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Thread: Trailer Light Connections

  1. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by JAMAS View Post
    I searched and found some help in this thread, so I am reviving it for another question....


    I have my hitch installed (THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK Tom4Bren!!!!) but havent installed a light hookup yet.

    Can someone tell me if this will work....
    http://www.amazon.com/Hopkins-48925-...8&sr=8-1-fkmr1
    this website says it will. I used the universal one listed and got it at walmart.

    http://www.hopkinstowingsolutions.co...ring_kits.html
    1COOLVX

  2. #17
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    2000 Foxfire Red Mica, 0555 (RIP) & 0717
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    Well it says it will if you use the "Does this fit my vehicle link" but I don't know how much you can really trust it. When I tried to hook up my cargo box with the wiring/converter that Tone provided, I had a similar problem to etlsport above, only that I got running lights, turn signals, but no brake lights. Took it to a trailer shop and they said that Isuzu's actually used a European style wiring system, so the converter need to be a 5-way instead of a 4-way (I think). Note that's the converter, not the plug - there are always four wires in the plug.

    Don't know if that helps much.

  3. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by vt_maverick View Post
    Well it says it will if you use the "Does this fit my vehicle link" but I don't know how much you can really trust it. When I tried to hook up my cargo box with the wiring/converter that Tone provided, I had a similar problem to etlsport above, only that I got running lights, turn signals, but no brake lights. Took it to a trailer shop and they said that Isuzu's actually used a European style wiring system, so the converter need to be a 5-way instead of a 4-way (I think). Note that's the converter, not the plug - there are always four wires in the plug.

    Don't know if that helps much.
    The only reason we need a converter is because of the independent turn signal bulbs. And that is what that is for so it will work if hooked up correctly. shawn

  4. #19

    Towing a small sailboat

    I am in the market for a small daysailor or similar boat to sail on the Potomac and as soon as my VX gets out of the shop (in a month!!! AAARRGGHHH), I want to look into getting a hitch put on.

    Any advice?

    Thanks,

    Marc
    DeepSilentComplete :coolr:


    He postulated that cognitive simulacra might one day approximate component models of the psyche.

  5. #20
    Member Since
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    Wait on Tom4Bren's updated Tone-style hitch, since the hope is that it will handle more tongue weight than what we all have now. Tom's down in Fredericksburg so you might even be able to get it installed at the same "welder guy" shop.

  6. #21
    Member Since
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    Quote Originally Posted by vt_maverick View Post
    Wait on Tom4Bren's updated Tone-style hitch, since the hope is that it will handle more tongue weight than what we all have now. Tom's down in Fredericksburg so you might even be able to get it installed at the same "welder guy" shop.
    Welder Guy's shop prolly ain't an option. I work with him at Fort Belvoir but his shop is alla way out at Colonial Beach.

    I'm a tried & true 'shade tree mechanic'. Yer welcome to the T4B pad some Saturday & we can get it done tho.

    I hope to re-install my hitch this weekend & get all the measurements needed to make the beefier hitch.

    Tom
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

    Put a smiley after you say that Bub.

  7. #22
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    Wiring woes

    After issues with the old 4 flat wiring harness, I picked up a universal wiring kit that included the 5 -> 4 wiring converter box. The problem is that the trailer brake lights are coming on very slow, and very dim. The turn signals are not working at all. It appears like the trailer was not getting enough power fast enough. After comparing the voltage between my car and another working vehicle, I found that I am getting about 2-3 volts less on the brakes and turn signals than the working car. I even pulled the tail light and tested there. I appear to only get about 9 volts on the brake lights with no external wiring hooked up. My vehicle lights are working fine through. Any ideas???

  8. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by PA-99 View Post
    After issues with the old 4 flat wiring harness, I picked up a universal wiring kit that included the 5 -> 4 wiring converter box. The problem is that the trailer brake lights are coming on very slow, and very dim. The turn signals are not working at all. It appears like the trailer was not getting enough power fast enough. After comparing the voltage between my car and another working vehicle, I found that I am getting about 2-3 volts less on the brakes and turn signals than the working car. I even pulled the tail light and tested there. I appear to only get about 9 volts on the brake lights with no external wiring hooked up. My vehicle lights are working fine through. Any ideas???
    Aside from double-checking that you've tapped into the correct vehicle wiring (as follows) for your trailer harness, I would also double-check your ground connection. Make sure you are metal to metal (most surfaces are painted or coated in some way) with whatever connector you've used for your ground-wire to vehicle-chassis connection, or at least use a self-tapping screw that you are sure is tapping into some part of the VX's metal frame. There are also a lot of rubber grommets used on various pieces of the VX that isolate that part electrically from the chassis, so sometimes even though it may seem that a good ground connection is being made, that's not necessarily the case. A simple test meter check will let you know for sure.

    RT Turn Signal Wire Color (only avail on the Passenger Side): Green/Blue
    LF Turn Signal Wire Color (only avail on Driver's Side): Green/Blue
    Parking/Running Light Wire Color: Green/Red
    Brake Light Wire Color: Green

  9. #24
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    I'm pretty confident that I have the harness connected to the correct wires, as I am able to see in increase voltage when I activate the feature. When I test and get the low voltage, I am testing using the ground wire attached directly to the turn signal. That is also the ground wire that I am connecting the harness to. I honestly do not know how the lights on the car working, because they are showing less than 12 volts

  10. #25
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    Is this with the engine running? What's the voltage across the battery? (engine running and not runnning)

  11. #26
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    The low voltage was tested the car was not running. I will check the voltage across the battery when I get home later.

  12. #27
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    Got some interesting results, but not sure what they point to. Possibly a bad battery?

    @ battery with engine off: 11.65v
    @ battery with engine on: 13.33v

    @ brake light wires with engine off: 9.76v
    @ brake light wires with engine on: 11.4v

    Any ideas?

  13. #28
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    Take your VX (or just the battery) to your local parts store. They'll usually check it for free.

  14. #29
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    Weird.

    There's no way the voltage should be dropping that much between the battery and the back of the car. It's natural to get some voltage loss due to resistance in the wire but the VX isn't very long so we're talking miniscule voltage drops here. You wouldn't even be able to measure the difference with the x000 count meter you're using. Something's wrong in your wiring or connectors. Do you get that much voltage drop at the parking lights? Head lights?

    I'd start with wire brushing the battery posts and terminals and checking your grounds. See Y33TREKker's post above. If that doesn't fix the voltage drop problem, start tracing wires. You've got too much resistance somewhere...


    You might want to check the voltage regulator after you figure out the voltage drop problem. Assuming the meter is accurate, your readings across the battery are slightly low. Ideal lead acid SLI charging voltage is 13.9V - 14.3V, below that you're sulfating too much and above 14.4V you're gassing (and if you don't stay on top of the water level you'll soon be stinking like a rotten egg!) Ideal fully charged resting voltage is 12.6 volts but that's open circuit potential. With terminals connected, 12.5V - 12.3V is more realistic. So at 11.7 you're a little low there too. Maybe because it's going bad or maybe because it's not getting a full charge...

    But - although your battery won't last as long charging at 13.3V - your voltages are high enough to take care of your Starting, Lighting and Ignition needs so - I'd delve into the weird part first and then do what Tom said - get battery checked at a parts store. If it's bad, throw a new one in there and see if that wakes the alternator up. If not, parts store will usually check your alternator/VR too so take advantage of that before your battery gets sulfated - whether new or old.

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