Trailer lights

**Downwind** · 08-22-2011, 07:18 PM

Tomorrow is another day. Step back for the night and go over things again when the sun comes up. sliderman gonna start with sanding down to the metal and recheck my ground. Thanks to all replies.

**sliderman** · 08-22-2011, 08:27 PM

Originally Posted by Downwind

Checked the ground ( good ground at trailer) and ran one to the vehicle. Still just faint glow in the left tail light. Just wondering~~If I had a bad ground wouldn't that cause problems at my other lights?

This tells me your ground problem is at the left light. If you have since developed other issues, you may have lost a good ground between trailer and vehicle. Sanding the ground connection at the left light sounds like a good start. The best of luck. Try not to get too frustrated. Electricity can do some crazy stuff.

Sliderman

**Hogster1** · 08-22-2011, 10:34 PM

Have to agree that you have a ground problem.Make sure all lights are each grounded to the trailer and then the trailer plug white wire is grounded to the trailer and the truck plug white wire is grounded to the truck.I have seen many people rely on the trailer ball as a ground between the two and it is not a good ground.

**gabowman** · 08-22-2011, 10:40 PM

Is this a problem that just popped up or has it always been this way? Have you changed vehicles used to tow the boat?

**Lightlinejohn** · 08-22-2011, 10:46 PM

Have you replaced the electrical connection at the back of your vehicle? Often times the problem is in the plug.

**Downwind** · 08-23-2011, 05:11 AM

The problem just started. No changes made to the tow vehicle. I'm going to ground the light to the trailer today and redo the ground from the plug to the trailer also. I'm still getting a faint glow to the light but that's all I get. Using a new light so I'll know it's not in the light itself. I tested the plug by running a new set of wires straight from the light to the plug so it's not the plug. Hoping for better results today.

**JO2003** · 09-11-2011, 06:40 AM

i had the sme problem on my boat and after a few

hrs..... lol it was the harness extension from trailer to the 4 way plug not together.. go figure

**wilbur** · 09-11-2011, 08:29 AM

Originally Posted by sliderman

That IS a ground problem. If you re-wire it, you may solve the problem but don't be too surprised to get a new harness on there and still have problems. Not sure how you are checking things out but you do have a ground problem.

x2

**kbaker** · 09-12-2011, 09:42 AM

Groung problem for sure. Sounds like a re-wire needs to be done. Make sure you get a good ground by removing the paint to bare metal at pigtail and anywhere the lights are gonna be connected or in contacted to the trailer.

**CatFan** · 09-12-2011, 01:02 PM

If I had to guess, I'd say it's the ground pigtail at the light fixture itself. If the light doesn't have a pigtail, it gets its ground through a mounting bolt. If that bolt/nut is rusty or loose, you'll get poor contact.

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