewhere. Together we'll figure it out. You guys are great.

[Miriam C.]

This is the way I grounded each light. Normally the lights are dependant on a metal connection and that is missing from this install.



The white wire is the new ground and is attached with a ring connector and nut. I left the normal ground in tact and added this one. They work now.

[chesterlion]

Miriam - where is this bolted to and where is the wire coming from? It looks like the side of the trailor? I'm sorry for all the questions I just want to get it right. I wish you guys were here. Also, Miriam I was looking at your photos for your 12 volt system. How does the little wiring strip work and where did you get the switch panel? I'm trying to clean up the wiring inside the trailor also. The 12 volt system in my trailer consists of some lights and female cig. lighter connectors to plug other appliances etc. into.

[SkipperSue]

Something else you might check is to see if the light bulbs are in the sockets are the same as each other. I'm assuming that they are 1157 bulbs. I have found some "cheaper sockets" in the past that would let you put the bulbs in both directions. If you look at a 1157 bulb, one of the bayonetts on the side will be higher than the other. You might have a fillament in one working like the brake light and the other working like the running light. Just pull one bulb out and see if you can reverse it 180 degrees and see if you can turn it in the socket. This might be a long shot but it's worth looking at.