Trailer marker light grounding question

[whichwaysup]

Well, I'm still working the bugs out of my trailer lighting.    The re-wire is done, and the new tail lights are installed and working properly - definitely had a bad ground on the old ones.   However, I have 4 marker lights - 2 on each side of the trailer, but only one of the four work.    These lights have one wire that runs off of either the yellow or brown (depending on which side).   All of these lights worked recently, but were starting to flicker which is what caused me to re-wire in the first place.   Now I'm getting nothing (except the one that does work still flickers).    Does anyone know if these lights ground through the bolt that connects them through the trailer?   

I suspect that simply unbolting, cleaning, and reinstalling them will fix the issue, but curious if anyone knows why these marker lights would behave this way (flickering/not working).   The wiring connections are all soldered, heat shrunk, and liquid electrical taped, so I know they are not the issue.

[smilemaker]

Yes it runs on a trailer as ground.

Run a dedicated ground to each bolt and see if that solves the problem. 

[whichwaysup]

19 minutes ago, smilemaker said:

Yes it runs on a trailer as ground.

Run a dedicated ground to each bolt and see if that solves the problem. 

 

20 minutes ago, smilemaker said:

Yes it runs on a trailer as ground.

Run a dedicated ground to each bolt and see if that solves the problem. 

When you say dedicated ground to each bolt - are you suggesting running a wire from the harness ground (which is screwed into the trailer tongue currently) all the way to each light (instead of using the trailer as a common ground?   

[smilemaker]

Yes connect directly to white wire that screws into the trailer. Connect to tow vehicle harness and check for ground continuity with vehicle  and then connect to bolt on the light.

[rckeat]

Whichwaysup:

I launched into my trailer rewire several years ago when I had similar trailer light failures.  As I mentioned the other day, I mounted a buss bar near the tongue with 1 wire running directly to the ground wire on the trailer light plug.  I then ran separate ground wires from the buss bar to every light on the trailer.  It ain't the prettiest thing, but it has worked flawlessly for years now.

But to do so you need light fixtures that have separate ground wires instead of just 1 wire like your marker lamps.  The fixtures with one wire are grounded by the screws that hold them to the trailer.  In my opinion, those single wire lights are junk and they will undoubtedly fail on a trailer used in salt water.  I would seriously consider replacing them with led marker lamps that have 2 wires.

Just my 2 cents and I hope it helps.

[whichwaysup]

16 hours ago, rckeat said:

Whichwaysup:

I launched into my trailer rewire several years ago when I had similar trailer light failures.  As I mentioned the other day, I mounted a buss bar near the tongue with 1 wire running directly to the ground wire on the trailer light plug.  I then ran separate ground wires from the buss bar to every light on the trailer.  It ain't the prettiest thing, but it has worked flawlessly for years now.

But to do so you need light fixtures that have separate ground wires instead of just 1 wire like your marker lamps.  The fixtures with one wire are grounded by the screws that hold them to the trailer.  In my opinion, those single wire lights are junk and they will undoubtedly fail on a trailer used in salt water.  I would seriously consider replacing them with led marker lamps that have 2 wires.

Just my 2 cents and I hope it helps.

Hmmm, that makes sense and I think this is the missing piece.   Thanks to Amazon “cheap Chinese junk are us” I keep replacing junk with junk.  Done with Amazon.  

[Compton]

AmeraTrail sells some quality replacement parts such as harnesses, lights, marker lights etc.  I went that route with my latest trailer refurb and am very pleased...I had gone the Amazon route too many times with unhappy results.  The marker lights had both a positive and a negative as @rckeat mentioned.  AmeraTrail even through in a bag of Pacer heat shrink connectors, clearly they knew I needed them but forgot to order them.  Happy customer.  

[whichwaysup]

Good call.   I will probably go this route if I can’t get these working. 

[HoneyB]

Yep clean behind them and re-connect.. they will work until they don’t. Then run that ground wire all the way to the tail lights. Tie in your marker lights as you go past them. 

[Capt. Troy]

Trailer builders should be shot for using the trailer frame as a conductor. Lets run some current through your aluminum frame and dip it in salt water. What could go wrong?🙄

 

If the lights don't have 2 wires don't use them! Bad grounds with the LED type will blow the diodes out.

Got to have a dedicated ground and it should not be the trailer frame.

[whichwaysup]

6 hours ago, Capt. Troy said:

Trailer builders should be shot for using the trailer frame as a conductor. Lets run some current through your aluminum frame and dip it in salt water. What could go wrong?🙄

 

If the lights don't have 2 wires don't use them! Bad grounds with the LED type will blow the diodes out.

Got to have a dedicated ground and it should not be the trailer frame.

Well said.  That is pretty funny

[whichwaysup]

Well, I'm now at 2 of 4 marker lights (and 4 of six total lights) working, but my front two marker lights are completely toast.   they were wesbar lights and apparently not made for marine conditions.  Who the heck does that???

So, I'm going to replace all 4 marker lights, but am having a hard time finding what I need.   I need submersible/marine grade lights, but I need them to be single stud lights, with the two wires (power and ground).    I can find single stud, but they all ground through the stud.   I can find 2 wire, but they aren't single stud.   Any leads?

Also, my current lights are all amber (orange), but I'm seeing stuff closer to what I'm looking for in red.   Does it matter?

[HoneyB]

Have you looked here https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Trailer_Lights-sf-Clearance_Lights-co-Amber.aspx

the optronics seem to have good reviews. I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up having to add a hole to mount new lights. just slide it down and use the first hole and you only have to add one hole rather than two. 

Yes the color matters. Amber is for side marker. I doubt you would ever get any slack from the po po for using red but the dot has regulations for color as well has how many are required . 
 

 

[Capt. Troy]

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Lights/Optronics/MCL13A2B.html

[whichwaysup]

Found some - here are the links for anyone else who may be in the same boat!  first one is single stud, second will require me to drill a hole, but at least it's two wire!   

 

https://www.sturdybuiltonline.com/LED-Side-Marker-Trailer-Light-Amber-Submersible-Single-Stud_p_1490.html

 

https://www.sturdybuiltonline.com/LED-Boat-Trailer-Sidemarker-Light-Amber-Submersible-S18-_p_1871.html

[whichwaysup]

Look what showed up!  Just waiting on the white wire (and my tweaked back to heal) and I will once again be lit up like I should be!

[MuddyBottomBluz]

    I have a solution, I learned this move in my Coast Guard Days! Just put the kids between the truck and the trailer and follow directions, works every time!⚡

 

[whichwaysup]

21 hours ago, MuddyBottomBluz said:

    I have a solution, I learned this move in my Coast Guard Days! Just put the kids between the truck and the trailer and follow directions, works every time!⚡

 

Now why didn’t I think of that????

[whichwaysup]

I'd like to announce that, for the next 30 seconds, EVERY SINGLE LIGHT on my boat and trailer are in perfect working order.   

(this is usually when a tree falls on the boat or someone T-bones me on the highway).    

maybe I should go clip the wire on one just to be safe!

[NCTribute]

You will probably get pulled over now, the LEO’s in NC are used to seeing no lights or only a couple slightly functional on trailers. Seeing all the lights working will make them think you are guilty of something.