Troubleshooting Brake Lights Blinking on a 2006 PT Cruiser When Pluged Into Trailer Harness

Updated 04/06/2010 | Published 04/05/2010

Question:

We have a 2006 PT Cruiser that were trying to hook up a 4 wire trailer harness to successfully. The problem is that when the brake pedal is pressed the cars brake lights and trailer brake lights blink several times and then all of them go out. If you remove one bulb from the circuit then the brake lights stay on. It is as though the car is lacking the power to run the watts for all of the bulbs. Do you guys know the problem and sell a solution? Thanks!!!

asked by: Murl

Expert Reply:

It does sound like there is either a short in the system, or that the 2006 PT Cruiser is not equipped to power both the trailer and vehicle lights.

I know that the 2006 PT Cruiser models would require a powered converter like the custom-fit wiring connector we offer, part # C55532. This allows the trailer to pull power from the vehicle battery instead of directly from the tail light circuits, and prevents overload.

I would recommend installing the # C55532 if your current 4-Way wiring pulls power for the trailer directly from the vehicle tail lights. You could confirm this by checking your wiring for a black converter box. The powered converters have a black converter box with a wire that is run up to the front of the vehicle and connected to the positive battery terminal.

Erratic light behavior could also indicate a grounding issue. If you have already installed a powered converter unit on the vehicle, I recommend checking the ground wires from the connectors on the vehicle and trailer, as well as any ground wires or grounding hardware on the trailer lights. Make sure that the ground wires or hardware are still firmly attached to a clean metal surface, with no paint, rust, or buildup.

I have included a link to a video of the # C55532 wiring harness installation, as well as a video demonstrating how to check your ground wires.