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Help wiring a trailer hitch connector

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Old 01-11-2006
rangererv's Avatar
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Help wiring a trailer hitch connector

Searched but found nothing.
I took off my old trailer hitch connector because it was useless (nothing fit in it). Anyways, I had a factory ford connector that i am putting on right now.
I am having trouble finding which wires go where.

I have the left and right turn signals hooked up fine, but im having trouble with the other wires that i have left over. One should be the lights, and the other...reverse light?? or ground??? Im not sure.

Does the ground that runs off the connector connect to another wire and that runs it to ground???? or and im suppost to just connect that to the frame?

So here is what i have

red = battery
Green = Right turn signal/ brake
Yellow = Left turn signal/brake
White = ???
Brown with white stripe = ????

on the ford connector, here is the options.....

Electric brakes (i dont have that)
lights
reverse lights
ground (I took this wire and grounded to the frame)
right turn (used)
left turn (used)
battery (used)

I dont have my boat at home, it is in storage so i can hook it up and try it out.

Are there reverse lights on trailer??


If anyone has any diagrams or info, please help me out. Thanks
Evan
 
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Old 01-11-2006
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brown wire is lights

not sure about the other, might be reverse.

andrew
 
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white is a ground
I have never seen a trailer with reverse lights
 
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Old 01-11-2006
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Ok, I figured out that the white wire is a ground....I hooked up my ground from the connector to the frame, i guess i should have went to that wire instead.

That means they the black wire should be working with the head lamps...but its not.
I tested before i connected the wires and it work, so i dont no, maybe I have a bad connection.
Already checked the fuses, and they are all good.

Any suggestions on why the head lamps wont work, let me no...thanks

evan
 
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Old 01-11-2006
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Originally Posted by LILBLUE04FX4L2
white is a ground
was typing at the same time i guess
 
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Old 01-11-2006
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Brown / White trailer tow relay, switched output.
White - ground
Yellow - left turn signals
Dark green - right turn signals

from my book. but idk what switched output means to really help ya out much.
 

Last edited by zabeard; 01-11-2006 at 07:25 PM.
  #7  
Old 01-11-2006
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Originally Posted by zabeard
Brown / White trailer tow relay, switched output.
White - ground
Yellow - left turn signals
Dark green - right turn signals

from my book. but idk what switched output means to really help ya out much.
IT most likely is the parking light wire.

You have ground, left and right turn signals/Brakes. So, it has to be the parking light wire??????


EDIT: Heres a pic if that helps at all:





Vic
 
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Old 01-11-2006
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^^ What about the tail lights for the trailer?
I need them right?


Well as of right now, the brown/white wire has NO power going to it...I dont understand.
I had a test light hooked up to it last week when i started the project and the light went on when I turned on the head lights, so i went to try it today and nothing.
So i figured maybe I lost connection, so i took off the shrink wrap and connection is good.
I tryed to trace the wire back and it goes under the steering wheel and then i loose it...anyone have any idea what could be causing this wire not to have power?
Already checked the fuses and they are good.

GRRR...this dam wire pisses me off. worked fine the other day.
 
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Old 01-11-2006
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O, and WTF is a trailer tow relay switch......maybe im not getting power to the brown/white wire because i blew the relay?

I did touch some wire together the other day and blew the left/right turn signal fuse...maybe i blew this one to.
I donno. Help
 
  #10  
Old 01-12-2006
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maybe brown / white is running lights? let me check something else when i get home to night. i just wired mine up last night. but i just matched the colors. lol
 
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Old 01-12-2006
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^^ ya, my connector has all black wires...so i cant do that.
I am assuming the brown/white wire is for the running lights.
However when i hook a test light to the bare wire (before the connector) and turn on the lights, no power is going to that wire....i cant figure out why....I just found a diagram and am going to check the trailer/ tow relay in a minute. Hope thats it.
 
  #12  
Old 01-12-2006
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The center pin, or red in the diagram above is usually used for reverse lights. On my boat trailer, it locks out the hydraulic brakes when the truck is in reverse (other wise the brakes just come on and the more throttle you apply the harder the brakes come on). On my other trailer, it actuates a relay, and turns on my reverse lights on the trailer, but that trailer is a bit abnormal.

The Brown (or brown/white) is for your running lights.

As stated, white is usually ground on 12v systems.

Don

-
 
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Old 01-12-2006
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^^ ok thanks.

Now that I no the brown/white wire is for the running lights....does anyone know what could be causing this wire not to get power with the lights are turned on.

Its not the fuse....any other suggestions?
 
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bad connection under the steering wheel maybe.
 
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Old 01-12-2006
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Ok, i guess i didnt check everything before i started this thread.

I didnt check the fuse box under the hood, only the panel by the driver door.
I just checked it, and it was bad....After I go buy one, it should work fine...

Thanks for the help anyways guys.
 
  #16  
Old 01-12-2006
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Just got the fuse and it works now....thanks
 
  #17  
Old 01-14-2006
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Wiring

One of those wires is used to charge the battery on the trailer if it has one. I am trying to wire my trailer brake controller right now but I dont seem to have the same amount of wires off my truck that you seem to have. I am towing a small camp trailer with brakes and a battery.
David
 
  #18  
Old 01-14-2006
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http://www.etrailer.com/faq/wiring.asp

I found this site, which shows six and seven pin.
 
  #19  
Old 01-14-2006
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probably one reason that the running lights arnt working is that you have to have your lights on in the truck to turn the trailer lights on.
 
  #20  
Old 05-30-2006
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Anyone have info on the straight 4 connectors...which pin is what?(left turn, right turn, ect...)
The wires are all black, cant find anything on the web.
 
  #21  
Old 05-30-2006
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nvm, i got the info
 
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