Troubleshooting 7-Way Connector Not Working on a 2000 Chevy Silverado 1500

Updated 04/11/2019 | Published 04/10/2019

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Pollak 7-Pole, RV-Style Trailer Connector Socket w/ Wiring Harness and Mounting Bracket

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Question:

2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Trailer lights were not working, the 7-way was always finicky, so I ordered a new Pollak 12-707 and 4 foot wiring for the trailer. I actually found the trailer lights and connector work just fine with another vehicle, leaving the issue with my work-tow vehicle I checked all the fuses - ones under hood were fine. The fuse under dash labeled 6-pin trailer harness was rather hot engine off. If I unplugged trailer connection, the fuse would not heat. Also tried several different plugs. Any help?

asked by: Chad

Expert Reply:

If your trailer is working properly with other vehicles then the problem is definitely on your 2000 Chevy Silverado 1500. The fuse that you referenced I believe is for the 12V power but I could be mistaken. I tried looking up the online owner's manual but it didn't really identify the various fuses with numbers.

With that being said, the best place to start is right at the 7-Way connector on your Chevy. Using a circuit tester like part # PTW2991 or a multimeter like part # PTW1714 check each of your functions on the 7-Way to make sure they are working properly (see attached photo). It will help to have a helper for running through the functions.

If some of the functions aren't working properly then you likely just need to find any places where the wiring is damaged or bent and replace it. If all of them aren't working then it is likely that your connector or the wiring harness is bad and you can replace them with part # PK11893 or part # PK11898 respectively.

After testing everything and using the circuit tester to probe for various locations where the signal is lost, if you are still having issues then you may want to take your pickup to a shop and have them look at it.