Trailer Lights Not Working on 2001 Jeep Cherokee With Tow Ready T-One Wiring Harness # 118354

Question:

ok I have a product very simuliar and I have a very big problem. all lights work but the right side brake and flasher are dimmer then the left side. also when I pull out the parking lights I lose everything on the trailer and when I prob the wires yellow,green,brown all 3 are lite solid. and I am stumped. I tried another converter and still samething and have tried 2 trailers and same results both times. any help would be very greatful.

asked by: Steve

Expert Reply:

On the Tow Ready T-One Wiring Harness, part # 118354, if you find some, but not all, lighting functions work properly you may have a ground problem. In this situation a weak ground is just strong enough to provide some lighting functions but not all. When the taillights and brake lights are used at the same time, it creates the maximum amp load of the lights on the trailer. If a ground problem exists, it will show at this point.

The places to check grounds are the connector on the vehicle. It should have a ground wire secured tightly to a clean surface on the frame. A wire attached to the body or a surface with undercoating or rust can cause a ground problem. Also, the connector on the trailer should have a wire from the connector secured tightly to a clean surface on the trailer.

You might also want to check the ground on the taillights of the trailer. Each tail lamp assembly at the back of the trailer also must be grounded. This is done in one of two ways. The first is by a separate wire coming from the back of each tail lamp assembly being secured to the frame. The second, and most popular, ground is achieved through the bolts of the tail lamp assembly. In this case, the lamp housing must be attached to the frame of the trailer. If the lights are mounted on wood or PVC material, the light will not receive ground.

If you do not have a ground problem the next step would be to check the converter to make sure you are getting a signal to the converter and leaving the converter. I am including a link to a FAQ page that will describe how to test your converter and to determine if it might be a vehicle problem, a trailer problem, or a bad converter.

I am including a link to the installation instruction on the Tow Ready wiring harness and a link to a video of the wiring harness being installed on a 2000 Jeep Cherokee.

expert reply by: Jeff D