Needing some electrical help here..

Janalee · 08-20-2017, 05:05 PM

Hi All....Have to replace my taillights and there just didnt seem to be exact replacements available anymore. I have a 1986 Saturn 1661.
I bought a set from Etrailer.com. which is supposed to be the replacement model and then proceeded to remove my right lite..And surprise!!!my problem is I have TWO green wires and a brown coming out, but the new lite has ONE green and a BLACK..of course each has a yellow and a white but thats not my problem here..
This is supposed to be a new type but they say they havent seen TWO green coming out of a trailer..So do I connect my two green wires to their one green wire? Seems logical to me but opinions please..
The difficulty is that I have no tow vehicle to test it with--have to have my brother arrive with his and I would like to be prepared..!! Thanks for any help! Janalee

mainah · 08-20-2017, 07:01 PM

Green usually is right brake/signal light. Not sure why there would be two greens there.

Janalee · 08-20-2017, 07:46 PM

Mainah...yes,that is correct...maybe someone with an older trailer could tell me?

mainah · 08-21-2017, 06:38 AM

I would just leave the light loose and connect one green at a time and see what happens. There would be no need to send a green signal to the left side. Is the wire a flat zip wire? If it is may have just an unused green going to the other side. I think Sunline used the left side as a junction for the wires from the trailer pig tail to both lights.

Janalee · 08-21-2017, 08:32 AM

Mainah...John,my DH, was the electrical half in this marriage but I learned enough from him to get myself in trouble! I do remember a problem years ago searching for a junction wire and I believe it came from the right side to the clearance lights..I will follow your suggestion and post the result! Thanks. Janalee

ggrvguy · 08-21-2017, 06:54 PM

They just used the tail light as a junction box to connect the wires together for the tail lights. Just hook your 2 green wires together with the one green from your new light. Think of the 2 greens as one coming in to power the light and the other going put to connect to the other tail lights. On a 7 way rv plug, green is for tail/ marker lights
Gary G

enormiss · 08-21-2017, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janalee

The difficulty is that I have no tow vehicle to test it with--have to have my brother arrive with his and I would like to be prepared..!! Thanks for any help! Janalee

You can jumper the 12v prong on the trailer plug to the light prong to test...
Google it for a picture of locations, my netbook is having issues linking image

Janalee · 08-21-2017, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggrvguy

They just used the tail light as a junction box to connect the wires together for the tail lights. Just hook your 2 green wires together with the one green from your new light. Think of the 2 greens as one coming in to power the light and the other going put to connect to the other tail lights. On a 7 way rv plug, green is for tail/ marker lights
Gary G

Hey Gary..this is exactly what I told my brother but, what do women know!! LOL! We will hook them up later this week..ty for your input! Janalee

ggrvguy · 08-22-2017, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enormiss

You can jumper the 12v prong on the trailer plug to the light prong to test...
Google it for a picture of locations, my netbook is having issues linking image

Yes, the top 2 terminals on the plug. A short jumper wire between them will turn on the marker lights.
Gary G

enormiss · 08-22-2017, 06:46 AM

Here's a pic

mainah · 08-22-2017, 08:01 AM

There is no need of a green lighting wire on the left side it's only for the right signal and right stop light. If the camper battery is up your 7 pin can be used to check the camper lighting. With the key way pointing up jumper the pin at 11:00 to the pin at 9:00 that will light the right signal /brake light. Jumper the 11:00 to 3:00 that will light the left. Jumper the 11:00 to 1:00 that should light clearance and tail lights. The bottom line there is no need of two greens unless it is with others that have two wires forming a junction box for both sides. Janalee can you take a picture of what you got? That would help. All of the lighting wires come to one spot from the 7 pin then splice to goto the other side like I said if it's zip cord with all 4 lighting wires it's possible they ran the green to the other side and did not terminate it that would explain the two green wires together on one side.

Janalee · 08-22-2017, 01:30 PM

Thank you all for the tech help! Lights are installed and working properly..brother had to admit that I may just know something about dc wiring in a trailer!

PS There were two green wires coming out of the left side also! Janalee

mainah · 08-22-2017, 04:39 PM

As long as it works it doesn't matter how many green wires you have as long as they all go to the right side!

ggrvguy · 08-22-2017, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enormiss

Here's a pic

Sorry, don't mean to be argumentative, but that pic isn't correct for the rv industry standard. Green should be tail/ marker lights on the top. Left turn is red, right is brown, black is 12 volt, blue is brake, white is ground, yellow in the center is used for reverse. I can't figure out how to attach a picture, I know just enough about computers to get in trouble.
Gary G

enormiss · 08-23-2017, 07:29 AM

Thanks for clarifying, i just stole the pic from Google.
I cant see the wire colors at my plug, was just going by pin locations for jumper.

mainah · 08-23-2017, 08:07 AM

Many 7 pin whips do not match normal trailer wiring colors I have run into this several times with new whips. The pins match the colors don't if you go online you will find different ideals. The Sunline camper follows the green = right turn. To add to the confusion there are different types of SAE J560 colors! Both have the same J560 designation. Bottom line follow the pins not the colors. Small trailers and campers wiring seem to follow the old 4 pin wiring green being right turn.

mainah · 08-23-2017, 09:06 AM

I just would like to add old IH trucks wiring was black yes every single wire they were numbered! Here is a site that will confuse you even more https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traile..._North_America
but note all greens are listed as right signal. I don't know what is with replacement whips but they don't follow the scheme I have not checked but it might be DIN or maybe Chinese!

ggrvguy · 08-24-2017, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mainah

I just would like to add old IH trucks wiring was black yes every single wire they were numbered! Here is a site that will confuse you even more https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traile..._North_America
but note all greens are listed as right signal. I don't know what is with replacement whips but they don't follow the scheme I have not checked but it might be DIN or maybe Chinese!

If you ever have a chance to work on a Winnebago ,all you'll see is purple and green wires for the interior wiring. But yes they were all numbered. I agree that I have seen some strange wiring colors over the years, but my 90 sunline uses green for tail lights, so I assumed most were the same. There's no requirement to use a standard in the rv industry. Sure would make our lives simpler.
Gary G

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