Trailer Wiring Problem (1 Viewer)

[BigMac]

I installed a Hoppy (NAPA) plug-in trailer wiring kit about 5 months ago and it worked perfectly. However, it recently began to behave strangly (verified with with 2 different trailers and a test light), so I figured the converter had failed. NAPA replaced the Hoppy harness, but when I installed the new one tonight, it behaved the same way, as follows:
-Tail lights (only) work.
-Brake lights do not work.
-Turn signals do not "work" independently or with emergency flasher - but, filament of a test lamp plugged directly into sockets of the ???4 flat trailer connector glows very faintly in sync with the flasher... unless brakes are applied, then the turn signals work.
-All primary vehicle lights work, as do Kaymar rear bumper lights spliced into the kit harness above the converter.

My intent is to try a really heavy duty electronic flasher and check for good grounds - but I'm otherwise out of airspeed and ideas at this late hour. I'm also not convinced the new converter/harness is OK right out of the box.
Appreciate any suggestions, BigMac

 

[alia176]

Good grounding? Just a thought!

 

[the shed guy]

Sounds like a bad earth [ground] try a jumper lead from good steel on the trailer to the car and see if it fixes the problem, if so, check/repair the earth in the wiring.

 

[ParadiseCruiser]

Mac -

My neighbor had a very similar problem last fall... kept blowing new converters every time he put them on his [Ford] truck. As I recall, there was something fundamentally incompatable that had to be worked out... but I have since forgotten the solution. I would be glad to check with him this evening and get back.

Cheers, R -

 

[yomama]

Get the more expensive Toyota wiring harness. Does the NAPA one state that it is for a Toyota? The wiring is really different compared to US vehicles having seperate brake and turn lights. Plus I believe the rear lights are like the headlights in which you have constant + voltage and a ground actually makes the connection to turn them on.

Yomama

 

[Brentbba]

Hoppy brand is made to connect directly to the wiring harness of the Toyota. Sounds like you may have another bad converter right out of the box. When my OEM Toyota went, I found that Toyota Parts Depts couldn't or didn't want to get just the converter. Lexus could, but it was around $65! The little test plugs won't show a problem typically as they don't pull enough current thru the converter to really tell if that's the problem (at least from my experience).

 

[cruiserdan]

The OEM harness/converter comes in two configurations, splice in and plug in. Both are brutally expensive. The splice in lists for $169.28 and the plug in is ONLY $208.89

The splice in is available. the plug in is a discontinued part but there are about 70 of them left nationwide. When those are gone, that's it for the plug-ins.


The 65 dollar version mentioned by Brent is and older version of the splice in that has now been superceeded by the spendy one.

 

[Brentbba]

HMMM, bout a year ago at Lexus, plug version. Toyota didn't have it in their computer system at all. I ended up buying a uhaul generic and redid the wiring on it into the OEM plugs. PIA! Would probably go Hoppy if I had it all to do again.

 

[cruiserdan]

The current numbers are as follows:

PT207-00980, splice in.

00526-60960, plug in.

If you order a plug in from your local dealer the order may come back "discontinued" depending on which depot the dealer faces out of. If the facing depot has depleted it's stock the order gets kicked back as discontinued even if other depots have stock left. The dealer needs to call in and request a "force order" to get it to allocate from another depot. Discontinued parts will continue to allocate to facing dealers until stock is exhausted.

(if anybody cares : )

 

[semlin]

I had the factory splice model but it was trashed. I bought a $15 generic unit and attached it to the existing splice connectors following the wiring pattern. It works but the signal and 4 way flashes are a little faint. If you figure out why yours is faint, post back. I am pretty sure I have a good ground.

 

[BigMac]

CruiserDan - You are my local dealer, sir, but I will try and fix this miserable thing without going to the OEM stuff, at least for another few days, (no offense ).

Ron - Any possible lesson from your neighbor would be greatly appreciated.

The fact that the Hoppy (for Toyota) plug-in worked perfectly for 5 months, and now a replacement won't work right off the bat makes we wonder what's wrong with the truck now. Like I said last night, I will check the grounds and try a heavy duty flasher first. I can get a new Hoppy module from Wally Mart for about $12 and splice it in - that will be step 2. Did I mention how much I really, really hate screwing around with this kind of crap?

