Tail lights

Mercator · February 2015

I am having an intermittent problem with my trailer taillights not working.

When I unlock the TV the headlights turn on and the tai lights on trailer are working. After a short time the stop working. Brake, signals and hazard lights work (and charging connection.)

It is a new TV wired at Dodge dealer.

Anyone else have a problem? Is it more likely to be TV or trailer problem?

wizard1880 · February 2015

Check for any corrosion in the 7 pin connector. Better yet, try spraying some contact cleaner in there and give it a few insert\removal cycles to clean it out. Also, ensure it hasn't worked itself loose after travel. Outside of this, its possible there's a wiring problem on either the TV or the tab, though since you said its intermittent, that leads me to believe the connector is coming loose.

mawebb · February 2015

If all lights, running, brake / turn and charge are failing, then it's most likely an issue with the ground wire connection. Usually the ground connection on the TV end is somewhere on the chassis near the seven pin connector. Chances are, there is paint or undercoating preventing the wire from making good contact with the steel of the chassis. Find where the wire is connected and remove the screw and make sure there is bare metal under the wire terminal.

IACamper · February 2015

I had to start using a short bungee around the 7-pin connector in order to keep it from working loose during travel.

mawebb · February 2015

There is definitely something not right there. The 7-pin connector has a built in locking mechanism that engages when fully inserted. The lock is accomplished with the flap that covers the connector when not in use. If it's not engaging I am guessing that either the plug or outlet are defective or something is keeping the plug from fully inserting. Check all the pins on both end to ensure nothing looks out of place or bent.

ChanW · February 2015

Ever since I lubed my 7pin connector with dielectric grease, it's been really easy to unplug. The locking mechanism still works, but I'm afraid it might not stay plugged-in when going over bumpy roads.

So I've got one of those removable zip-ties, wrapped so it pulls the locking cap down into position.

The 7pin outlet on the truck is pretty poor quality, Hopkins from eTrailer.com, and the hinge pin & spring are steel, as well as the angle bracket, and they're both rusting like crazy.

So I don't know how long I can depend on that rusty hinge pin to hold.

Better safe than sorry. The zip tie works fine.

mawebb · February 2015

I bought a Hopkins Endurance for my sons' truck. Hopefully it will stand up over time. I wondered about the steel bracket in terms of the finish holding up to against the elements.

ChanW · February 2015

I searched and searched for a stainless or plastic bracket with no luck. The paint came off mine within six months and has rusted badly. Might have to fabricate something...

jkjenn · March 2015

Mercator, I missed your original post. I had issues with my new T@b tail lights and it turned out to be a bad ground on the T@b.

Mercator · March 2015

I met with Dave and Katie Yeckle in FL on my way to Key West and Dave mentioned that the Dodge dealer may have installed the wrong wiring kit. My Journey has LED tai lights and you need a specific harness for them. It is only the tail lights and the always come on on the trailer but after a short time go off - almost like a relay is overheating and opening up. The other lights - signals, brakes, etc work fine but they are usually only on for seconds and wouldn't trip a relay. I'm Going back to my Dodge dealer when I get back.

Michigan_Mike · March 2015

If it were me I would probably check out the connections on your Dodge where they wired the harness into the vehicle wiring. If the connections weren't crimped on properly you could have a loose connection at a splice or even water inside the connection, trapped by electrical tape, etc. I have seen that and some of these guys are Mickey Mouse electricians who slap things together quickly and without proper separation between splices.

As noted, the ground wire does create a lot of issues in wiring if it isn't properly grounded. Start at the battery hook-up, check the wiring from that point back to the rear of your tow vehicle and test the voltage at that point. If everything checks out then work from the vehicle harness back to the trailer wiring harness. If you can establish that you have proper voltage at the rear of the vehicle you can basically trouble shoot it back to the rear of the trailer. If you have a cigarette plug style LED volt meter that you can plug into the 12 volt DC plug in your trailer you will see a fluctuation in the trailer voltage when the vehicle is started up and is running. If you have a dedicated charge line to the wiring harness at the rear of your TV that will give you an indication that the trailer battery is being charged up by the TV.

I'm not familiar with Dodge wiring, but am betting that if the lights are okay when initially plugged in and then later go off, it's a bad connection and potentially something that has water trapped inside it that eventually heats up and is creating a short, etc. Many folks have issues with the trailer plug and as noted, it's a good idea to occasionally spray some lubricant into the small terminals (e.g., some silicone, WD-40, etc.) to establish a solid electrical connection. And as mentioned above, a poor ground wire connection will create nightmares.

Mercator · March 2015

Recap:

When driving with headlights / taillights on the taillights will go out if the turn signal is used for more than a few seconds and will not come back on unless the headlight switch is turned off for a few seconds and then turned back on, which seems to resets the system.

Update:

I returned home on Friday and took the TV - 2011 Dodge Journey and the T@B into the Dodge dealer.

When the mechanic put their seven pin tester into the TV socket and turned the taillights the tester indicated that they were working. He then put on a turn signal and the taillights continued to work. We next hooked up the T@B and followed the same procedure and after about 10 seconds the taillights went out. We then hooked up the tester again and it showed that something in the Journey had tripped and the taillights were not working on the TV side. He was stumped as to the reason as he said the wiring for the seven-pin connector was a plug and play installation.

On the e-trailer website there are two different wiring kits depending on what type of taillights - LED or incandescent. Sometime in 2011 Dodge changed from incandescent to LED taillights and perhaps the incorrect trailer module was installed. As the resistance of the two types of systems is different this might be the issue. The service advisor is checking to see if there are two different part numbers for the OEM module - hopefully we can get this resolved.

jkjenn · March 2015

Ray & Vida, this sounds very much like my situation from my trip to Colorado. The lights would come on and then after about 10 seconds turn off. I took it to Camping World and 2 different techs took about 90 minutes to fix it for me (for free, I might add!) Once they found the problem, they were able to fix it quickly. It turned out to be a bad ground on the T@b. I have had other issues related to electricity on the T@b is at the factory for that to be fixed and some upgrades.

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