i need help with my trailer wiring

Discussion in 'General Chevy & GM Tech Questions' started by nickgiacalone, Jul 10, 2009.

  1. nickgiacalone

    nickgiacalone Rockstar 100 Posts

    OK so my brown (Right hand stop, turn) lights on my light bar stopped working. i figured it was just the way i spliced the wires (i made the mistake of using wire nuts and electrical tape. Now my right stop/turn wire doesnt work. I took apart the splice and tried the end of the wire that comes from the front of the truck and that doesnt show up on a test light. I checked the fuse (at least the fuse under the hood that the owners manual told me was the right one) and i still have no power to that wire. Since i spliced into it i voided the warranty on that part of the truck... any suggestions on what to try next or how to run a new trailer wires all the way to the outlet on the back of the truck? i dont think that there is a pigtail anywhere i believe that this come fron the fuse box (feel free to correct me if im wrong). I am going on a trip with my camper in 2 weeks so fixing this issue is at the top of my list. thanks for the help
  2. Jimmiee

    Jimmiee Epic Member 5+ Years 1000 Posts

    Double check your fuses. I don't have a wiring diagram for an 09 but I if it was working until you splices it I would bet you have a blown fuse.
  3. 2COR517

    2COR517 Epic Member 5+ Years 1000 Posts

    Well, brown is usually taillights. Doesn't your truck have a trailer light connector near the receive hitch? Why didn't you just plug into that?
  4. unplugged

    unplugged Epic Member 5+ Years 1000 Posts

    Does the signal light at the front still work? If not, then a blown fuse is likely. If it still works you need to isolate where you are losing current. I'd start at the factory trailer connector. GM has provided a trailer connector since 2003. Look for it on the drivers side frame near the rear bumper. It will look something like this:

    Close up of the connector:

    You can get a trailer harness that plugs into the factory connector.
    Pics courtesy of etrailer.com
  5. TRPLXL2

    TRPLXL2 Epic Member 5+ Years 1000 Posts Platinum Contributor

    I have always bought that plug-n-play connector for all of my line of fires on my trucks, it ran me $38 at Summit Racing but it was worth it having piece of mind. Well hopefully you find out the problem, but if not you could always get that harness through CURTIS.
  6. nickgiacalone

    nickgiacalone Rockstar 100 Posts

    the reason i didnt go to the connector is because on the NBS they put the plug next to the license plate and i thought it would look tacky with a 7 to 4 prong adapter plugged in sticking out so i wired it up under the truck and tucked everything up real nice with zip ties.
  7. larryleeUSN

    larryleeUSN Rockstar 100 Posts

    i sure hope you figure it out. this same thing happened on my old silverado and totally screwed the whole lighting sytem up. like my blinkers wont work it my head lights are on and my tailight wont work if my head lights are on. all kinda of crap but it was on a much older truck. hopefully you will get it worked out bc anything come of it. Good luck.
  8. nickgiacalone

    nickgiacalone Rockstar 100 Posts

    so far....no luck

    ive been under my truck all day trying to figure this out. I changed the fuse, no luck. i also tried following the wire back to the fuse box to see if there is a connector somewhere and there isnt. and as far as what "unplugged" offered, my plug at the bumper isnt the problem, its the wire itself. and amy, im not exactly sure what the brown wire is but when u splice it down to a flat 4-prong plug is controls the right stop/turn lamp. so all in all my brown wire is failing on the trailer adapter and its not the fuse of the plug itself.

    Any more ideas?
  9. gatormike69

    gatormike69 Rockstar 100 Posts

  10. nickgiacalone

    nickgiacalone Rockstar 100 Posts

    i understand all that, what im saying is i hooked up a 4 wire connector to the 7 wire, all i did was match the colors. Now im having issues with the BROWN wire on both plugs. It IS NOT the plugs themselves but the wires. On the 7 wire system what does the brown wire usually control? Maybe im checking the wrong fuse.

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