Does the Draw-Tite Activator # 5504 Affect the Stop and Turn Signals on Travel Trailer

Updated 08/06/2018 | Published 08/04/2018

Question:

A 2006 GMC Sierra 3500 Duramax with no plug, 4 wires only, 12 gauge Red wire, 12 gauge bright blue wire, 16 gauge light blue wire, and 16 gauge black wire. 12 gauge red is the hot wire from battery, 16 gauge black wire is ground wire, the 16 gauge light blue wire comes from brake switch, the 12 gauge bright blue wire is power supply to the brakes I suppose as it lights up and stays lit when connected. I connected per Tekonsha instructions on the web and have right brake and blinker, all running lights, but no left brake or blinker. The GMC has all normal light functions. Is this proper wiring size and sequence?

asked by: Lamar T

Helpful Expert Reply:

The Draw-Tite Activator # 5504 should have the following wires connected to the following functions:

Blue - 7-Way Output to Trailer
Black - 12V Power
White - Ground
Red - COLD Side of Stop Light Switch (only gets hot when brake pedal is pressed)

It sounds like you have the Red from your 2006 GMC Sierra connected to the Black of the Activator, the Black from your Sierra to the White of the Activator, the 16 gauge Light Blue to the Red of the Activator and the 12 gauge Light Blue to the Blue of the Activator. It sounds like you have everything connected properly, but the only thing that sounds weird is that the line to the trailer brakes stays lit continuously once connected. This shouldn't be the case.

If your left brake and signal lights on your trailer aren't working this is more of a ground issue as any brake controller only sends a signal to the brake magnets themselves. Check the ground connections for the lights on the left side of your trailer and make sure they are secure and connected to a clean, bare-metal surface. This should fix your problem!

expert reply by: Jon G