Why Would Trailer Wiring on a 2008 Jeep Liberty Prevent Reverse Lights from Functioning

Published 05/03/2016

Question:

When i purchased my 2008 Jeep Liberty new, I had a trailer hitch and standard wiring harness installed. 2 years later I was informed by the vehicle inspector that the backup lights did not work. I had the service dept. at Jeep find that they would work if the wiring harness was disconnected. They want several hundred dollars to trace and fix the problem so since then I havent had trailer lights. Any suggestions on how I can resolve this myself?

asked by: David M

Helpful Expert Reply:

The problem is most likely in the connectors of the trailer wiring you have installed on your 2008 Jeep Liberty. I would try removing the kit first and seeing if you can find any corrosion in the connectors and clean it out.

If not a much easier and less expensive route would be to replace the trailer wiring with the Tow Ready kit part # 118554. This will allow you to get rid of the harness you have that doesn't allow the reverse lights to work with and then replace it with a kit that would not interfere with the reverse light circuit.

expert reply by: Jameson C