[AT] Portable Trailer lights from Harbor Freight

[Wrench50 at aol.com]

I have had several sets of the HF lights, and only one bad set. The bulb  
socket was loose causing a bad ground intermittently. Pop the lens off and 
check  the wire and socket connections.
 
In a message dated 8/10/2017 1:16:40 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
soffiler at gmail.com writes:

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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