What Color Trailer Wires go to the Red, Black and White Taillight Wires
Updated 03/02/2026 | Published 12/16/2020 >
Question:
So the original wires on trailer are down, yellow and white...... the new pig tail has red, black and white. Which wires go with each other. It’s a turn signal light
asked by: Nana G
Expert Reply:
This is a common question we get on lights like the LED Trailer Tail Light with License Bracket part # 328-003-81LBM1. The original colors you have are the traditional trailer wiring code so brown=taillights, red=turn/brake and white is ground. On your new light black=taillights, red=turn/brake and white=ground.
You will connect brown to black, yellow to red and white to ground.

Iggy
8/1/2025
My reverse light have White - ground Red Black And brown wire I did connected yellow to - red Brown to - brown Red from truck to - black White to -ground Truck is telling me wiring on the trailer is failing How I suppose to connected Soon I connect white to - ground reverse light turn on IM LOST R / Iggy


Wade G.
3/2/2026
In agreement with Randy B, but adding Yellow to Red for LEFT Turn and Green to Red for Right Turn Signal...
Product Page this Question was Asked From
16 Gauge, 4 Conductor Bonded Parallel Wire - Per Foot
- Wiring
- Wire
- Bonded Wire
- 4 Wire
- 16 Gauge
- Deka
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Tim D.
12/6/2024
You said that the black wire is for tail lights—is the tail light the same as reverse light (which is “on” only when transmission is in the reverse gear)? If so, I want to connect my Apple CarPlay backup camera red wire to the input side black wire of the curt 56040 to switch the CarPlay screen to reverse camera view. Will this work? I assume the input side black wire is 12V when in reverse gear?