Trailer Lighting (1 Viewer)

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Mar 27, 2003
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Ok, tomorrow I'm driving to NC to go wheelin on both the Cruiser and the ATV. That means pulling my trailer. Unfortunatly my trailer lights (car side) do not work. I looked up under and its some horrible PO hack job using an aftermarket trailer light box deal and harness, looks like it came from a kit. They even used those cheasy blue wire connectors that keep you from having to strip and crimp/solder wires god forbid. I pulled out the Haynes, and unwrapped all the old electrical tape. The Haynes has a trailer wire switch and then the box thing that has the actual plug connected to it. There are no remnants of anything but just the wires coming out of the wiring harness. I know this is broad, but how have yall hooked up trailer lights, and anything you recommend? I tried foolin around the with aftermarket trailer harness, hoping that a wire was switched, but the fact that the factory switch+box is no longer there means many more wires hanging out of the harness than the aftermarket unit wants. Any ideas? PLEASE?
I considered hitting up Napa for another aftermarket kit and seeing if I would have better luck with it since it would have instructions. I could take it to Uhaul, I think they do this stuff, but that seems like a waste of time and money and they would probably do a pretty crappy job like the PO did anyway.
 
Update:
Spent some quality time with the multimeter and figured out which of the wires on the truck are for tail, stop, and turn signals, then used the description on the aftermarket harness to wire it in to the correct wires. Hooked it all up, started the car, the brake and running lights work but are very very dim on the trailer, not the car, the turn signals don't work at all, on trailer or truck. Any ideas? ???
 
toyotas use a separate light for each function. that little box changes it to american style (high and low setting on the same bulb) which is what a trailer harness is. did you reuse the box?
 
Yep, I finally got it all working, minus the front right turn signal cause its burned out.
At one point I had it where everything worked but the brake, running and turn signals at the rear, trailer and front turns worked. I realized that the wires for the rear brake/turn signals connected to the same wire on the harness that the trailer box did, reconnected those and now it all works. The haynes manual is wrong in that it has the wrong wires going to the brake/turn/backup lights in the back. I just used a wire from the 12v battery to figure out which wire lit up which bulb and then connected it to the proper connection between harness/trailer converter.
Yes I did reuse the box, there was nothin the matter with it as I had hoped. I bet those iffy blue connector things that the PO used had just come loose and thats why it didn't work. At least now I know how it all works, thats the good thing, the bad thing is that my parents are pissed cause I was supposed to study all day today. :D
 
well I found a spare turn signal bulb so thats workin now, but one of the backup lights isn't. Thats pretty minor I'll figure that out later. It's all good. :D If any of yall got any questions on trailer wiring, I'm your man!
 

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