Trailer Taillights Not Illuminating With Hopkins Wiring Harness On 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan
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Question:
I installed a Hopkins 41995 wiring kit on a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. I also installed a Hopkins 48265 wiring harness and new tail lights on a boat trailer. I have turn signals and brake lights on the trailer but no tail/running lights. I checked all visible wires, connections, and grounds, plus the fuse from the kit added at the battery. I still did not have tail lights. The vehicle did not have a fuse in the trailer towinch spot of the vehicle power module, so I put one in and it made no difference. I checked the vehicle 4-way flat connector with a Hopkins 48675 tester and found power for the brakes and turn signals, but not for the tail/running lights. I also checked the vehicle 4-way connector with a meter and found 12 volts to turn and brakes but none to tail/running. I can see no defects in the brown tail light wire from the module to the plug. I saw on the Hopkins site, pictures of two different 41995 modules, one with a crimped off, unused red lead the one you sent me and one without the red lead. Any help would be appreciated.
asked by: Ron T
Expert Reply:
In most cases when only one function is not working properly or intermittently it means there is a bad ground connection somewhere on your setup. I would double check the ground connection on the vehicle Hopkins plug part # HM11141995 to make sure it is grounded to a clean bare metal surface free of debris or paint. Grounding issues tend to show up most with the running light circuit because those lights remain on continuously and so they draw more current.
You also want to make sure the plug with the tail light function on HM11141995 is properly seated with the plug inside the vehicle. Make sure the connectors are free of corrosion inside and out. If the connections are all okay you want to test the brown wire going into the converter box for power. If you are getting power into the box and not out on the wire coming from the box then It sounds like you have a defective Hopkins vehicle wiring harness.
The wiring harness on the Hopkins website without the red lead is for a vehicle that does not require power from the battery to power the converter. Running the power wire directly to the vehicle's positive battery post, through the inline fuse holder, is required to protect your vehicles sensitive circuitry from the amperage draw from the trailer.
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Hopkins Plug-In Simple Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector
- Custom Fit Vehicle Wiring
- Trailer Hitch Wiring
- Vehicle End Connector
- Powered Converter
- No Tow Package
- 4 Flat
- Plug and Lead
- Plug-In
- Visible
- Hopkins
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