checking brake lights etc

kaylevine1

what do you do to check your brake lights n turn signal after hooking up if no one to go look ?

pthomas745

I use my emergency flashers.

ScottG

For the turn signals I get out and look myself. For the brakes, if I can I look for a reflection in a surface behind me. I've even resorted to wedging the brake pedal so I could go back and take a look. Improvise.

dragonsdofly

@kaylevine1, as @pthomas745 said, put your flashers on. They operate on the brake light circuit. Do a walk around and if you see the rear trailer lights flashing, both trailer brake and turn signal lights are working.  -Denise

tybladesmith

Turn flashers on to test brake and turn signals and head lights on for tail lights test.
For those of you up north, a long handled windshield ice scraper can be wedged between the brake peddle and the seat to check the high brake light on TV. 

kaylevine1

thanks everybody!!!

4ncar

Turn headlights on THEN emergency flashers. This way both lighting circuits are checked simultaneously.

N7SHG_Ham

Almost all brake controllers have a manual engagement lever, I push that over and lock it there (how you do that will vary by brand, use your imagination) and then walk back and check. That is also a good way to check TV brake lights and high mounted stop light (works rather a trailer is attached or not). Turn signals walk back and look as well as tail lights. The exercise does a body good!

New semi trucks now come with a computer controlled light test function, makes checking all the lighting very easy, I guess auto makers figure no one pre trips so not yet a function.

davel4wa

Better to use a stick wedged against the driver's seat to hold the brake pedal down. That will confirm the entire brake light electrical path. You could use the brake controller as suggested here but since the controller is downstream of the actual brake switch you might not be 100% sure. Using the flashers has the same problem. The electrical path is different and therefore not 100%. Both techniques will verify the lamps are working. Cut a piece of 1X2 to the right length and keep it in your tow vehicle. IMHO

kaylevine1

thanks Dave

Oldcootcamper

I simply take my iPhone and prop it behind the trailer and then turn on the video record button. Then I test all the signals, walk back and watch the recording to see if it all worked.  

kaylevine1

great idea oldcootcamper!!

davel4wa

Oldcootcamper: Very clever but can I use my Android phone instead?😉

Somewherelse

Per NuCamp:  Turn on Emergency flashers (if they work, that means ALL lights work - brakes and blinkers. No need to test each individually). Get out. Look. Get back in. Go. 

ScottG

Somewherelse said:

Per NuCamp:  Turn on Emergency flashers (if they work, that means ALL lights work - brakes and blinkers. No need to test each individually). Get out. Look. Get back in. Go. 

I don't quite buy that. I assume the hazards are linked to the tow vehicle's turn signal circuits. While activating them may tell you the bulbs themselves (and the turn signal circuits) all work, it does not necessarily confirm that the separate brake circuit works.

I'll continue to check everything separately using whatever creative means needed.

davel4wa

In the typical 3 wire trailer wiring two of the wires share brake lights and either left or right turn signals. The third wire carries the tail/marker/license lighting. So while using your emergency flashers will test the trailer wiring and lamps for turn and brake lighting, you still need to verify the taillight/marker lighting. If your tow vehicle lights are working so should your trailer lights. There is one other consideration which involves the 4 wire system used in properly (IMHO) designed vehicles. In the 4 wire system the brake and (amber) turn signals are separate. This means that buried within your tow vehicle, either as original equipment or added when your hitch and towing light harness was installed, is a converter to translate 4 wire to 3 wire. This makes it possible that while your tow vehicle brake and turn signals are working, your trailer lights may not be. 
In the end, checking your lights involves your safety and the safety of others. It takes 2 minutes to check that all lighting is working, 30 seconds if you have help. I do wonder why the trailer industry hasn't adopted the 4 wire system. I guess all of their customers with 3 wire tow harnesses would be unhappy, although the only result would be the properly colored amber turn signals (again IMHO) would be inactive. Designing a 3 wire to 4 wire converter is possible while certainly more complex.