Chevy Silverado - Nothing Is Working At The Trailer Plug
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Date: 2024-06-18
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Comments and reviews: 20
whatdoyouthinktodd
There is no factory torque spec for that
Which people would get it through their head that there are certain things that have torque specs but most of the time when it comes to the factory. Torque specs go in correlation with time That's how they know how long a vehicle on the line stays at a certain spot. And they add up all those spots and the one that takes the most amount of time is what the stop duration is going to be on the assembly line. I think it's funny when people geek out about torque specs they have no idea why or what they're for most of the time when it comes to the engine itself transmission in the drive line sure torque specs matter otherwise just so they know something is tight along it's going to take yada yada yada. And most of the people at home including yourself the ones who complain the most about torque specs they just tighten it up until it feels good anyways. Nothing but a bunch of hypocrites when it comes to torque specs that's what you are not even an armchair quarterback. Oh I feel so much better yanting at people who don't know enough about nothing. Oh and I'm glad I don't put cars together anymore on the line only by cars that were built on Thursday.
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There is no factory torque spec for that
Which people would get it through their head that there are certain things that have torque specs but most of the time when it comes to the factory. Torque specs go in correlation with time That's how they know how long a vehicle on the line stays at a certain spot. And they add up all those spots and the one that takes the most amount of time is what the stop duration is going to be on the assembly line. I think it's funny when people geek out about torque specs they have no idea why or what they're for most of the time when it comes to the engine itself transmission in the drive line sure torque specs matter otherwise just so they know something is tight along it's going to take yada yada yada. And most of the people at home including yourself the ones who complain the most about torque specs they just tighten it up until it feels good anyways. Nothing but a bunch of hypocrites when it comes to torque specs that's what you are not even an armchair quarterback. Oh I feel so much better yanting at people who don't know enough about nothing. Oh and I'm glad I don't put cars together anymore on the line only by cars that were built on Thursday.
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Garth2011
Never saw one of those, look shandy though. It may be possible the device had a load built into those LED indicators and is not just using a 400 milliamp LED draw to light them. I would think they would because of that reason, a few milliamps is not so great for testing circuit integrity as this device is supposed to be doing overall.
Regarding the trailers to be towed. yes most of those wire harness connections tend to be customized for the last truck receptacle that towed them! Lots of rental trailers and construction type of trailers all have mickey mouse electrical on them as well as conversion cords in between the trailer and truck. Lots of issues with those which is why we have a dedicated truck 7 pin pigtail as a spare for use with junk trailers and their wiring issues. Simply strip the trailer wires and wire nut them to the truck 7 pin pigtail that is rigged for the truck and multiple choice on the pigtail end for whatever gets towed.
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Never saw one of those, look shandy though. It may be possible the device had a load built into those LED indicators and is not just using a 400 milliamp LED draw to light them. I would think they would because of that reason, a few milliamps is not so great for testing circuit integrity as this device is supposed to be doing overall.
Regarding the trailers to be towed. yes most of those wire harness connections tend to be customized for the last truck receptacle that towed them! Lots of rental trailers and construction type of trailers all have mickey mouse electrical on them as well as conversion cords in between the trailer and truck. Lots of issues with those which is why we have a dedicated truck 7 pin pigtail as a spare for use with junk trailers and their wiring issues. Simply strip the trailer wires and wire nut them to the truck 7 pin pigtail that is rigged for the truck and multiple choice on the pigtail end for whatever gets towed.
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chiphaverstick3913
Eric, Great video as always. I have one of the old school Tekonsha 6565/B analog tester with amp and voltmeters. It works on 2015 Chevy 3500 with aftermarket controller and on a 2017 Chevy 3500 HD with integral controller. Of course it uses LEDs for the lamp functions and as you said is not a good indicator of the current capability of the truck.
Surprised you didn't mention the use of scotch locks on trailers, the worst invention ever. I bough a new tandem axle flatbed trailer from Tractor Supply, and it's a great heavy duty trailer except for the scotch locks. The second day I had it I cut out all of the scotch locks and soldered and heat shrunk all the connections. Ironically all of the brake wiring uses crimp and seal connectors. so they know the issues.
Keep up the good videos, never boring!
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Eric, Great video as always. I have one of the old school Tekonsha 6565/B analog tester with amp and voltmeters. It works on 2015 Chevy 3500 with aftermarket controller and on a 2017 Chevy 3500 HD with integral controller. Of course it uses LEDs for the lamp functions and as you said is not a good indicator of the current capability of the truck.
Surprised you didn't mention the use of scotch locks on trailers, the worst invention ever. I bough a new tandem axle flatbed trailer from Tractor Supply, and it's a great heavy duty trailer except for the scotch locks. The second day I had it I cut out all of the scotch locks and soldered and heat shrunk all the connections. Ironically all of the brake wiring uses crimp and seal connectors. so they know the issues.
