A little troubleshooting help

[MechanicMike]

Just picked up a little utility trailer from a friend tonight to do some moving tomorrow.

I hooked up the connector for the lights a 4-way, and while checking the lights I noticed when using the right directional it acted like the 4-ways were on, it even lit up the third brake light. When using the right directional with the tail lights on the signal didn't flash it just lit up. It almost seems like there is a bad ground somewhere and its feeding back through the other light or something. I tried hooking it up to another truck and it did the same thing,

Being I wait for the last minute for everything and I really need the trailer for tomorrow is there a quick fix that someone can recommend to correct this? Like running an extra ground from the trailer to the truck? I just don't have the time to mess with it.



Oh yeah, all the wiring/lights etc is brand new a couple weeks old, and I noticed the white ground wire is attached to the tongue of the trailer.

Any suggestions are really appreciated. Thanks Mike

 

[testraub]

It's the wiring to the 4 prong plug Bought a hitch brake light did the same thing Right and brake light seem to be tied together on the 4 pin.

 

[KWentling]

Don't you just love borrowing stuff and you have to fix it before you use it? Do you know for a fact that it has ever worked correctly? Is it wet? If so dry it out with WD-40. Did you use the same flat adapter with both trucks? If so, make sure it is OK first. Next thing I would do is check with an Ohm meter between the ground and each terminal in the connector. The ground will be the odd terminal. You should have continuity (just the resistance of the wire and bulb or bulbs) at each terminal to the ground. (If you don't have continuity, try wiggling the bulbs in there sockets. Also check between the ground in the connector and bare metal on the trailer to be sure it is grounded good. Needs to be little to no resistance. ) Then pull all the bulbs and check for continuity between the three terminals in the plug, two at a time. There should be no continuity between any of them. If there is you have a short in those circuits. Could be wires pinched together or something of that nature. Somewhere in this process you should find the problem, provided its wired correctly in the first place.

Kim