# Trailer lights wired wrong??



## GOSKN5 (Apr 20, 2009)

What would cause the lights on my trailer to not work unless my headlights are turned on??? Nothing works unless my lights are on... it was like this when I bought it and I could retrace everything but hopefully someone will have a solution... thanks for the help...


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## MOOSE (Apr 20, 2009)

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GOOD GROUND FROM TRUCK TO THE TRAILOR.


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## Loggerhead Mike (Apr 20, 2009)

sounds like you may have the wrong pwr hooked up. what year/model truck?


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## Captain Ahab (Apr 20, 2009)

Screw it - just drive with the lights on


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## Zum (Apr 20, 2009)

Captain Ahab said:


> Screw it - just drive with the lights on


Funny as that sounds,starting last week it's the law here to drive with at least daytime driving lights.If your vehicile is older you have to turn your lights on.
They make little light testers that can plug right into your socket that will tell if it's wired correctly.

https://www.amazon.com/Vehicle-Trailer-Harness-IPA7866-Category/dp/B000K1CCBE


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## GOSKN5 (Apr 20, 2009)

yeah I have another problem on the trailer lights that I have to fix and figured I would try to fix them all at once... 

its the trailer though because it everything works fine with my other trailer.... its an 01 nissan frontier 4x4 truck though...


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## Zum (Apr 20, 2009)

Most likely a bad ground.
On some wooden trailers(probably some metal ones to)they individually have to run a wire from each light to a ground.


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## MOOSE (Apr 21, 2009)

TRY A WIRE FROM THE TRL TO THE TRUCK,MAKE SURE ALL SURFACES ARE GOOD AND CLEAN. SEE WHAT HAPPENS.


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## Brine (Apr 21, 2009)

Mine work the same way. Parking lights/headlights have to be on.


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## Quackrstackr (Apr 21, 2009)

Zum said:


> Most likely a bad ground.
> On some wooden trailers(probably some metal ones to)they individually have to run a wire from each light to a ground.



Agreed.

95% of trailer lighting problems can be traced to a poor/bad ground. Running individual ground wires to each light is a foolproof way of making sure.


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