trailer light problem...SOLVED!

[mustangcats]

Tow vehicle is a 2011 Ram 1500 with 7 pin trailer wiring. When I first hook everything up...the tail lights and turn signal lights don't work on the trailer. A few minutes later they start working. I can't seem to find anything wrong with the wiring. Is there some type of relay that could be causing this to happen? Anything else I should check?

[Padilen]

Ground.
If you haven't - keep informed on your Dodge by joining or reading the ram forums.

[bobhenry]

Yep ground is a bit weak until it wears in. I over come this by making a jumper wire just clamp it to the trailer tongue and to the truck frame problem GONE !

[mustangcats]

I wondered about the ground but didn't think it would "fix" itself on its own. I'll try running a jumper wire. Will also check the Ram forums since this must be a common problem.

[Padilen]

Oh no that's not what I meant ! Just a lot of info on the pick-ups.
Ground issues have been around all vehicles. As Bobhenry said I've ran jumpers on trailers. But yes the bad grounds can clean them selfs up. I always thought it was probably the ball / coupler. Use to tell my mom to drive up and down our dirt road then check the lights again .

[H.A.]

.....

[Dale M.]

Clean the "ground" blade of connector with some scotch bright pad and do what ever you can to clean plug.... Once done add a little dielectric grease on all "connections" to prevent corrosion... check the ground wire is secure to all wired lamps and whatever in trailer the require "ground" from TV...

Some times just plug it in and unpluging it several times (5-6) will remove the corrosion that it will work correctly and then protect from corrosion...

Dale

[Socal Tom]

Yes,
Those symptoms are consistent with a weak ground. Many of the trailer light kits are also really cheaply made, and the connectors that hold the lights are not consistently tight. I finally gave up and installed LED tail lights. Not only did it resolve the poor light contact issue, LED take such low power that its tolerant of a weak ground.
Tom

[mustangcats]

It ended up being a ground problem, but not where I had been looking. The problem was that the trailer light fixtures were not properly grounded. They don't come with a separate ground wire and rely on the ground connection to be the screws that attach the lights to the trailer. I ran a wire from one of the light fixtures to the trailer frame and now they work perfectly. Even though they worked before, I think the ground was always marginal because the lights seem to be much brighter.

[Gladtobehere]

I always run a ground wire to each light on the trailer. If you rely on chassis for ground you will usually have a problem when you least expect it. I find wires easier to fix than chassis ground.

[Dale M.]

The problem with chassis grounds is people do not know how to do them properly.... First if trailer frame is bolt together every place where there is a joint, it needs to be ground clean (bare metal) and each section "bonded" and corrosion preventive grease applied ... Second, where ever a ground wire is attached to chassis it need to be ground clean to bare metal, a light dab of dielectric grease applied (prevents corrosion) and a proper crimped connector on ground wire and secured with bolt nut and lock washer....

Think if trailer frame of one big giant wire...

Dielectric grease isolates "mechanical connection" for oxygen and prevents corrosion....

Ever picture below is wrong as it does not show frame rail cleaned to bare metal... And this is from e-trailer site....



A hundred million vehicles of all types use frames and bodies as grounds, there is no reason you can not do it too if you use correct methods to connect....

Dale

[lrrowe]

I always have ground issues and yes many times it is because of sloppy work on my part. I think I will follow the lead given here and run an independent ground wire to all lights in the future. And also connect one to a properly prepared chassis connection.

[Padilen]

When you hook up and you have lights then in the morning when you pull out you have none I'd use a jumper, and if the problem is gone I'm on my way. No time to chase an issue that comes and goes. But I've never towed with a new vehicle or towed a newer trailer.
I had a car( 30 + yrs ago one and only) that would have lights & power then nothing- and it only accrued at night!Took mechanic numerous times then had it for 3 days. Found nothing wrong with the car! But found the battery to have broken inside. Side post battery( one and only too) broke at negative connection inside battery. Bolts holding wires were tight. Connection was fine until just the right bump.
Egg on mechanics face, he drove it every time. Thought I was making it up, knew I didn't like the car. Then he had it for 3 days I had his so he had it as his daily driver. It finally did it for him. To this day I do not like side post batteries, or "cars". It traumatized me.

[Dale M.]

Another thing one can do is use a internal tooth lock washer between frame and lug (connector), it will bite better into lug and into frame creating a better contact for "connection"... Ok... Some will argue that is not proper place for lock washer, but at this point its not a lock washer, but a connection enhancer....





Some interesting back ground reading...

http://www.electricneutron.com/earthing ... tallation/

Dale

[bobhenry]

I personally do not like frame grounding anything. I have gone as far as placing a mini clamp around the barrel of the tail lite sockets and trapping a 12 gage stranded wire between clamp and socket barrel to hard ground the fixture. I did this for all tow lighting (even clearance) and returned the individual wires to a central box on the tongue where they were coupled into one connection to go to the tow vehicle. No blinking lites no dimming out of lighting just trouble free towing.