By: Ron,
My lights on all trailers I move on the yard blink on and off. I thought I saw one time where another driver pried the holes on the pigtail to make it fit tighter and the lights work fine. I can’t get it to work. Can you help me with this?
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Response from Vicki:
Hello, Ron,
Thank you for asking.
We understand your frustration in trying to figure out your problem. Mike once had an electrical situation in his truck that — after a considerable amount of angst — turned out to be connected with his use of a 12-volt Tornado Fan plugged into one of the 12-volt outlets in his sleeper berth. See our Tornado Fan page. If you have any “accessories” plugged into your tractor’s 12-volt outlets when this happens, consider removing those just to check to see if that’s the problem.
Digging deeper…
First, neither Mike nor I are mechanics, so we do not have the technical experience to advise you definitively on this.
Second, not having examined or tested your equipment’s electrical connections, the best we can do is make a calculated guess on your situation.
But here is what we would do if we were experiencing what you’ve described:
Determine if the trailer lights blink with a different tractor. If they do, it may not be the tractor.
If the trailer lights do not blink with another tractor, then the problem is probably the tractor you’re using or the electrical plug, especially if it is the case that ALL of your trailer lights blink on and off (and you do not have the blinkers set to flash). You may wish to read our trailer lights page.
We would suggest that you replace the plug first and see if that solves the problem. If that doesn’t work, take your tractor to a repair shop to locate the electrical problem. The situation could be as simple as replacing a relay. It could also be a loose wire that needs tightening. It could be more complicated. Someone with the right equipment and training will be able to test the connections to see where the problem is.
Perhaps others will be able to share their experiences to help you solve your problem and save money in the process. Drivers, have you ever had this problem? Do you know how to fix it? If so, please comment below.
Ron, even though you may be limited in your work on a yard, we wish you safety and lots of money saving opportunities.
Best regards,
Vicki Simons
