7 pin connector

[Duane King]

I have installed a 7 pin connector onto the huge cable I bought to hook up all my safety lights and brakes. I want to be sure I am using colors that are the industry standard. I did a search on the internet and found this guide:

http://www.marksrv.com/wiring.htm

Does this go along with what everybody in the teardrop is doing with a 7 pin connector?

[48Rob]

Duane,

The chart in your link uses the standard color/wiring scheme for the USA.

As the link points out, there are a couple oddball connectors out there that are different, and of course there is the "heck, I don't need no stinking diagram, I'll wire it MY way" kind of folks whose wiring generally has to be redone when they sell the rig to some poor unsuspecting soul...

But all in all, yes, that is the standard.

Rob

[Dale M.]

Yes they appear to be "industry standard".... At least they are for my Chev. tow vehicle and my friends Ford tow vehicle...

Actually colors are not all that important ... "Pin out" function is what you are after..... Wire colors are for humans, electrons do not care what color wire they flow through.....

However you can go to Johnson's (on Abbott St.) and get 7 conductor cable with proper colors in bulk if you want, its expensive though....

http://www.etrailer.com/faq/wiring.aspx


Dale

[Duane King]

I still have doubt about what the industry standard is. The link I posted at the top of this thread is to "Marks RV". Further research would seem to suggest that his is not the only "industry standard". In fact, if you check each wire color one at a time and look at other websites that discuss this topic, you'll find lots of different ideas about what color does what.

Dale, I did buy the cable and 7 pin connector from Johnsons. Attaching the 7 pin connector to the cable is easy because it is all clearly marked on the male plug. It's the other end I am having trouble with.

Here are the circuits I want to run:

Common ground
Electric brake
tail/running lights
Battery charge
Left turn/stop
Right turn/stop
auxiliary/back up

I'm just not sure which color to use for which purpose. I know it all depends on how my tow vehicle is wired. But I don't want to just make it the same as my van. I will change my van if I have to. I'm just trying to create a situation where if my trailer is pulled by another vehicle with a 7 pin connector, I will have a reasonable good chance that everything will work without "tweaking". This really is a problem to figure out.

[Dale M.]

As I said wire colors are immaterial.... As long as plug designation (on connector) matches proper electrical function on trailer you are good to go....

Best way is to keep track of way you wire up trailer is to create a diagram of what color wires on trailer are splices to what colors on pigtail and x-reference to function at plug....



IF you can keep colors consistent from plug to lamp it does make it easier though...

The name of the game is function and continuity and not so much emphasis on color... I say this from 38 years in telecommunications wiring and just finishing wiring two fully functional street legal wiring VW based MANX style dune buggies and a complete ground up wiring of a 32 Ford roadster (hot rod) with late model V8... Now struggling to put 94' 5.0 Mustang FI V8 in 47 Ford convertible....

Electrical wiring is pretty much like a garden watering system.... All that is important is that water gets from faucet to sprinkler, the water does not care what color hose it goes through........

Geeezzz I'm rambling this morning.......

Dale

p.s. since we are both in same town, I can help if you get really stuck...

d.

[madjack]

.... more info ..........................................

[Nitetimes]

There is no real industry standard as far as wire colors go.
There are some that are used more than others but it usually depends on where you get your trailer and where they got their wire.
Redneck shows this:
White . . . .Ground
Blue . . . . .Electric Brake
Green . . . .Tail & License
Black . . . .Battery Charge
Red . . . . .Left, Stop & Turn
Brown . . .Right, Stop & Turn
Yellow . . .Auxilary

I built trailers for over 15 years and we usually used this:
White/ground
Blue/trailer brakes
Brown/tail lites
Green/right turn/brake
Yellow/left turn/brake
Red/charge
Black/back up/not used

The catch is not all cable has the same color wire in it so you have to go with what ya got.

There really isn't an industry standard on the plug wiring but it is getting better since the big 3 started putting plugs on the back of their trucks.
Now most things are going to their pin code.

[apratt]

Rich, I always wired my trailers and what not the same way you do. Most the the trailer plugins I have gotten came with a wire diagram.

[asianflava]

When in doubt, Ohm it out.

Real head scratching ocurrs when the color changes somewhere in the middle. Like when someone didn't have the same color wire and had to extend it for some reason.

[jplock]

Duane,
I agree with what the folks are saying about standard wire colors (not always depending on them). The most important thing is what is coming out on the pin numbers on the plug (of the tow vehical), and the pins corectly correspond to the pins on the trailer. If in doubt check the pins with a 12 volt test light or a volt ohm meter to verify the vehical output. Also verify the ground with the ohm meter. You can also verify trailer wiring by hooking th Negitive battery to the ground pin and the Positive side to the various pins to verify the trailer wiring / light operation. If everything checks out connect to vehical and it ought to work.
jplock

[Duane King]

Rich,

You mention that the truck manufacturers have started putting plugs on the back of their trucks. Do you know what pin pattern are they using?

I just want to repeat to all you nice folks, "I want to be able to plug my trailer into any tow vehicle and have it work". Perhaps rather that talk about wire color, I should have asked about pin position. There are 7 pin positions inside the trailer connector I am using. Not only are the colors specified inside the connector, each pin is numbered. I assume that the number 3 pin does the same thing on every vehicle. Same with the number 4 pin. etc. If my van is currently wired incorrectly (and it very well might be) I can make my trailer work fine by matching it up. But when my father-in-law borrows my trailer and hooks in up to his truck, he will wonder what the heck I did.



That's why I'm so concerned about this little matter.

edit: For those of you wondering why I am repeating some of the same stuff as the fellow in the post above this one. . I think he and I were typing at the same time. He beat me to the submit button!

[asianflava]

When I was at the Toyota dealer yesterday, I noticed that the 7-pin plugs were made by Hoppy. That is the same company who makes the the T-connector I have on my current truck. I bought the connector at a parts store.

I'm seriously considering a new Tundra CrewMax.

[Dale M.]

Rich,

You mention that the truck manufacturers have started putting plugs on the back of their trucks. Do you know what pin pattern are they using?

I just want to repeat to all you nice folks, "I want to be able to plug my trailer into any tow vehicle and have it work". Perhaps rather that talk about wire color, I should have asked about pin position. There are 7 pin positions inside the trailer connector I am using. Not only are the colors specified inside the connector, each pin is numbered. I assume that the number 3 pin does the same thing on every vehicle. Same with the number 4 pin. etc. If my van is currently wired incorrectly (and it very well might be) I can make my trailer work fine by matching it up. But when my father-in-law borrows my trailer and hooks in up to his truck, he will wonder what the heck I did.





That's why I'm so concerned about this little matter.

edit: For those of you wondering why I am repeating some of the same stuff as the fellow in the post above this one. . I think he and I were typing at the same time. He beat me to the submit button!

Just go with the pin numbers/functions that are describes in the site you provided in your first post.... Its really that simple!

Dale

[Nitetimes]

This is what the manufacturers are using.

Keep in mind that just because they are using it doesn't mean that what everybody's plug will be but you should be pretty safe for the most part.
Things are better than they were 15 years ago. You get a lot more the same now than then.

One thing you want to watch closely is when you put the wire in the connector. Be sure you don't have any stray strands, it can drive you nuts trying to figure out what is wrong if that one little strand touches another hot pole.
Don't ask me how I know this, I ain't tellin'!!

[retiredcamper]

I will be wiring a 1991 Toyota pickup for the seven prong hookup. Where is the best place to intercept the wires?


I will need the following:

brake lights
running lights
turn signals
battery charge

I don't have the backup light or brakes.