4-way Recommendation for Trailer Wiring that Has a 3-Way Installed

Published 04/15/2015

Question:

I am driving a 2008 Ford F-150 stx. I just replaced a bad 4 way connector from the boat trailer with a 3 way connector because they didnt have the 4 way and the guy said it would be fine. So I attached the yellow and brown wires from the trailer, to the yellow and brown wires on the driver side. everything is working on the driver side just fine, running lights, stop and signals. Since the connector was only a 3 way I connected both green and brown to the green wire. The stop and turn signals work but the running lights do not run. do I need the 4 way connector or can I still make this work?

asked by: Jeremy S

Expert Reply:

You will need to replace the 3-way connector you have on your trailer with a 4-way. I am not sure why the guy sold you a 3-way as that would be a very non-standard wiring setup.

The green wire circuit is most likely your right turn/stop and the brown wire is most likely the running lights. Trying to run both of these circuits on the same wire wouldn't work and is most likely why you don't have running lights anymore.

You would want to replace the 3-way with something like the part # HM48110.

I attached a help article on trailer wiring for you to check out as well.

expert reply by: Jameson C