Troubleshooting Draw-Tite 18004 on 2014 Dodge Dart Where All Lights Go Out When Brakes Applied

Updated 05/19/2020 | Published 05/15/2020

Question:

When either turn signal is turned on or when the brake is pushed, it causes all the lights to go out on my trailer as well as the left rear tail light on my car. My car is a 2014 Dodge Dart. What do you guys think is going on here?

asked by: Kaysten S

Expert Reply:

This is likely just a simple grounding issue because when trailer lighting does not have a sufficient ground many different scenarios can show up- the most common is when the most amperage is applied, like tail lights on and brake pedal pressed, the lights go out. I recommend that you start by checking the ground on both the vehicle's wiring harness and the trailer's. Make sure that they are firmly connected to a paint, debris and rust free surface on the vehicle and the trailer's frame.

If your ground connections check out and you're using a hard wired 4 way harness like the Draw-Tite # 18004, I would make sure that there are no damaged wires that could be contacting any type of metal surface and causing a short-I'd first look at the left rear tail light since that light is also going out when your brakes are applied. The issue is most likely tied to that part of the wiring, so that's where I recommend started.

If you check these out and can't find any issues, please let me know and we can provide you with some other places to look.

expert reply by: Erik B