erratic brake light connection - Event Date: 17 Nov 2014 |
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Happy Tripping
Senior Member Joined: 27 May 2014 Online Status: Offline Posts: 473 |
Calendar Event: erratic brake light connection Posted: 25 Nov 2014 at 2:54pm |
Thanks, Outbound, and the others too.
As follow up, part of the confusion is that i misunderstood my wife, ALL the lights were out and then working after wiggling so the trailer light converter seems unlikely, thankfully. I'm using this experience to start a new thread on checking brake lights.
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Seanl
Senior Member Joined: 19 Sep 2011 Location: Fredericton NB Online Status: Offline Posts: 633 |
Posted: 18 Nov 2014 at 5:56pm |
You shouldn't have to do this if you have a good ground wire in your trailer hitch wireing. You should not depend on the ball on your hitch for electrical ground |
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Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition
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headcold
Senior Member Joined: 13 Nov 2013 Online Status: Offline Posts: 125 |
Posted: 18 Nov 2014 at 5:40pm |
I had the same problem as described above. The tail lights and brake lights would flicker as I went down the road. It turned out that my ground was compromised each time I went over even the smallest bumps in the road because the hitch ball mount was rusted and rode loosely (rattled) in the receiver tube. I sanded down the shaft of the hitch ball mount and shimmed a piece of aluminum sheeting to keep the hitch ball mount tight in the receiver and never had that problem again.
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Seanl
Senior Member Joined: 19 Sep 2011 Location: Fredericton NB Online Status: Offline Posts: 633 |
Posted: 18 Nov 2014 at 1:19pm |
On a 4 pin I have had situations where some lights worked and others did not even though they were all fed by the same wires. Turned out to be a ground problem. some lights found an alternative ground like the trailer hitch and you would get a week light but others did not. No lights.
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Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition
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Goose
Senior Member Joined: 24 Sep 2010 Location: Arizona Online Status: Offline Posts: 672 |
Posted: 18 Nov 2014 at 11:51am |
When we moved to AZ. I borrowed my neighbors car hauler for a couple of trips, the 7-way on the trailer was cheaper than the plug on the POD and would not make a constant connection. I had to use the needle nose pliers to bend the brass tabs on the trailer end just a hair at the corners so they bowed to the inside and would make a positive connection to the Jeep. With any of our other trailers I have never had a connection issue. Goose
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Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee
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kymooses
Senior Member Joined: 01 Aug 2010 Location: Louisville, Ky Online Status: Offline Posts: 1807 |
Posted: 18 Nov 2014 at 9:50am |
Mine has done that in the past, pulled out even in the slightest and I would lose turn signals on one side etc. Give it a good push back in at the next gas/rest stop and good to go.
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hogone
Senior Member Joined: 09 Apr 2013 Location: St. Louis Online Status: Offline Posts: 1043 |
Posted: 18 Nov 2014 at 6:19am |
outbound; agree, good point. so what your saying is that if i notice my brake controller light go out, i have likely lost all lights/connections to the pod.....correct? hogone
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Jon & Pam
2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
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Podster
Senior Member Joined: 16 Sep 2014 Location: San Antonio Online Status: Offline Posts: 1108 |
Posted: 17 Nov 2014 at 8:13pm |
I have seen electrical connections with multiple loads work, but then fail when the greater load (like the break lights) was applied.
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Cliff & Raelynn
Ranger 4.0/178 (1/2 ton 5,800lb tow capacity) |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059 |
Posted: 17 Nov 2014 at 6:12pm |
Good catch Craig, that might mean the problem is related to the trailer light converter.
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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Outbound
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 19 Nov 2009 Location: Oshawa, Ontario Online Status: Offline Posts: 767 |
Posted: 17 Nov 2014 at 5:28pm |
One thing concerns me tho: brake lights on setting out and they didn't work, turn signals and emergency blinkers were ok. The brake lights, the turn signals and the emergency blinkers all run through the same two wires (three, if you count the ground to complete the circut) - the 5 and 6 pins. If your problem is at the connector, then they'd either all work or none work. |
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Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150
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