Troubleshooting Trailer Hitch Warning Lights on Ford Truck

Published 02/07/2018

Products Featured in This Question

Dielectric Grease for Electrical Connectors, 2 oz.

(1481)

$10.94

10 Gauge Wire - Blue Primary - Per Foot

(104)

$1.89

16 Gauge Primary Wire - Black - Per Foot

(61)

$1.14

Hook Probe Circuit Tester

(60)

$13.68

Question:

how can you clean your trailer hitch connectors,is there specific steps into cleaning these connectors.

asked by: Mary

Expert Reply:

If there is no trailer connected, then there is something in your wiring that is indicating there is a power draw, but not the correct draw as if there were a trailer connected. Normally this is due to corrosion in the trailer connector itself. I recommend cleaning the connector well and then using some dielectric grease # 11755 to keep moisture and debris out of the connection. If this doesn't solve your issue, then I recommend putting a circuit tester like # PTW2993 on your connections to test each function individually. The issue could be that there is a short in your vehicle wiring up to that point and you can test that by using the circuit tester to probe each wire every few feet until you have no issues and replace that wire as needed with # 10-1-1 or # 16-1-1 depending on the function.

expert reply by: Jason S

Mary

2/7/2018

how can you clean your trailer hitch connectors,is there specific steps into cleaning these connectors.

Jason S.

2/7/2018

You have a few options for cleaning the pins of a trailer connector. You basically want to remove the dirt and corrosion to give a metal to metal connection. You could use a wire brush, steel wool, some fine grit sandpaper, or some CLR and an old toothbrush. Some people even use Coca-Cola as it does a great job cleaning corrosion and rust. If you use the soda, you will want to rinse the soda off with another cleaner since sugary drinks leave a sticky residue that could cause its own connection issues.