Trailer Wiring Problem

[CPRchris]

Hey folks, 2 + years member, long time lurker, and new poster from the Peterborough Ontario Canada area.....

I've been hooked on this fantastic site since I got my first Explorer 3 years ago, it is a 1994 XLT. Got it for $1100 with 260,000 on it and finally parked it in the back yard in March after I hit the 403,000 mark. It now has some serious issues with it if I want to keep it roadworthy....that's a whole other topic.

Anyways, I turned around and got a 96 XL with 180,000 on it for $1000 in April and just recently just got around to checking the trailer light connections as I'm in the process of rebuilding a trailer.

I believe I have the tow package option on it, I have the OD ON/OFF button on the end of the steering column shifter, and also have the connector behind the back drivers side taillights. Normally it has the trailer wires coming to the grey connector, and it was hooked up to my license plate lights, with only 2 wires going out. I went to NAPA and got a T-Connector, the guy behind the desk told me it was a universal fit for Fords. Stupid me I bought it.

I hooked it up and the volts are all wrong and bouncing up and down when I checked the trailer connection end. I have a buddy here at work with a 98 and checked his just to confirm my suspicions, a wrong T connector. Connected to his it read the same as mine. The white ground was pounding out 12+ volts constant, and the yellow and green were fluxuating from 12 to 1 with the hazards on. The last one was anywhere between .1 to 1 volt. Even my trailer connector light I bought wasn't coming on, indicating there's a problem.

Last weekend I went over everything, the maxi fuses, the small ones beside them, the 13 fuse in the truck, the rear compartment relays, and also the engine compartment 1 relay as well, all came back working as intended.

Could it really be this easy, that the "universal" ford T connector I got is what is causing me all the problems ?? Hooked up to my 94, the test connector and trailer light up perfect. My connector I have in there is the rectangular type so I cant use it on the 96.

Chris

 

[jls1znv9999]

Here's your solution.

I ran into the same problem. You will notice that you have 2 receptacles that are different on each side. There are a variety of pin outs and receivers with trailers. You have everything from a 4 to a 5, 6, or even 7. The easiest of course is the 4 pin. You won't "T the right and left together. Think of it as 2 sources. I personally have a 4 pin utilizing the driver side supplied, and the passenger side for my 6pin receiver. I have a 6-7 pin plug converter. You can get a all in one that all you have to do is plug either the one side or the other into a Universal plug. With this you will have to have the various plugs you want or are going to use. You don't T junction the driver and passenger sides together. If all else fails you can use a Dual Splice Connector. It's a quick straight forward option.

A way to find these is to look under the back just behind the bumper (they maybe zip tied up). They have a red nipple boot cover protecting the wire harness.

 

[CPRchris]

the universal one I had bought fro NAPA had the wiring wrong. I ended up testing all the wires, and went with the ends from the truck. The trailer end, the not so "universal" wiring was ass backwards. After figuring out what was what, I got it all working perfectly.

All that work and now the trucks probably half way to being razor blades now. The fiance spun the back end out, flipped it, and then slid into a telephone pole. She made it out of that with a few broken ribs and 4 staples in her head.