Trailer Wiring | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

Trailer Wiring

Tomarob

Member
Joined
April 18, 2019
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
City, State
Trenton, NJ
Year, Model & Trim Level
1999 Explorer Sport
OK, - - just recently purchased a 1999 Ford Explorer (Sport), - - and need to be able to pull a trailer once in a while. So, after checking around (mostly here, thanks), I was able to determine all I needed to do was hook up an '8-pin round' to '4-pin flat' adapter-cable to the capped jack located behind and just underneath the back driver's side taillight area. I then, after testing for power, plugged my trailer jack into this new hookup , and all seemed fine, my trailer lights all worked as they should. So, I then unplugged the trailer, and re-parked the Explorer back in my driveway. Only thing was, then, even though the trailer was unhooked and my dashboard headlight switch was 'off', both the headlights and the tail-lights stayed on. (Note: Autolamp was set to 'Off'). Anywayz, I then realized I could only turn the lights back off by lowering the dashboard-light dimmer control to the 'Off' position. Is this normal?? TIA
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





No. Not normal. Sorry, but I have no idea what would cause your issue.
 






You unplugged the trailer, but was the trailer wiring unplugged from the connection port in the rear of the Exp.?
 






You unplugged the trailer, but was the trailer wiring unplugged from the connection port in the rear of the Exp.?
No, - - but I wouldn't think it would be normal to have to unplug that every time, would it ??
 












It shouldn't, but it would be worth trying for diagnosis sake.
Probably should have stated to begin with, - - if I do unplug the new (port) connection, - - the truck lights all work as normal again. And although it didn't seem right to me, but yet I knew turning the dimmer switch to 'off' kind of cured the problem, I just went ahead and re-hooked the port connection, and left the dimmer switch off. Next morning, - - no dead battery or anything, all is fine.
 






OK, it rained most of the day yesterday around here, so I finally got back out there today. Meantime, don't know if I was correct or not, but my suspicion was that a relay was 'sticking' in the closed position, and that maybe if I just banged on it a bit, it would release?? And then maybe just turn it on and off a few times, to get it 'operational' again?? (I suspect it's never been used). Somewhere in my readings, it seemed the relay that might of caused this (trailer-park-lamp-relay) was located in the jack-housing area above the back left wheel. So I don't know, but I tapped on the housing boxes back there, then I turned the dimmer switch back on, and then plugged my trailer back in to the vehicle trailer-jack, then turned the vehicle lights on, checked all the vehicle and trailer lights (all good), and then turned the lights back off, and - - VOILA!! Now everything turns off as it should. Tried several times more, all good. So, - - all in all, - - not sure if I figured it out, or just got lucky, - - but so far so good.
 






Back
Top