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Trailer Tow Lights not Working

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Old 05-05-2008, 08:12 AM
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Angry Trailer Tow Lights not Working

Hello,

Went to tow a trailer with this truck below. I hooked the trailer up and pluged in the lights and nothing out of both receptacles. Yes all my lights do work and I check the fuses and all is ok. I know the trailer lights are working as the trailer just came off another truck that was. It was strange I also check under the truck and don't see any breaks or problems with the wiring. Any thoughts???

Also I have not had one problem other than the front end shaking at speed but was fixed by dealership (Death Wobble)...
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Old 05-05-2008, 08:25 AM
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What year truck? If it's an 06 or 07 you may have tripped the TIPM. Dealer would need to reset that.
Old 05-05-2008, 08:34 AM
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Or if an 05 there are no fuses and you may need a ecm. My brother had two replaced for the same thing, no trailer lights. They will argue that the trailer is bad but they know it is the ecm.
Old 05-05-2008, 10:11 AM
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2006 trucks have no fuses for towing circuits and towing circuits are completely separate from the trucks lights. If the truck's computer(tipm) senses a short in the trailer wiring the circuit shuts it's self off. However you usually only loose the circuit that has the short not all trailer lights. There is a update the dealer can do to increase the breaker from 15amp to 17.5amp and make them self resetting. I would try pluging into a different trailer first and test. There is a lot on the forum about this problem. Bob
Old 05-05-2008, 08:40 PM
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If you have to use an adapter between truck and trailer, might check than and verify the plug pattern is the same. Next I would check if there is power to the plug itself using a test light, if so, trailer is the problem. If not, move forward following the wires. Good luck.
Old 05-05-2008, 09:35 PM
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I had a similar issue but it was only the passenger side rear running light that did not work. Dealer reset the computer and it has worked fine for over a year now.
Old 05-18-2008, 03:36 AM
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Mine went out on the right side on my 04 and I had to replace the Fuse Box. Working fine so far.
Old 05-18-2008, 06:11 PM
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Old 05-18-2008, 06:24 PM
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Make sure that you check the ground wire on the trailer. Rust or corrosion at that area could be the culprit. Disconnect the ground, take a grinder or sandpaper to the contact area and then reconnect.
Old 05-18-2008, 06:28 PM
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Mine dont work either, just the brake lights...


Im also out of warranty now


Any easy way to diagnose/fix without replacing an ecm?
Old 05-19-2008, 04:27 AM
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I have a brand new truck and didn't want to put my ugly reciever on it so I painted it all up nice and shiny black. When I finally hooked my trailer up Saturday I also had no lights. As I was wiggling the plug around checking for a good connection I could hear a "HUM" everytime I pushed the plug in. It turned out that the paint on the trailer ball was causing a bad ground connection. I sanded the paint off the ball and it works fine now. Just a thought....
Old 05-19-2008, 06:48 AM
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Of course, after my last post, I went out to go to work with the trailer in tow and I still had a bad ground so the lights were on and off due to still having a bad ground. I had to turn around and drop the trailer and I will have to remove all the paint from the reciever.......
Old 05-19-2008, 04:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Dodgezilla
I have a brand new truck and didn't want to put my ugly reciever on it so I painted it all up nice and shiny black. When I finally hooked my trailer up Saturday I also had no lights. As I was wiggling the plug around checking for a good connection I could hear a "HUM" everytime I pushed the plug in. It turned out that the paint on the trailer ball was causing a bad ground connection. I sanded the paint off the ball and it works fine now. Just a thought....
I was testing at the trailer plug(truck harness) and have no power

(I tested the plug, both of them, 4/7pins, and had no power except for when the brake lights are on)
Old 05-19-2008, 04:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Dodgezilla
Of course, after my last post, I went out to go to work with the trailer in tow and I still had a bad ground so the lights were on and off due to still having a bad ground. I had to turn around and drop the trailer and I will have to remove all the paint from the reciever.......
You should be grounding through your plug and not your chassis. Double check connections on both ends as winter road salts raise havoc on electrical connections..Your best bet is to solder and heat shrink all connections.
Old 05-19-2008, 07:09 PM
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I just ended up adding an external ground wire and it works fine now.


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