Troubleshooting Hopkins Wireless Magnetic Tow Lights C6304

Updated 05/15/2020 | Published 01/10/2017

Question:

My 1st set of lights worked fine for about 3 months. When the next hunting season rolled around the running/parking lights stopped working . Same condition on my 16 ram 2500 and 06 gmc sierra. Called tiger and they sent a new set. Tested them and the running lights work but the next time I used them the running light stopped working. Terminals are clean checked fuses all good. Please advise.

asked by: Bill T

Expert Reply:

Based on your troubleshooting efforts and the fact that this product did not operate properly on both of your vehicles I am inclined to think the unit has a defect. But you can easily test it, independent of the vehicles, to isolate the location of the issue.

Use a 12V vehicle or spare battery to apply power directly to the wireless transmitter portion of the Hopkins Wireless Magnetic Tow Lights # C6304. Connect the battery ground to the pin for the white wire and then apply the battery + signal to each circuit, one at a time, to see if the lights operate properly. If so, you can vary the distance between the transmitter and lights to see if there is an issue with transmission distance. If the lights work when they are right next to the transmitter but do not work when they are further away, as they would be in actual use on a vehicle, then the issue may be that the batteries are weak.

I have read some comments that these lights work better when fitted with lithium batteries. Lithium batteries' power output does not slowly fade the way standard batteries do. They typically deliver near full power up to the point where they die completely. Stronger batteries like these might help.
You should replace all batteries each season in any case.

If all batteries are good and the running light circuit still does not work, even with the lights near the transmitter, then I would have to conclude that the item has an internal fault.

expert reply by: Adam R

Jeff L.

5/12/2020

My wireless tow lights work great until I turn on headlights, then nothing, 1981 300sd mercedes.

Chris R.

5/15/2020

This usually indicates a weak ground, since the running lights require a bigger power draw. Make sure the main ground wire on your Mercedes harness is securely attached to clean, bare metal. You might also inspect the 4-Way on the vehicle for any debris or corrosion inside the pins that needs to be cleaned out. Let me know what you find and we can go from there.