Trailer clearance lights

Guys I’m sure this is a stupid question but I am no where near decent with electrical wiring.

I got trailer clearance lights to mount on my plastic fenders for backing into dark landings after the sun sets. There were no previous clearance lights on the trailer. The new led light only came with what I assume is a positive wire, the other terminal is set to ground into the mounting screw.

Before I cut my main running light wire to tap the splice in my clearance lights, is it as simple as connecting the positive to the brown trailer wire and then running a wire from the mounting screw to the frame for ground?

I tested the light by putting the positive wire from light to battery and a wire I had laying around from negative terminal to the “ground” on light and it worked. Left positive wire on battery than moved my negative wire from battery to the frame and it didn’t work.

Help a clueless idiot out please. I plan on fishing late into the night tomorrow and hoping for easy reverse action…hehe

“Before I cut my main running light wire to tap the splice in my clearance lights, is it as simple as connecting the positive to the brown trailer wire and then running a wire from the mounting screw to the frame for ground?”

This will work, assuming the frame of your trailer is a “good ground”. Clean off the paint and corrosion around the hole when you make the connection to the frame.

S.R.

Walleye Hungry wrote:

Before I cut my main running light wire to tap the splice in my clearance lights, is it as simple as connecting the positive to the brown trailer wire and then running a wire from the mounting screw to the frame for ground?

Short answer is yes this will work. The best method would be to run the ground wire all the way to the trailer plug and splice into the white ground wire at the plug.
On a related note, I assume you will be mounting these on the forward portion of the fender, in a position where they can be seen from the front? If so did you purchase amber (yellow) or red clearance lights. Reason I ask is that there are regulations on color displayed based on whether the light can be viewed from the front by oncoming traffic or viewed from the back by the traffic behind you. Amber(yellow) to the front and red towards the rear.

Yes I bought amber for the front of the wheel well and red for the back. Figured if I was doing one side of the fender I would do both.

Why is it that the positive cable on a battery and a clean ground doesn’t it light up

Walleye Hungry wrote:

Why is it that the positive cable on a battery and a clean ground doesn’t it light up

Do you have a wire running from the negative post of the battery to the trailer frame? If not, that why the light does not work when you are “testing” it.

I will try it tomorrow…newborn crying

Everything worked out great guys. Thanks a lot!!

Well i am back with another issue…this one i am concerned will require replacing all the lines.

I was hooked up ready to pull the rig to mille lacs when i tested my lights as usual. Running lights on. left blinker good. brakes good. right blinker not good. i started playing around with the wires making sure all connections were good when i decided to take out a clearance light wire when i accidentally bumped the ground screw, all i heard was sizzling and now the only lights that work are brakes.

I do not have a tester (will be picking one up today) but where do you guys think i should start problem solving. are the wires shot?

I’d check the fuses in your truck’s fuse box. You likely created a short and blew a fuse.