Keep up the good videos, never boring!
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kenchilton
I think it is something with the GM controller. I have what looks like the same IPA test unit and it did not work on my 2009 GMC Sierra 1500. My suspicion is that the older GM one needs to see a load or it thinks the trailer brakes are disconnected and disables the controller. That is why the bulb works but the LEDs don’t. The tester works fine otherwise.
The newer ones don’t work with a bulb because they measure the current in the first millisecond and it is too high before the bulb lights, so they think the circuit is shorted and disable it to avoid blowing the fuse or controller output. You can see the voltage across an 8 ohm 50W resistor on these ones just fine. I have a cable made up to do this, which also worked with the older GM.
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I think it is something with the GM controller. I have what looks like the same IPA test unit and it did not work on my 2009 GMC Sierra 1500. My suspicion is that the older GM one needs to see a load or it thinks the trailer brakes are disconnected and disables the controller. That is why the bulb works but the LEDs don’t. The tester works fine otherwise.
The newer ones don’t work with a bulb because they measure the current in the first millisecond and it is too high before the bulb lights, so they think the circuit is shorted and disable it to avoid blowing the fuse or controller output. You can see the voltage across an 8 ohm 50W resistor on these ones just fine. I have a cable made up to do this, which also worked with the older GM.
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lexalford358
I like copper head road one of my favorites my grandfather ran moonshine in the 1930s here in north Arkansas I remember some of the stories of how he got his product to the people in Oklahoma and how they would comment that they knew what color his mule was and what really happened there was when a hog got into the mash and drowned in it he ran the batch anyway and sold it in Oklahoma had some hair in it but was still very good and sold out in a day but it was a time of very little income for the family so he could not afford to waste any of the yeast and corn it was the last he had and was out of money to buy more so they got the dead hog run and they enjoyed it made enough to buy more and delivered more the following year
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I like copper head road one of my favorites my grandfather ran moonshine in the 1930s here in north Arkansas I remember some of the stories of how he got his product to the people in Oklahoma and how they would comment that they knew what color his mule was and what really happened there was when a hog got into the mash and drowned in it he ran the batch anyway and sold it in Oklahoma had some hair in it but was still very good and sold out in a day but it was a time of very little income for the family so he could not afford to waste any of the yeast and corn it was the last he had and was out of money to buy more so they got the dead hog run and they enjoyed it made enough to buy more and delivered more the following year
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TimfromAlabama
Interesting. My issues are my trailer plug on my 05 Silverado is they wired it totally wrong. Left turn signal flashes the tail lights, and then make my truck's tail lights light up, too. SO much trouble to rewire it, but, using the method I've seen you do with unpinning plugs I will just trace the wires and unpin and repin them where they go. Lot easier than rewiring the entire system, so I learned that and the How To from one of your previous videos. Now, if Alabama will just cool down enough so I'm not baking like a potato, I can lay underneath and repin mine right I'll be happy. Just glad mine doesn't have issues like this one has. I'd be totally lost. Cheers.
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Interesting. My issues are my trailer plug on my 05 Silverado is they wired it totally wrong. Left turn signal flashes the tail lights, and then make my truck's tail lights light up, too. SO much trouble to rewire it, but, using the method I've seen you do with unpinning plugs I will just trace the wires and unpin and repin them where they go. Lot easier than rewiring the entire system, so I learned that and the How To from one of your previous videos. Now, if Alabama will just cool down enough so I'm not baking like a potato, I can lay underneath and repin mine right I'll be happy. Just glad mine doesn't have issues like this one has. I'd be totally lost. Cheers.
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geepeerces
as a camper trailer tower, I hook it up, start the engine, turn on the parking lights and the eblinkers and do a once around to verify all trailer lights are lit and blinking as appropriate. then when I roll out, I grab the manual brake override at low speed and verify I can 'feel' the trailer dragging on the tow vehicle. Currently towing a 5000 lb max Escape 21' fiberglass trailer behind a '19 Ford Expedition Limited that has a built in brake controller, previously, I was towing with a 2002 F250 diesel that had a Curt brake controller, and before that I was towing a 3500 lb Casita behind a Tacoma 4x4 6 speed.
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as a camper trailer tower, I hook it up, start the engine, turn on the parking lights and the eblinkers and do a once around to verify all trailer lights are lit and blinking as appropriate. then when I roll out, I grab the manual brake override at low speed and verify I can 'feel' the trailer dragging on the tow vehicle. Currently towing a 5000 lb max Escape 21' fiberglass trailer behind a '19 Ford Expedition Limited that has a built in brake controller, previously, I was towing with a 2002 F250 diesel that had a Curt brake controller, and before that I was towing a 3500 lb Casita behind a Tacoma 4x4 6 speed.
