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Topic Closederratic brake light connection - Event Date: 17 Nov 2014
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hogone View Drop Down
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Posts: 1043 		Direct Link To This Post Calendar Event: erratic brake light connection
    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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kymooses View Drop Down
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Posts: 1807 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Nov 2014 at 9:50am
Originally posted by hogone

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

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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Goose View Drop Down
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Posts: 672 		Direct Link To This Post 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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Seanl View Drop Down
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Posts: 633 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Nov 2014 at 1:19pm
Originally posted by hogone

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

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. 
Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition
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headcold View Drop Down
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Posts: 125 		Direct Link To This Post 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 View Drop Down
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Posts: 633 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Nov 2014 at 5:56pm
Originally posted by headcold

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.


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
Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition
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Happy Tripping View Drop Down
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Posts: 473 		Direct Link To This Post 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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