Troubleshooting Tail Lights not Working on a Trailer Towed by a 1997 Dodge Ram 1500

Updated 10/11/2012 | Published 10/10/2012

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Question:

I have a 97 dodge ram 1500 an I hooked a trailer this morning the brake light work blinkers work on the trailer except the lights that stay on what u think is the problem?

asked by: Carlos R

Expert Reply:

So, the running lights are not working on your trailer? You will want to check to make sure that you are checking the lights when the taillights or head lights of your 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 are on.

The first thing I would do is check the running light circuit of the trailer connector that is on your tow vehicle. If you have a 4-way this will be the brown wire most likely. This will tell you if the problem is on your vehicle or the trailer. You will want to use a circuit tester like our # PTW2993. Check out the video I attached that shows how to test a vehicle side trailer connector. If the problem is in the vehicle you will want to check the wiring of your vehicle for shorts and fix as necessary.

Another thing you can try is to use a vehicle battery to send power down the taillight circuit of the connector on your trailer. This will tell you if the taillights will work with 12 volts being applied to them. If not, I would check the connector for corrosion or exposed wire and fix as necessary.

expert reply by: Jameson C