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KStewart-th4sk
Blown fuses, agreed. Was the new owner of a VW Turbo Diesel. Go to leave work on a cold winter day (Canada, heck of a time getting it started. The Glow Light on the dash was on so i figured Glow Plugs were working. Still under warranty, go to VW, blown 50A fuse. They tested the system, draw is 48A i believe, and it tested correct. Fuse never blew again. Only thing i wondered about was why VW didn't link the dash light directly with output of glow plug relay. By the way, that fuse did not look like what most think a fuse looks like. It was a flat metal bar connected across 2 screws in the circuit.
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Blown fuses, agreed. Was the new owner of a VW Turbo Diesel. Go to leave work on a cold winter day (Canada, heck of a time getting it started. The Glow Light on the dash was on so i figured Glow Plugs were working. Still under warranty, go to VW, blown 50A fuse. They tested the system, draw is 48A i believe, and it tested correct. Fuse never blew again. Only thing i wondered about was why VW didn't link the dash light directly with output of glow plug relay. By the way, that fuse did not look like what most think a fuse looks like. It was a flat metal bar connected across 2 screws in the circuit.
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user-xk5nv9ci3t
Good information. I have three trailers with electric brakes. All with dual axles. Two different tow vehicles. Seems like I am always chasing wiring issues. The integrated brake controller on my 2011 Silverado 2500 is always the most picky. Many times the Silverado will not detect the trailer when I restart the truck. Found that if I disconnect the trailer and reconnect the plug with the truck running the controller is happy. Behaves this way on more than one trailer. Does not happen on other tow vehicles or my buddies 2011 Ford. Never have figured it out.
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Good information. I have three trailers with electric brakes. All with dual axles. Two different tow vehicles. Seems like I am always chasing wiring issues. The integrated brake controller on my 2011 Silverado 2500 is always the most picky. Many times the Silverado will not detect the trailer when I restart the truck. Found that if I disconnect the trailer and reconnect the plug with the truck running the controller is happy. Behaves this way on more than one trailer. Does not happen on other tow vehicles or my buddies 2011 Ford. Never have figured it out.
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aquatrax123
I love when the noobs at the boat ramp stop you and tell you to unplug your trailer lights before you go in the water. They obviously never had a boat trailer for more than one year because everyone knows it doesn’t matter what you do to your your trailer lights they all will be broken by the end of the season and you’ll have to replace them next year. Real boaters give up and don’t use any trailer lights because what’s the point they very rarely last more than a week or two before one of the lights burns out led or not.
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I love when the noobs at the boat ramp stop you and tell you to unplug your trailer lights before you go in the water. They obviously never had a boat trailer for more than one year because everyone knows it doesn’t matter what you do to your your trailer lights they all will be broken by the end of the season and you’ll have to replace them next year. Real boaters give up and don’t use any trailer lights because what’s the point they very rarely last more than a week or two before one of the lights burns out led or not.
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snoopdogie187
My guess is that the truck is checking the trailer is pulling enough current, but your trailer circuit tester isn't setup to place a load as much as it is looking for power. The little leds on that isn't pulling a lot of current. This is why the 4 amp test light works, its pulling enough current as a small trailer. If they make a second version of the tester, it can be set up like a miniature battery tester to pull some current, which would also be better for checking wire integrity.
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My guess is that the truck is checking the trailer is pulling enough current, but your trailer circuit tester isn't setup to place a load as much as it is looking for power. The little leds on that isn't pulling a lot of current. This is why the 4 amp test light works, its pulling enough current as a small trailer. If they make a second version of the tester, it can be set up like a miniature battery tester to pull some current, which would also be better for checking wire integrity.
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4b131
Hey Eric, my shop also had an issue with an after market Curt brake controller not showing the trailer brake reading on our tester on our new Mazda CX90. The Curt controller is a factory supplied accessory from Mazda. We found out that an actual trailer needed to be hooked up, probably load related, for the controller to operate otherwise an error or fault would trigger. We chased our tails a little before realizing the brake controller was working fine.
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Hey Eric, my shop also had an issue with an after market Curt brake controller not showing the trailer brake reading on our tester on our new Mazda CX90. The Curt controller is a factory supplied accessory from Mazda. We found out that an actual trailer needed to be hooked up, probably load related, for the controller to operate otherwise an error or fault would trigger. We chased our tails a little before realizing the brake controller was working fine.
