Splicing Tail Lights Question

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   I hooked up a new tow plug on my Ford F150 2002 4x4 for my travel trailer. Everything works but the lights when i turn on my headlights for night driving. I spliced into my truck tail light and spliced into the wire that lit up my test light when i turned my headlights on. I then spliced into my left and right turn signal on my truck tow plug but it wont work. Is it the signal lights on the tow plug that i'm supposed to splice in to or is it one of the other wires?

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gary murray Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby Joined: 13 February 2005 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 1603	Post Options Post Reply Quote gary murray Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Splicing Tail Lights Question Posted: 06 October 2011 at 10:26
	I hooked up a new tow plug on my Ford F150 2002 4x4 for my travel trailer. Everything works but the lights when i turn on my headlights for night driving. I spliced into my truck tail light and spliced into the wire that lit up my test light when i turned my headlights on. I then spliced into my left and right turn signal on my truck tow plug but it wont work. Is it the signal lights on the tow plug that i'm supposed to splice in to or is it one of the other wires?

d4570 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby Joined: 27 January 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 9961	Post Options Post Reply Quote d4570 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 06 October 2011 at 10:43
	If your truck has separate turn Lights ( yellow) form the tail lights ( red) you need a special adapter with a computer chip to make it all work. No $hit.
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Guests Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guest	Post Options Post Reply Quote Guests Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 06 October 2011 at 10:52
	If you add a white ground wire, then you have 5 connections. I strongly suspect you should only have 4, including the ground (unless you have electric trailer brakes). MOST cars use the brake filiment for the turn signal, just supplying an intermitent signal to the brake filament to make it blink as a turn signal.. As D say, some years had a separste wire for the brake and the turn signals (so do most foreign cars). You need to check the TRUCK light bulbs (lamps) are there three filament on each side? One for brake, a separate one for turn signal, and a separate one for normal taillight? IF so you need the adapter that D mentioned. No easy way around it. You can get a plug that will Tee with your truck wiring and has an adapter (for 3-filament per side control). Quick fix usually about $50! If you need an adapder check out Hoppy. Color codes for trailer GREEN----right turn signal and right brake light. YELLOW---left turn signal and left brake light. Brown-----both tail lights. White -----Ground Edited by BEAR

gary murray Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby Joined: 13 February 2005 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 1603	Post Options Post Reply Quote gary murray Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 06 October 2011 at 19:44
	Yes Bear. I have a 7 pin or blade type plug and yes one wire controls the electric brakes on the trailer.

RobertMT Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby Joined: 12 March 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4413	Post Options Post Reply Quote RobertMT Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 06 October 2011 at 21:48
	This may help, this is how 7 blade should be wired. They also have wire help videos and hotline. They also have FAQ at bottom of page, below reviews. While you're at it, the center pin is for backup light, it's real slick to have one for parking trailer at night, a tractor light, on trailer back bumper, works real well. http://www.etrailer.com/p-PK12707.html Edited by RobertMT
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gary murray Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby Joined: 13 February 2005 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 1603	Post Options Post Reply Quote gary murray Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 October 2011 at 03:45
	Thanx Robert. I suck at this stuff. When i first wired everything up, the travel trailer signal lights were really dim so i thought i wired it up wrong. I messed around with it for a week trying to figure it out by switching the wires around and blowing fuses when all it was was the bulbs in the trailer weren't quite seated properly from the bumpy roads in the mountains.

gary murray Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby Joined: 13 February 2005 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 1603	Post Options Post Reply Quote gary murray Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 October 2011 at 06:34
	Thanx guys. Got it figured out. Turns out it was a blown 20 amp fuse.