Troubleshooting no Power to Some Pins on 2000 Dodge Ram

Updated 04/30/2019 | Published 04/29/2019

Question:

I have a 2000 Dodge 3500. I have a 7 way trailer plug. I lost my trailer running lights and brakes at the same time. I know it is on the truck side because I hooked up another truck and everything worked fine. I have tested the truck side plug and the wires leading into the plug and I am not getting electricity to the plug on those 2 issues. The brake lights, turn signals, and flasher work fine on the trailer. I was going to check the grounds however the ground is good to the plug because I tried my turn signals with the if ground and they worked fine. The running lights on the truck itself are working fine but it isnt transferring to the trailer. I just dont know what to do next??

asked by: Tom C

Expert Reply:

The good news is you have narrowed it down to the issue being on your truck and have done some good troubleshooting already.

If you are not going getting power to the electric brake pin and running light pin, the very first thing you want to do is take a look at your owner's manual to locate any trailer fuses or relays and ensure they are all there and in working order and replace if needed.

If those are fine the issue is likely a short in your wires going to those pins from your truck that you will need to find. Tracing your wiring pretty tedious and can be a pain for sure, but on a model year 2000 truck, wiring that was somehow pinched, damaged or frayed seems pretty likely. Once you find this you can either repair or replace with # 10-1-1.

I have also added links to a pair of help articles on trailer wiring, including a troubleshooting guide I recommend taking a look at.

expert reply by: Kyle S