Trailer lights not working!!!

Ok so I have searched through the forum for this problem and found a few that are similar but none that are like mine. I recently bought a boat and trailer and for the first few weeks the trailer worked fine. Then one day while pulling the boat out of the water I noticed that my drivers side trailer light was out(BOAT-BetOnAnotherThousand). Also, water was coming out of the light itself. I went to the store and replaced the light but then my truck started acting funny. When I turned the left turn signal on everything would start blinking like I had turned on the hazards and the left turn signal on the trailer would not work. The truck would also not come out of park just by pressing the brake so I had to manually press the button next to the shifter to get the truck into gear. Right signal worked fine but hazards and brake lights would not work on the trailer. I checked the fuses and found a blown fuse in the truck so I replaced it and the truck works fine however the trailer is still not working. Since it is an old trailer and the harness was obviously old i re-wired the trailer. Now the brake lights, hazards and right turn signal worked and no left turn signal! Soon after that the driver side light is out completely again! I do not know what is wrong here. I replaced all blown fuses and the truck just had its wiring harness installed by a shop. Drivers side light is brand new. New wiring on the trailer. Wouldnt a bad ground make BOTH lights go out? Same with a blown fuse? Maybe this is a converter problem on the truck that the shop installed? Maybe I recieved a broken light from the store? I have an 08 Tacoma. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

Do you have the factory tow package or factory wiring harness? Is the trailer a 4-pin? What it sounds like is a miswired or shorted 4-pin kit, you can pick a a 4-pin aftermarket harness with a wiring diagram up from U-Haul for 20 bucks.

Japanese cars & trucks usually have amber turn signals, while most american vehicles utilize the same wire for breaking as they do for turn-signals, which is why a 4-pin plug usually doesn't work out to well without the harness. There is no way to wire the brakes and independent turn signals into a 4-pin without shorting out your lighting circuit without it.

 

I do not have a tow package and yes the trailer is a four pin. I presumed, maybe erroneously, that the converter the shop needed for installation of the four pin harness was needed because of the amber turn signal system. This trailer issue is becoming a nightmare!

 

It's not that big of a deal. I recommend going to UHaul and pick up their harness, just tell them what truck you have. It'll come with instructions on how to wire it correctly, or you can pay them to do it, it's your choice.

Here's a schedule for the wire colors-

LH turn - Blue/Brown
RH turn - Blue/Yellow
LH/RH lamp - Green
LH/RH brake - Blue


If it was a domestic truck, the brake wire and the LH/RH turns would be the same wire.

 

Alright Ill go to Uhaul then! I just want to be out on the water! Thanks for the advice!

 

Check the turn signal converter. It may have quit. It separates the truck's turn signals from the brake lights, and combines them on the trailer's harness.

 

This ^^^ I had the EXACT same problem you have with the exact symptoms. Turns out my aftermarket hopkins converter went bad. I tested the drivers side brake light wire going into the coverter box (checked out), then tested the voltage coming out and had almost nothing. I ordered a new one from Amazon and that fixed it. I also found that the drivers side brake light bulb wasn't properly seated in the base on my utility trailer. I think this shorted it out. FYI buy it from Amazon, The auto parts store wanted $70 vs. Amazon wanted $40 with shipping.

 

i recently had u-haul install a class 3 hitch to my 2005 tacoma access 4x2,ithey were the cheapest place to have this done.i purchased the toyota wiring harness from the dealership,and installed it myself ,following the enclosed directions.everything works but for the running lights.i hooked up the trailer to my friends truck and everything works.I doubled checked the fuses and relay in the engine compartment fuse box ,but still no running lights.For the record ,I do have brake lights,hazards, and turn signals. any ideas? Thanks.

 

I have the same problem. All lights work on the trailer except the running lights. Did you get yours fixed and if so what did. You do to correct the problem?

 

You're talking to someone that was here for 1 day 5 years ago.

 

Thank God you don't just want to play video games.