Got a problem with my trailer wiring on my truck.

[bobhenry]

To Scatto1 :

Drag out the jumper cables and connect the car frame with the trailer frame if the problem goes away it's a weak ground. Best fix is a dedicated ground wire from tow to trailer.

Bob

[eamarquardt]

My Ford van required a $100 (approximately) kit made by Hoppy to allow me to connect a trailer. The issue, as I believe it, is that the sophisticated computer set up (more sophistcated that the computers on the Apollo spacecraft) has power to the bulbs at all times. The ground is applied to turn the lightbulb/led on and off. This way the if the computer senses a lack of voltage on the "ground" side of the bulb it knows that a bulb is burned out. I had a warning light on my dash which didn't show up on the OBD2 readout. It looked like a circle with lines radiatiing from it. Turned out one of the taillights had burned out. Replaced the bulb and the light went out, so I figure it works the way decribed above. If you tried to tap into the wires just like you used to do on older vehicles, the bulb on the trailer would be lit all the time (I guess) and from what I've heard you might damage the electronics of the vehicle you've tapped into.

There you have it, the "world according to Gus".

Hope this helps,

Cheers,

Gus

[cracker39]

Gus, that just reinforces the fact that with modern vehicles, the day of the shade tree mechanic is about over. Now, we have to buy those expensive connector/modules inorder to to get a trailer bulb to work instead of just splicing into the lighting wires. I think that "planned obsolescence" nas migrated into "planned empty the driver's pockets with new technology".

[eamarquardt]

I don't agree that the days of the "shade tree" mechanic are entirely over, but there are certainly some tasks that are beyond us now. The cars are much more efficient and reliable than they used to be. My wife's car has 160k and I've replaced the belts and plugs (other than oil changes). I got an interface for my laptop to read the OBD codes. Have determined the cat converter on my wife's car is tired and used it to diaagnos that the Oxygen sensor on my van was defunct. Good things. I took out the seats in my wifes car to clean it really well and set off the light on her air bag. Cost me $50 at the dealer (required a dealer computer) to get the light turned off. Bad thing.

But we can't change the way things are going so just have to accept it. There is still much (brakes, plugs, belts, cooling system, etc.) to be done in the shade and lots of money to be kept out of the hands of unscrupulous dealers and mechanics.

Cheers,

Gus

[cracker39]

But we can't change the way things are going so just have to accept it. There is still much (brakes, plugs, belts, cooling system, etc.) to be done in the shade and lots of money to be kept out of the hands of unscrupulous dealers and mechanics.

Cheers,

Gus

All of my life, I've worked on my vehicles, especially my VW bugs and van, removing and reinstalling the engines numerous times. I changed the oil in every one until I got my 2000 Frontier and only because I would have to remove a wheel and buy a long extension to get to the filter. Now, with my 2006 Frontier, I'm doing it again. Yep, I'll probably continue to change plugs, wires, mufflers, etc. as long as I'm able. I learned on my '87 Nissan truck that you can adapt a hanger on a $19.99 muffler rather than pay $90.00 for the one with the hanger already on it. I'll probably do the same for the later two.

[brian_bp]

The lights last longer, the driver knows when one is burned out, trailer lighting circuit faults don't take out the tow vehicle's lights... and all this means a $100 converter. That doesn't seem like much compared to tens of thousands of dollars in vehicles; I'll take the modern vehicle, thanks.

[scatto1]

Sorry I'd the msg is a bit jumbled, I am sending it from my handheld.

I fixed my problem w/o having to buy the power modulator. I swaped out my standard tail lights with LED's and now have no faults and all lights work as they should.

so I am now road worth and now need to weld a bike rack hitch receiver to the tongue.

Scott

[brian_bp]

I fixed my problem w/o having to buy the power modulator. I swaped out my standard tail lights with LED's and now have no faults and all lights work as they should...

That suggest that the original bulbs were drawing too much power. LEDs to the rescue again!

Thanks for the update.

[scatto1]

Even nicer that it was a much cheaper alternative than getting the modulator both in time and money. Now I am ready to roll!

[Miriam C.]

Now that the problem is resolved, can I send it in a slightly different direction and ask if anyone has gone to the salvage yard for these expensive parts?

When the slider on my inside dash lights went out I got tired of waiting for Nissan to get the right part ($60) and the salvage yard sold it to me for $2. Just popped out/in.

[brian_bp]

Now that the problem is resolved, can I send it in a slightly different direction and ask if anyone has gone to the salvage yard for these expensive parts?

When the slider on my inside dash lights went out I got tired of waiting for Nissan to get the right part ($60) and the salvage yard sold it to me for $2. Just popped out/in.

Nice if you can find them.

Most salvage vehicles are torn down and their parts inventoried; in that sort of setup, the part readily found, trivial to pick up... and usually 50% of the new price (not 6%). Parts with little demand are not removed, and go the the crusher with the hulk, so they're not available... a common problem with interior parts; I don't know if anyone would salvage a trailer light converter.

Cheap salvage yards leave the cars out to be stripped as the parts are needed, then toss the hulk when it doesn't have enough left to be worth keeping around. They usually handle only older vehicles, and many parts are destroyed by amateurs stripping out other parts, or by the weather as they get rained in. I've rarely had much luck finding what I need in those places.

[cracker39]

For my 2006 Frontier, that module is installed behind the kick panel in the cab and is an option for the relatively few trucks sold that will pull a trailer. It would not be something that could be seen without pulling the panel off, so I doublt it would be salvaged unless a truck was in the yard and had one in it.