Bad tail light converter?

[bookwalt]

Hi, I'm wiring up the 4-prong plug on my Volvo, and also doing the tail/turn/brake lights on my work in progress TD. I have a harness on the vehicle, with a converter, that I bought at NAPA. On the trailer are generic flush mounted taillights installed on the galley hatch, with a ground wire running from each light housing to a splice, and then to the trailer frame screwed onto bare metal. The taillights work fine, as does the right turn signal, but when I turn on the left turn signal both tail lights blink. Upstream from the converter (in the car) the connectors are working fine, but somewhere after the converter it seems as though when I run the left signal it sends juice to both sides. Does this sound like a bad converter? I hear that they are cranky sometimes. I'm not an electrical guy by any stretch, this is all at the limit of my understanding, so my apologies if I am being less than clear.

Thanks in advance,

Andy

[ARKPAT]

I'm not familiar with your Volvo's rear light wiring. You can buy a flat 4 wire TEST plug ( usually less than $5 and handy to have ) and check the outlet side of your adaptor to the trailer connection. If that is alright then you need to retrace your wiring to the lights. I'm sure some of the others will chime in and help.


Good luck


Pat

[BrwBier]

Converters are sometimes a problem. The best advise I can give is to see the first topic in this section ,checking trailer lights...a tutorial, top of electrical section. You can guess at many different things but this will help you find the problem. I have been a mechanic for more than 20 years and this is a simple and precise explanation of what to do.
Brwbier

[Arne]

I own a honda and bought the converter from them... I just figured they knew what they were doing with their own vehicles.... does volvo have one available... would cost more, but aggravation takes a toll.

[Dale M.]

Yes the converter can be bad right from the package... I had two bad ones from NAPA before I went to different dealer to get different brand... IT was better, but no by much....

See if they will exchange converter if you are sure your wiring is good...

And yes test wiring at car connector end to be sure its converter (it really sounds like it is converter).

Dale