Noob wiring Q!

[silvergrand]

I purchased a 12V LED light kit to replace the military 24V system on my M416. Wired up and all went well. Everything works fine until I turn on my headlights. All lights activate as designed until I turn on either the R or L turn signal. The Jeep's lights work fine but the trailer's light(s) brighten and stay bright. No blink, just bright, like the brake is depressed. If I cycle the head lights off and on the system resets. Did I screw up a ground?? Any ideas??

Thanks,

 

[Clark White]

You could check your grounds, but it sounds to me like a problem with the LED's. Are they the type that has a circuit panel? If so, I would say that is your problem. If not, I have no idea what would cause that. The fact that you can cycle the headlights and make it work makes me think it has to be some sort of electronic problem, not just electrical.

Clark

 

[Titanpat57]

I would difintely go for a backfeed (wiring mistake backfeeding power into the system) or ground issue (start with continous ground between vehicles).

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

I had a similar problem once when two little bitty wires grounded the system.... check it all over and re-read the instructions...

 

[stevec]

Could it be the flasher? I know LED's don't pull enough current to activate the thermal flashers (the $4 canister style) on their own. I would think if the tow vehicle has standard bulbs that this would not be an issue, but it is something to check. There are electrical flashers available that work with LED's, so it's an easy fix.

 

[I Leak Oil]

Are you sure the vehicle is wired correctly?
Jason T.

 

[OlympiaFJ60]

Could it be the flasher? I know LED's don't pull enough current to activate the thermal flashers (the $4 canister style) on their own. I would think if the tow vehicle has standard bulbs that this would not be an issue, but it is something to check. There are electrical flashers available that work with LED's, so it's an easy fix.

The vehicles lights should be enough to trigger the flasher and sounds like it was functioning properly to begine with. As long as that is all working, the led trailer lights wont matter.

 

[silvergrand]

I will recheck all 3 grounds tonight. 1 from each light to trailer frame and one from wiring harness to trailer frame.

I post back tonight with results.

Thanks for the ideas.

 

[silvergrand]

I really get upset with this type of problem! I checked all ground connections: Jeep trailer plug in, Trailer lead ground and each of the light grounds with an Ohm meter and visually checked the connections. Everything is fine unless I turn on the headlights/marker lights!!! Headlights/markerlights on, hit the turn signal, light goes bright and stays bright, no blink. Head lights/marker lights off turn signals blink and return to normal running mode.

I'm not qualified to diagnose this one. Off to Northside Trailers and spend some $$ to have a pro tell me where I screwed up a "fool proof" prewired light kit.

Very frustrating!!

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Take the light off, walk over to your battery, and run the lights fully manual just touching the wires.

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

Take the light off, walk over to your battery, and run the lights fully manual just touching the wires.

Well, the lights obviously work, the trouble isnt there.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

I meant to try and get the light to blink properly. Put the ground to negative, the tail light wire to positive, and then take the brake like wire and flash it on the positive. If they don't work like that, it's the lights. If they do respond to that, it's your truck wiring.

 

[silvergrand]

Well, I checked and rechecked my connections, talked to many people (thanks!) and even looked into a HD flasher fuse replacement. The WJ uses a module that costs $51.00 and is not availble in a HD configuration! The trailer store has a 2.5 week waiting list! Farmers take priority, that's as it should be I guess.

Since I'm good to go during the day and only give up (but I can reset it by turning lights off) the flash function on the trailer at night, I'm moving on to my next project.

Thanks again!

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

I meant to try and get the light to blink properly. Put the ground to negative, the tail light wire to positive, and then take the brake like wire and flash it on the positive. If they don't work like that, it's the lights. If they do respond to that, it's your truck wiring.

Well, what I meant was that the lights are either on or off. The bulb itself is a dual filament with a ground, and a hot for each bulb filament, the running light and the brake/blinker. The flashing will only occur when the blinkers are blinking. On off, on off. My guess is it has nothing to do with the trailer lights, but to do with the trucks wiring.

Do you have another trailer to try to hook up to, to test to see if you get the same results? Go to the trailer place or hook up to a friend's trailer and give it a try. They also make a little plug that tells you if everything is working properly, try that.

Again, at this point, I'm sure its to do with the truck. Not a flasher or anything but a misplaced wire or something.

I'm no expert, but have rewired (and currently re-wiring) a few trailers and added electric brake controllers on trucks as well.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

The other thing you could try would be an isolator circuit for the trailer wiring on the truck side. That's what I did, just avoid a whole host of problems. The module takes it's own power feed from the battery. Then it picks up a signal from the truck's light wiring but does not draw any amps. That way the trucks flasher, fuses and wiring don't take any load and are unaffected. They aren't too expensive and easy to wire.