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braaapattack2937
I made a long time ago, a milk crate with various trailer lights on a plug (couple running lights for markers, and two right and two left turn bulbs, and a clear 1156 interior light bulb for the 12volt direct to verify that circuit)and an old worn out brake drum assembly (shoes are at the wear limit but good enough to test. Doesn’t take up much room and is a good control to verify system if you’re having an issue
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I made a long time ago, a milk crate with various trailer lights on a plug (couple running lights for markers, and two right and two left turn bulbs, and a clear 1156 interior light bulb for the 12volt direct to verify that circuit)and an old worn out brake drum assembly (shoes are at the wear limit but good enough to test. Doesn’t take up much room and is a good control to verify system if you’re having an issue
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fredshead3956
Hi Eric, years ago i made a trailor socket tester, which is close to what you have there, consisted of a plastic box with about 10 LED's on and resistors inside, long lead to back with a plug on it, but systems were more basic in those days. and yes it done the job but as you say it doesn; t mean there is enough power at the socket to do the job its intended for. cul Fred in England.
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Hi Eric, years ago i made a trailor socket tester, which is close to what you have there, consisted of a plastic box with about 10 LED's on and resistors inside, long lead to back with a plug on it, but systems were more basic in those days. and yes it done the job but as you say it doesn; t mean there is enough power at the socket to do the job its intended for. cul Fred in England.
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mikechiodetti4482
Checking for the trailer brake, I used a stop lite bulb or an 1156 backup bulb. I think the GMC's we had in the fleet were 2012's and a test lite ot 1156 bulb worked for the trailer brake. Also tried a jumper wire to the ground pin and the trailer brake pin. Barely pushed the brake pedal and the dash indicator said trailer brakes applied.
Good one Mr. O.
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Checking for the trailer brake, I used a stop lite bulb or an 1156 backup bulb. I think the GMC's we had in the fleet were 2012's and a test lite ot 1156 bulb worked for the trailer brake. Also tried a jumper wire to the ground pin and the trailer brake pin. Barely pushed the brake pedal and the dash indicator said trailer brakes applied.
Good one Mr. O.
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firstlast---
The newer chevys are fun. Some of them have a trailer light control module. A perfectly working trailer can have lights not work because the resistance of the bulbs in the trailer not being a specific value will make the module shut everything down. It's hard to explain to a customer that their trailer is the issue even though it works fine on other trucks
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The newer chevys are fun. Some of them have a trailer light control module. A perfectly working trailer can have lights not work because the resistance of the bulbs in the trailer not being a specific value will make the module shut everything down. It's hard to explain to a customer that their trailer is the issue even though it works fine on other trucks
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autorepair
I got an 08 Silverado I do a lot of towing with. The plug on the back seems to be finicky. I can’t plug plugs all the way in til they lock or nothing works. I push the plug just 1/8 short of where it locks in and everything works fine. Could explain you seeing power for a blip and then it’s gone. You plugged the plug too far Mr. O! Thatta boy!
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I got an 08 Silverado I do a lot of towing with. The plug on the back seems to be finicky. I can’t plug plugs all the way in til they lock or nothing works. I push the plug just 1/8 short of where it locks in and everything works fine. Could explain you seeing power for a blip and then it’s gone. You plugged the plug too far Mr. O! Thatta boy!
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edtillier4421
My sons driving a 24 GMC Duramax 3500, trailer brake is of course Intral and constantly blowing fuses constantly disconnecting from his fifth wheel dealer says there’s nothing wrong with the truck but now we understand there’s a service bullet out hopefully one day soon, the dealer will admit there’s a problem and come up with a solution
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My sons driving a 24 GMC Duramax 3500, trailer brake is of course Intral and constantly blowing fuses constantly disconnecting from his fifth wheel dealer says there’s nothing wrong with the truck but now we understand there’s a service bullet out hopefully one day soon, the dealer will admit there’s a problem and come up with a solution
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stephenw2992
Separate trailer fuses are great. Remember putting on my indicator and lost most of the instrument cluster. I assumed it was a trailer fault. Turns out a bolt holding one of the lights on had falled off and the light swinging from side to side wore the insulation off the indictor wire behind the light, so it shorted onto the mudgard.
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Separate trailer fuses are great. Remember putting on my indicator and lost most of the instrument cluster. I assumed it was a trailer fault. Turns out a bolt holding one of the lights on had falled off and the light swinging from side to side wore the insulation off the indictor wire behind the light, so it shorted onto the mudgard.
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thatdave86
Eric, you didn't check the plug connectors in the plug nor the earth
If it worked on your Tundra then the Chevy must have a fault, like if LEDs have bad connection then the trucks system has problems recognising the trailer, really disappointed that there was no green crusties at the plug, and we didn't get a money shot.
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Eric, you didn't check the plug connectors in the plug nor the earth
If it worked on your Tundra then the Chevy must have a fault, like if LEDs have bad connection then the trucks system has problems recognising the trailer, really disappointed that there was no green crusties at the plug, and we didn't get a money shot.
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