I tried to wire my TA for my trailer but I'm stuck. I wired the ground, tail lights, left and right turn signals correctly but I have no idea where to attach the wire for the brakes. On my TA the turn signals and brakes are the same light... just both on constantly instead of one blinking (except for the wing light). Right now, I have tail (running) lights and proper turn signals when not braking but I have no brake lights on my trailer and if I try to turn on a turn signal while braking, the trailer flashes the opposite signal. Do I have to run a wire all the way up to connect to my spoiler's brake light? Can anyone help me out?

<5 wires to vehicle [Draw-tite Module] to trailer & 4-pin attachment>

Thanks,

Andre

You need a generic trailer light harness adapter. I went to a local trailer shop, told them what I was doing and they ordered one for me for $17. It's basically a "box of diodes" (in a nice little container with a wiring diagram) to isolate the turn signals and brake lights.

I'm surprised that an 02 would have shared turn signal and brake lights. I thought everything from 97 up had separate amber turn signals. Four-wire trailers do use the same bulb for both.

If you wire an older vehicle with combination lights to a trailer with combination lights, they should flash together (in phase).

If you wire a newer vehicle with separate lights to a trailer with combination lights, you need to use a converter. The brakes should of course work together, and the turn signals should flash together, but with brakes AND turn signals, they will flash out of phase.

The brake converter contains a very simple logic circuit to combine the separate brake and turn signals into a combined signal. The boolean equation is LIGHT = BRAKE xor TURN. Exclusive OR (xor) means that one and only one can be true. So, if the turn signal blinks on while the brakes are already on (or vice versa), the conditions are no longer exclusive, so the light turns off. In an older vehicle with combined lights, that equation is already implemented by relays or whatever on the vehicle, so you don't need the converter. Four-wire trailer wiring is a holdover from the past, when combined lights were the norm.

Also, my stock flasher couldn't handle the extra load from the trailer. If I disconnected the trailer, the signals seemed to be correct at the connector (using a multimeter or LED trailer light tester), but it started acting screwy witht he trailer pugged in.

The timing circuit in the stock flasher is sensitive to the total load of the bulbs, and that's intentional. When one bulb is burned out, the flashing (and clicking) changes, so you know to check the bulbs. Attaching a trailer increases the load current beyond the range that the flasher was designed for.

The auto parts store had two kinds of heavy duty flasher, a thermal version designed to handle more current than stock, and an "electronic" version. The thermal version worked OK with the trailer, but didn't work without the trailer. The electronic version has a timing circuit that is independent of the load current, so it flashes at the same rate with or without the trailer. That's what I have now. The only downside is that you won't know a bulb has burned out until somebody tells you unless you check them periodically.

An 02 does not have shared lights. But, since the trailer lights are "shared" (brake and turn signal), any turn signal will flash both the trailer lighit and back feed the car and flash the brake light (and brake application will turn on both turn signals on the car). So, you'll have really neat flashers/brakes/turn signals on your car when you plug it in. That's why you need the converter. It makes everything one way and you can't back feed the other circuits on the car. The converter is required for cars with amber turn signals.

Howdy,

Hey Andre...

I can't help too much, other than to say that that converter module I gave you came out of my '99, and was wired into the car over at the left side of the trunk area... No wires were run anywhere else. Of course, I'm not sure if there's a 3rd brake light wire there for some reason?

I take it you got home ok? Did the tires stay put on the trailer?

Mark

Mine was on the left (like Mark's) and tied into the harness right there.

My 99 Formula has shared turn/brake. I'm pretty sure all 4th gen Firebirds are shared, while the Camaro switched in 97. That is how I wired my trailer anyway.

Order one of these (4 versions of the same thing), wire it up and you'll be finished.




http://www.etrailer.com/pc-ELEB~18251.htm

http://www.etrailer.com/pc-ELEB~118130.htm

http://www.etrailer.com/pc-ELEB~118175KIT.htm

http://www.etrailer.com/pc-ELEB~118175.htm

Don't forget guys, I have a TA not a camaro... I have nothing amber back there. The honeycombs ARE shared... and that may be my problem. I think I'm trying to use a converter when I don't even need to - I should just be able to straight-wire it. Yikes.


I got home fine and the tires stayed put well. Thanks for the strap.


I wired in the same place. The fact that I have shared lights may be my problem. I think I'm trying to use a converter when I don't even need to - I should just be able to straight-wire it. I'll try that and keep you updated.

Crap Andre, I forgot you had a Pontiac.

See if this helps:

That's idiot-proof. I DO just need to straight-wire it.

Sorry man, I really forgot that the 4th gen Pontiacs were not outfitted like the Chevy's. Didn't mean to send this too far off track. That diagram should get you fixed up, probably take 10 minutes to finish it now.

You may still need to upgrade the flasher even if you don't need the converter.

I never changed mine, it just blinked much faster than normal with a trailer attached. I towed 1,200 miles to Memphis and back and had no issues with the flasher. Your results may vary.

guys... I gotta ask... what's w/ the Cats as avatars?

Because someone (I really forget who) mentioned that the handgun that several of us were using might not be work safe. And, Mitch has issues with one of my cats (or maybe my cat had issues with Mitch).

The curious but foolish cat wandered up just as I was about to try out the "Nightshot" (infrared) mode on my new camera. The result, both wide-eyed and frankly just up too late, amuses me, since it seems to apply to both racing and surfing.

Plus, my daughter will periodically ask to see the picture of our cat in the dark and whichever cat Kevin is currently featuring.

It's even on-topic. Most trailer wiring problems just seem to surface at night, generally "the night before", or at least that's when I'm usually chasing them.

I have a cat that looks a lot like Kevin's... maybe I'll take a pic and post it as my new avatar

I have two other cats that look like my current avatar. I might have to switch cats soon.

I maintain that Midnight acted justifiably given the clear and present danger that Mitch, umm, presented to the cat.

For anyone keeping score, please note that atakacs jacked his own thread, so it doesn't count

That's a good point.



That's also a very good point. For once I'm off the hook.

I finally got the thing wired up correctly. It was a simple stright-wire job. The 5-4 signal converter is for sale ($10) if any camaro guys want it.

Glad you got it all sorted out!

I have no issue with your cat, Kevin.

I do have issue with the open wound and subsequent scar the cat created.

Hey, that cat looks waaaaay too cuddly to be Midnight!