Troubleshooting 3 Wire LED Tail Light Installation

Published 09/21/2017

Products Featured in This Question

3-Wire Pigtail for Optronics Trailer Lights - 3-Prong PL-3 Plug - 10" Lead

(375)

$4.22

Optronics LED Trailer Light - Brake, Tail, Turn - Submersible - Round - Red

(1581)

$12.65

Question:

Hi, I just did an upgrade of my trailer lights from low cost bulb lights to LED lights. Before, my lights had only 2 wires turn and running light so the ground to the light itself was done, I think, from the bolt that hold the light on the trailer. With this setup I ran a wire from the wiring connector to the back of the trailer and screwed it on the frame. Now, with my new LED lights I have 3 wires turn, running light and ground. So what I did is : - Unscrewed the wire that is coming from my wiring connector from the trailer frame - Connect both ground wire from the lights to my wire that goes to the wiring connector This setup worked great...maybe 2 weeks. Now, each time I turn on my running light, my 10a fuse on my vehicle blown. Is my new grounding setupinch bad ? In fact, with my current setup, the trailer is grounded only from the vehicle ground. Should I : - At the front of the trailer, screw the ground wire from the connector to the trailer tongue ? - At the front, screw each lights ground wire directly to the frame ? My trailer is a mixed of metal and alluminum. The frame itself is metal. The side and the floor of the trailer is alluminum. I think that I need to be sure to screw every ground on metal part ? Thanks in advance for your comment.

asked by: Martin

Expert Reply:

Your old two wire lights definitely used the mounting screw as the ground. Your new LED lights with 3 wires will be easy to transition. You will connect the running light wire and the turn/stop wire just as before, and then you will run the ground wire directly to your steel frame. A bad ground is most likely the issue with your fuses blowing. Make sure your ground wire to your frame is metal on metal and your 3 wire LED lights like # STL43RB with 3 wire pigtail similar to the # A45PB. will work fine. I've attached a video to assist. This installation will be the same for all 3 wire lights.

expert reply by: Jason S