How to Wire Curt 4-Pole Wiring Harness # C55411 in a 1996 Chevrolet S10 Pickup  

Question:

Expert Reply:

The particular 4-pole trailer wiring harness you reviewed, Curt # C55411, is a hard wire type intended to splice into your vehicle wiring to transfer brake, tail and turn light signals from your tow vehicle to your 4-pole-equipped trailer. This particular part is not specified for your vehicle but it will work provided that it is long enough to reach from the connection point to the rear bumper. Installation instructions for part # C55411 are provided for reference.

The link provided will take you to all trailer wiring harnesses specified for your 1996 Chevrolet S-10 pickup. Your simplest option is to use a custom T-One plug-in harness. Hopkins # HM41115 will plug into the wiring in your pickup without cutting or splicing. I have linked the instructions for this part as well as a video demonstrating the installation process in a 1993 S-10 Pickup. This plug-in harness connects to the S-10 wiring along the driver-side frame rail.

We suggest a mounting bracket for the 4-pole connector. You can use part # 18144. We also suggest a protective application of dielectric grease on the trailer connector to prevent entry of moisture and to avoid corrosion. You can use a product such as # 11755 or the equivalent.

If you prefer to use the hard wire harness the installation process will be simplified if you use a circuit tester to verify the lighting function carried on each wire. Often wiring can be matched up color-for-color but this is not always the case. A tester, such as # PTW2993, will enable you to verify the function on each wire on the vehicle and then connect each one as follows: vehicle wire that carries running light signal connects to brown wire on harness; wire carrying right turn signal connects to green wire on harness; wire carrying left turn signal connects to yellow wire on harness; the white wire from the harness connects to a ground point on the vehicle chassis (preferably a clean rust- and paint-free surface).

I have also linked two helpful articles concerning trailer wiring and troubleshooting.

expert reply by: Adam R

0