wiring harness blues

[ted saxton]

This make the 3rd wiring harness we've had to install . The 1st was done at Uhaul, ended up losing our trailer lights on a trip home. The 2nd one was done at a reputable trailer dealer. Now it's shorting out the taillights where it's wired into causing the fuse to blow. Hope the 3rd time is a charm, taking it back to Chrysler Jeep and having it wired right this time. But has anyone else experienced problems like this?

Ted&Vera

[Darwin Maring]

If U R talking about the wiring on the tow vehicle, go to WalMart and look for a plug in device just made for your vehicle. They have them for most vehicles and you get under the vehicle, unplug the wiring and plug the adapter in between and you now have factory perfect wiring.

To see if there is one made for your vehicle, go to this site and look:

www.jcw.com or northerntools.com

Here is the JCW stakes you directly to the harness:
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Search?...p;searchbtn.y=0

[Gary Carvajal]

This make the 3rd wiring harness we've had to install . The 1st was done at Uhaul, ended up losing our trailer lights on a trip home. The 2nd one was done at a reputable trailer dealer. Now it's shorting out the taillights where it's wired into causing the fuse to blow. Hope the 3rd time is a charm, taking it back to Chrysler Jeep and having it wired right this time. But has anyone else experienced problems like this?

Ted&Vera

Gosh,
That is truly indicative of the lack of competent people out there in the business of trailering.

I was fortunate to be taught how to do all of that at an early age and never had to experience what you are...

Good Luck
Garo

[Darwin Maring]

One of the problems is the quick connect where you crimp on to an existing wire. They tend to go bad especially in areas of the country where they salt the roads in the winter. Much corrosion. The Ground Wire is so important on this type of connection because rust will make it go bad. B Sure to make a solid ground to the frame also.

The device that i mentioned in the previous post, that plugs into your wiring harness, has weather tight seals on both sides and works really well. Each one is made for a specific model so there is no universal one that will work with everything. They sell them at WalMart, Tractor Supply and other auto parts stores. I think you will save a bunch if you will just do it yourself.

[Byron Kinnaman]

I'm gonna jump in, or out on a limb as the case may be.
My best guess is the problem is in the Connector on TV. That one that the trailer plugs into. Take that apart or replace it. If you take it apart, clean all the wire connections really well. In either replace or clean, get some dielectric grease, and put some on each of the wire connection points, attach the wires, then add a bit more to cover up the connections.

You can also add a small amount to the terminals that mate with trailer pig tail and to the pig tail terminals.

As Darwin said, salt will greatly increase corrosion. Dielectric grease will greatly reduce the effects of salt and moisture.

[Gina D.]

I had woes with my Liberty harness.

The factory 7 pin harness that runs from the front (Under the dash and battery) was actually missing 2 wires! (Charge line and left turn signal as I recall) back to the connectors behind your luggage compartment where the second 7 pin harness plugs into. To add insult to injury, the expensive harness purchased from Jeep to make the final "Plug and play" connection to the 7 pin socket had a bum relay in it. I don't recall exactly what didn't work, but I am thinking it was the running lights. We didn't get very far into checking the rest once we determined the plug and play harness was the cause of that one.

First attempt at wiring the socket revealed the bum relay. With the replacement harness, we found the missing wires from the front of the Jeep. At first we (Eric of Liz and Eric, he is an ex Jeep mechanic) thought it was the second factory plug and play harness, but we discovered the missing wires when trouble shooting the car.

I gave up, not wanting to tear the inside of the car open to run lines in the factory harness from the front, so I took it into my trailer guy and he wired up the 2 missing lines the old fashioned way.

Did you buy the plug and play harness that goes from behind the passenger luggage compartment rear panel to the trailer socket? It's a good bet, given my experience and what Jeep told Eric about it being common for those to fail that that is where the problem is.

Ask Jeep to test the harness, even if it was a factory install.

[ted saxton]

Thanks for all the help, and Gina so far so good we plugged in when we got it back last friday. Everything worked like it should of. Even the reverse lights ! They ended up running it from the back of Jeep up front and under the dash to somewhere in the engine compartment. We're going to try it out this weekend making a trip to Branson.
Ted & Vera

[ted saxton]

Well no trip this weekend Ted's got to be here to monitor his building at work. Suppose to get down 3 degrees tonight . OH WEll