[AT] Portable Trailer lights from Harbor Freight

Stephen Offiler soffiler at gmail.com
Thu Aug 10 10:07:09 PDT 2017


Hey Dean... what year and model truck are we talking about?  My response
assumed something pretty new.  I think Al Nadeau's response assumes
something older.

SO


On Thu, Aug 10, 2017 at 12:17 PM, Alan Nadeau <ajnadeau1 at myfairpoint.net>
wrote:

> I pruned this quite a bit but the interesting part is copied below.
>
> Somewhere in that whole mess of wiring there is a ground messed up.  The
> way
> the lights act sounds very similar to the system GM used for front side
> markers and turn signals combined into one, single filament lamp.  This was
> the case on the pickups I had and probably done anywhere they wanted the
> side marker to function as a side turn signal as well.
>
> Daytime running, no lights on, the side marker would off and  blink on in
> time with the front turn signal.  Turn your vehicle lights on, the side
> marker would be on and blink off opposite of the front turn signal.  I hope
> that's clear as mud now.
>
> They did it with different length ground paths that changed the potential
> in
> the wires feeding the turn & side markers and somehow (electric magic
> maybe?) end up trying to feed power both directions through the side marker
> or grounding back through the side marker, some such thing.  It has been
> years since I messed with that but I still have the GM wiring manuals which
> I could copy if anyone is all that interested.
>
> Al Nadeau
>
>
>
>
> >> Several months ago this was a topic on Atis when Harbor Freight had
> these
> >> light sets on sale for like $5 or $10 or so.  Well I bought two sets of
> >> them In case I needed then on my trailer and the second set to carry
> >> around in my truck for anyone else who might need them at an Antique
> >> Tractor show.  Well recently I decided maybe I ought to hooked one up to
> >> my truck and trailer to see how I liked them.  Didn't work so good.  The
> >> first indication was it appeared I had a crossed wire or poor ground
> >> since whenever I turned on a turn signal both turn signals blinked at a
> >> lower brightness.  Chased grounding, cleaned contacts, etc, etc.  No
> >> solution. Keep in mind my normal trailer lights are working fine. Then I
> >> found out that if the tail lights were on, night time, whenever I
> braked,
> >> both taillights would go out. Not dim, completely out.  That had me
> >> really going and then I found out that if the tail lights were not on,
> >> daytime, the brake lights worked just fine.   Now that had my h!
> >> ead completely spinning.
>
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