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Posts: 79
| I have a Toyota Highlander and when I hook up the boat lights sometimes comes on and sometimes not at all it also does it to snowmobile trailer. I hook up my 1995 Chevy and they always work. So I brought it to the dealer and the checked it out and said that they are working. But I explained to them they work sometimes he said it was a bad ground on my trailer. So I said it works fine on my Truck. So nothing got fixed. Does anybody know what it could be I thought maybe a wire was getting pinched some where or maybe Toyota has a bad ground???? It was wired at Toyota Shop |
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Posts: 226
Location: W. PA. | It could be a bad ground and sometimes it is just grounding through the ball. Try connecting the wiring without hooking up the trailer. If the lights work then you know that's not the case. If they don't work then that may be the problem but you'll have to find where the bad connection or pinched wire is. |
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Posts: 1023
| I am not very handy but I may be able to help. My trailer connection ( to my truck) has a converter box installed. Mine was fried and I replaced it (NAPA) for 15 bucks. That may be your problem. The box basically protects your truck from short circuits (I think). Take a look and see - it will be installed between your truck lights and the trailer connection likely. |
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Posts: 235
| Hi there, I'm no mechanic but I have had this problem in the past and a mechanic friend of mine told me its usually the ground is bad. Take a piece of wire and put two aligator clips on the wire. One on each end, sand a spot where you can clip it to the frame of your vehicle and sand a spot on your trailer. Connect this end to your trailer. If everything works it was a bad ground. I sometimes just keep this extra ground between my vehicle and trailer on everytime I use it. Hope this works and helps you out. |
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Posts: 518
Location: Cave Run Lake KY. | Strip the ground wire about 1" and clamp it under the trailer latch when you hook it up to your truck this will give you a good ground. I have had to do this on all most every rig I've had. Work's every time. Marv. |
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Posts: 79
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Thanks For the help I will try it out tonight
Gary
Edited by SHEEPHEAD 6/4/2008 7:16 AM
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Posts: 239
Location: Madison, WI | Check the tow package adaptor (if you have one) on the Highlander. I was having similar problems with my truck to trailer but when we used my friend’s truck to pull my boat everything worked fine. I bought a new adaptor at NAPA for $12.95 and it is working flawless. If when hooked up to the Chevy it’s working I'm not so sure it could be a ground issue with the trailer?? |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | I had a Ford Explorer, and when I went to rig it for trailer lights I was told bythe dealer that the factory got cheap on the wiring going to the tail lights, and the thin wire would not withstand connections for a trailer. So, I had to have installed one of the booster boxes mentioned above.
I only used that vehicle about once a year to tow, and it seemed like every time, the booster box had gone bad and needed replaced. I'm not saying that is your situation, but it could be? m |
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Posts: 79
| cpr fish - 6/4/2008 9:39 AM
Check the tow package adaptor (if you have one) on the Highlander. I was having similar problems with my truck to trailer but when we used my friend’s truck to pull my boat everything worked fine. I bought a new adaptor at NAPA for $12.95 and it is working flawless. If when hooked up to the Chevy it’s working I'm not so sure it could be a ground issue with the trailer??
Ya it was wired at Toyota dealer and from what i can see they hard wired it it was not an adapter . That is why I brought it back to them I thought pinch wire or something. But I think I will try the ideas from poster and if that don't work by an adapter.
Thanks Gary
Edited by SHEEPHEAD 6/4/2008 9:50 AM
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Posts: 468
Location: Not where I wanna be! | boat trailor lights are my nemicise..(sp) i struggle with them all the time! and when i think i get them figured out, i get a rock to smash one of the lights and im back to square 1.......
one of the things i was always told to try first if you are having spotty response, un-do the ground, re-cut and re-strip the next 1/2 inch, use a wire brush on the tongue where it attaches, many times you will get a gunk build up and it might need a fresh section of steel to attach to......
just a thought!
good luck |
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