Trailer Outlet Issue
08-01-2009, 11:52 PM
#1
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Model: Grand Cherokee
Trailer Outlet Issue
My Jeep did not come with a factory tow package. But it does have an outlet in the spair tire compartment for a trailer. I plugged up the trailer to my Jeep and all the lights worked expect the brake lights. What could be the issue? A fuse perhaps? And the turn signal lights are in with the brake lights and they work aswell... 
08-03-2009, 09:53 AM
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Year: 1993
Model: Grand Cherokee
Engine: 5.2
if your signal lights work correctly then I am surprised your brake lights do not work. is this a seven pin setup or a 4 pin? best thing is use a test light and see exactly what the plug is doing. Using a trailer as the test can make problems much harder to find. if the plug is good then it may be the trailer. Having really good ground is most important when working with trailers and wiring. don't count on the ball hookup as a good ground
08-03-2009, 12:10 PM
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Year: 2004
Model: Grand Cherokee
Engine: 4.7L V8
If you have a 4-pin harness that was laying in the spare-tire area, some one has probably miss wired it.
Using this dia. of the 4-pin connector,-> http://www.wjjeeps.com/trailer_4.jpg
check for power at the stop light terminal while some one holds the brake.
Using this dia. of the 4-pin connector,-> http://www.wjjeeps.com/trailer_4.jpg
check for power at the stop light terminal while some one holds the brake.
08-03-2009, 02:42 PM
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Well, I am stumped... I took the panels off and followed the wires... all conections and ground seem good. The plug has 3 LEDs that represend each wire... I turned the headlight on and the left one turned on. Left turn signal and the left one blinked... The right did the same...
Im almost wondering if the brake light wires is tapped into the wrong tail light wire...
Ill try and get pics late tonight...
Im almost wondering if the brake light wires is tapped into the wrong tail light wire...
Ill try and get pics late tonight...
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08-03-2009, 05:57 PM
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Model: Grand Cherokee
Maybe this will help... I believe the brown wire is the brake light wire for the trailer outlet. The LED on the outlet lights up only when the headlights are on, but not when the brake is pressed... The brown wire is spliced into a black wire with a yellow stripe... I have a feeling that the brown wire is spliced to the wrong taillight wire...
Last edited by dlundblad; 08-03-2009 at 06:05 PM.
08-03-2009, 09:06 PM
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Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L Power Tech I-6 Engine H.O.
when i wired my jeep (1995 cherokee) i noticed last minute that the 4 wire hook-up puts the brake light down the same wire as the turn signal so that the brake light bulb is the turn signal. well, my jeep as anyone knows is a seperated turn signal so obviousely the wire wasnt direct. so i mosied on down to the local auto parts scalper and looked at the price for the converter box.... $49.95 F&*% that! so i went home and started thinking about it. SO what i did is ran down to the local radio shack an picked up two packeges of rectifying diodes (4) i soldered one diode to the brake lamp to allow power to flow to the trailer but not back, one to the blinker so it flowed the same way, out not in, and soldered the ends to the trailer wire. so the power can flow OUT of the brake or the blinker to the trailer BUT power cannot flow from one light to the other. so having an electrical engineering degree saved me like 48 bucks! (diodes cost 2.17 after taxes) and the trailer lights flawlessly. sorry for the spelling, im tired and have been up for a large number of hours at this point.
08-03-2009, 09:26 PM
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Model: Grand Cherokee
when i wired my jeep (1995 cherokee) i noticed last minute that the 4 wire hook-up puts the brake light down the same wire as the turn signal so that the brake light bulb is the turn signal. well, my jeep as anyone knows is a seperated turn signal so obviousely the wire wasnt direct. so i mosied on down to the local auto parts scalper and looked at the price for the converter box.... $49.95 F&*% that! so i went home and started thinking about it. SO what i did is ran down to the local radio shack an picked up two packeges of rectifying diodes (4) i soldered one diode to the brake lamp to allow power to flow to the trailer but not back, one to the blinker so it flowed the same way, out not in, and soldered the ends to the trailer wire. so the power can flow OUT of the brake or the blinker to the trailer BUT power cannot flow from one light to the other. so having an electrical engineering degree saved me like 48 bucks! (diodes cost 2.17 after taxes) and the trailer lights flawlessly. sorry for the spelling, im tired and have been up for a large number of hours at this point.
08-03-2009, 09:32 PM
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Year: 2004
Model: Grand Cherokee
Engine: 4.7L V8
http://www.wjjeeps.com/trailer_4.jpg
That's for a WJ, and uses the same cavity for the brake light and turn signal, as the dia. shows.
That's for a WJ, and uses the same cavity for the brake light and turn signal, as the dia. shows.
08-04-2009, 06:03 AM
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Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L high output
on a four pin plug the yellow wire on the plug is left turn, green is right turn, brown is tail lights, and white is ground. That being said, i dont know what colors the wires are in the jeep harness but you can probably find it out pretty quick with a test light. after that is all hooked up right the wire that powers the brake lights on the jeep needs to be hooked up to both the green and yellow wires to the plug. Keep in mind this only applies if your trailer is wired correctly. Sorry if all of this has already been said, just telling you what i know, hope it helps and good luck
08-04-2009, 08:33 AM
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Year: 1993
Model: Grand Cherokee
Engine: 5.2
looks like the right wires were spliced, just not enough of them. on the older vehicles that was enough, I think these newer ones have a seperate set of wires that run the brake lights like the import cars have had for years. They run red brake and have yellow ones for turning. I think it just needs a bit of fancy wire work to get it right. Kinda like the other poster said about using diodes, they only let power go one way.