L series trailer wiring - how to get the tail lights to work???

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Mon May 04, 2009 9:37 pm

G'day all,

Hope someone can help me out here. Since having my towbar things have been great and I've towed a few trailers now.

All lights work except the tail lights when you have your head lights on. In the L series the parker light system must work on a positively switched system where as everything else is negativly switched. I found this out when I was wiring in some fog lights...

Now my problem - how do I get the tail lights on the trailer to work? I'm sure I've tapped all the correct wiring, no fuses have blown and everything on the subi works as it should even when a trailer connected.

Any help or fix for my problem is greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Bennie

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Mon May 04, 2009 10:16 pm

Hm sorry I can't offer a solution Benny but just some info that both my wagons I put trailer sockets on functioned fine, I just followed the little diagram on the Super-cheap packaging. maybe your model of wagon is different to mine in some way, both mine were Touring wagons. Maybe the big wiring diagrams in the back of a Gregories or Haynes manual may shed some light.

tex · Post by **tex** » Mon May 04, 2009 10:33 pm

They should all be the same trying to think of a soloution unless someone else beats me to it but just double check with a test light, also make sure its not your trailer!

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Mon May 04, 2009 10:48 pm

Whoa !! You say tail lights not work when headlights are on. Are you saying that the tail lights work just on park light circuit and then GO OUT when you switch the headlights ON?
Or, you got no tail lights at all ?

When I removed the tail light socket and wiring from my TWagon, all wires bar the earth came from the RHS tail light wiring. What side did you get yours from?

Just wondering if you have upset the lights out or malfunctioning jigger, also not understand why the sedan anyway tail lights have a copper wound coil inside the housing.

Run a longer wire...to the front parkers

tex · Post by **tex** » Mon May 04, 2009 10:57 pm

Now I am confused I am under the impression the car lights worked but the trailer tail light don't. Do your dash lights work they are on the same circuit as the tail lights plus the tail lights are on a different fuse to the main beam and high beam lamps!

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Mon May 04, 2009 11:04 pm

Find the wiring from the tail lights in cargo area would be a start?
Cheers
AP

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue May 05, 2009 10:47 am

Okay, this is the problem:

Driving at night, no tail lights on the TRAILER ONLY - eveything on my subi is working as it should, regardless of the trailer.

I've towed two different trailers with the same result.

I have only checked the wiring once - when I initially did it and its all wired in right near the appropriate tail/stop/indicator light... All the wiring is sourced from the RHS except the left indicator, I've got a crossover wire for that job and it works fine.

I remember there were two wires from the tail light on the subi, could it be that I've tapped the wrong one? I would have thought that it wouldn't have mattered...

Cheers

Bennie

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Tue May 05, 2009 10:54 am

Just something outside the box....do both those trailers' lights work correctly when plugged into a different car?

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue May 05, 2009 12:05 pm

AndrewT wrote:Just something outside the box....do both those trailers' lights work correctly when plugged into a different car?

I believe they do - I have not had the chance to check my memory on this one...

Bennie