New Truck, No trailer lights

[Mike Daleo]

Just traded in my 03' Z71 for an 08' 4X4 Silverado. I know my trailer lights are good, they are all brand new led's that worked last week on the old truck. I plug in the new truck today and nothing. Put the light switch in every position, nothing. Any ideas?

[crossbones]

Was your trailer hooked up to the truck? Might not have been grounded. Also, when I bought my new Ford, it was wired a little different in the plug than my Chevy. Just a thought.

[Mike Daleo]

With the round 7 pin connector you should have to have the ball on the hitch. I will give that a shot tomorrow, but my old truck would light up off the hitch. You never know.

[crossbones]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mikedaleo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">With the round 7 pin connector you should have to have the ball on the hitch. I will give that a shot tomorrow, but my old truck would light up off the hitch. You never know. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Let me know. You got me wondering now.

[uk2thdoc]

Time to get out the good old voltmeter and see if power is even coming through the plug on the back of the truck when the lights, turn signals, etc... are working. Next question is does it make it through the adapter if you have one? There is probably a better way, but good old experimentation is usually the way I go on those things.


Doc

[Mike Daleo]

After church tomorrow I will have my boat out in the driveway until it is fixed

[crossbones]

Last Sunday when I got home from Church, I was hooking up my BlueWater Led's. I've been like a kid on Christmas with them things. I told my wife I was going to get some for the trailer and she told me I needed to get a license plate that said "The Bass Pimp".

[Mike Daleo]

This is the only license plate you need!

[crossbones]

[EdDavisKY]

Mike if you have a 7 round plug on the truck, you do not need to have the trailer on the ball for grounding...the plug has a ground on it.
The new truck may have a new wiring configuration than the old one....they may now have a wire for trailer brakes witch would change the way your round one would be configured.
But I had no problems at all going from my 96 dodge to my new '07.
Check you main trailer ground connection first thing, usually the major culprit.

[Mike Daleo]

Ed, Damon bought an 08' too and he uses the same plug and his worked. This must be something very simple.

[EdDavisKY]

check the trailers main ground wire on the tongue of the trailer, had trouble with mine once.

[JR19]

Trailer/Truck lights can be a pain to fix. Normally it is something simple it is just a pain to track it down.

As an experiment I would hook everything up and turn on the lights on my truck. Then take a piece of scrap wire and touch it to bare metal on the trailer(where the safety chains attach is a good place) then touch the other end of the wire to the frame of the truck. That will establish ground from truck to the trailer.

Normally ground is the issue...however in my past experience when ground was the issue the trailer lights would do strange things. Like burning dim,going out when you hit a bump or burning one minute then go out when you hit the brakes.

Since you are sure the lights work and you just purchased a new truck I would say it is in the truck plug or a set up issue in the new ride. New trucks have a ton of fuses. Double check under the hood and in the dash panel...keep us posted on how things turn out

[arjone01]

Could just be a fuse or breaker? I know in a new Ford you have to have a breaker put in for the auxiliary to work in the 7 pin. I don't know why they just don't install them from the factory. You'd think after paying the money you do a $2 breaker wouldn't matter.

[countryboyky]

Mike, check under the hood in that fuse box. Had an 07 and hooked it up to a trailer like you did and nada. Got out the book and found it has a separate fuse just for trailers.

[fish]

I'm pretty sure that the fuse has to installed. IIRC when I was at the dealership we had to put them in. Seemed like the fuse was packaged with the adapter in the glove box. But that was six years ago. If it's not with the adapter I'm sure it would be in a holder in the fuse box.

[EdDavisKY]

Mike - fish is probably correct, I for got all about those other brands having to have a separate fuse for towing....unlike a real truck with a cummins

[Mike Daleo]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EdDavisKY &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Mike - fish is probably correct, I for got all about those other brands having to have a separate fuse for towing....unlike a real truck with a cummins </TD></TR></TABLE>

Do you ever sleep Ed?

[EdDavisKY]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mikedaleo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Do you ever sleep Ed? </TD></TR></TABLE>

Sleep? Whats that oh I remember

[TOddLahey]

I agree with the fuse not installed from the factory mine wasent