Thanks very much for all the inputs, BigMac

 

[cruiserdan]

I wonder if the Kaymar lights have any impact on this?

 

[Rogue]

[quote author=BigMac link=board=2;threadid=5135;start=msg40007#msg40007 date=1063237018]
Did I mention how much I really, really hate screwing around with this kind of crap?

Thanks very much for all the inputs, BigMac
[/quote]

I hear you. Installing the good stuff is where your time needs to be spent: like more lift, more armor, bigger tires, better stuff...

My trailer wiring harness went out about six months ago and I haven't bothered with it yet. :

 

[ParadiseCruiser]

Mac -

>> My neighbor had a very similar problem last fall...

The explanation / solution is very long winded, but in the final analysis - and this is deductive guess - is that there was too much current being drawn in the circuit causing the diodes (and / or other components) in the "box" to blow.

Here are some observations, thoughts and rhetorical questions...

:: I have installed two Drawtite harness/modules on 97 Cruisers without problems, albeit they have not been used for towing all that much;

:: I use a heavy duty flasher on mine - and have a total of 5 lights (5 individual filiments) flashing per side (1156s /1157s) including the trailer. The second truck has a stock flasher and has three lights flashing per side with the trailer;

:: Any chance you added the Kaymar - or other extra lights - or changed from one bulb to another - since the harness was first installed? ... and how many lights are there on the trailer? ...i.e. are you drawing more current per side now than when you first installed the thing?

:: Of course, the previous comments about grounds come loose or gone bad is also a possible consideration.

The final solution out here [on his truck] was to trash the little black box, add an additional wire to the harness, and run the new wire aft to a separate bulb on the trailer so there would separate and individual lamps for braking and directionals - the same as the back of the towing vehicle.

Hope there is some insight somewhere here that will turn on the other "light"

Good luck with it !

R -

 

[landandsea]

Mac,

FWIW, the Draw-Tite convertor is called T-One. It was plug and play on my '96.
I have 3000 towing miles on it with no problems. I think it was about 20 bucks.

Ed

 

[BigMac]

Thanks for all the helpful inputs, gang - I'm still working on it.

Ron - do you know exactly which heavy duty flasher you installed, and did it plug directly into the OE socket? I bought a Grote #44540 12 lamp flasher - NOT a plug and play replacement, and I have the blown fuses to prove it.

So, the Toyota (Denso) flasher pin out ("B", "L", "E") is different from what appears to be the industry standard ("X", "P", "L"). Also, the Denso unit is installed with a jumper that necesitates a 180 deg rotation, and thus reverses "B" and "E". If anybody can cross the Denso terminals to std you can save me some time and fuses ???.

As my Dad used to say, "I don't understand all I know about this". Thanks again, BigMac

 

[BigMac]

If anybody cares - the correct pin-out (described as European or ISO standard) for our flasher is:Terminal - Function
49 - + 12V supply
49a - Load
31 - Ground

As noted by Ron, the Tridon/Stant EP-36 (rated for 3 turn signal lamps and 6 Hazard) works. The Signal-Stat 266D is listed as a higher rated interchange (6 signal/12 hazard). This info courtesy of a day of my life I can't get back. BigMac

Follow-up note; the 266D is actually a 3/6 flasher, just like the EP-36. The NAPA catalog is wrong. 3/6 is the heaviest duty flasher I can find. BigMac

 

[ParadiseCruiser]

Mac -

>> Ron - do you know exactly which heavy duty flasher you installed, and did it plug directly into the OE socket? I bought a Grote #44540 12 lamp flasher - NOT a plug and play replacement, and I have the blown fuses to prove it.

The Grote 44540 is the wrong flasher. As you have discovered, the pin-outs are reversed. I had some yahooooo sell me one of those as well: Yep, blows fuses.

The right AM flasher is a Stant/Tridon EP36 (Kragen has 'em...). Works like a charm.

R -

 

[GXO]

Easy fix...don't tow with the cruiser

You can call my 3FE wimpy, but I will pull you to Spain with my Duramax.

 

[BigMac]

Ron -
Thanks - my efforts to install the Grote using jumper wires to the "correct" terminals has failed, and I'm tired of screwing with it. I'll look for the EP36. Really appreciate the assist, BigMac