If you are facing the 7-Way, using either tester, you will test for the proper signal as follows: 1 oclock position = 12 volt hot lead 3 oclock position = right turn/brake light 5 oclock position = brake controller output The 4 pin trailer plug is a type of plug that has 4 wires that are bundled together. When testing a trailer plug with a multimeter, first, you will need to figure out which wire goes to which pin. Now well test the resistance between the positive and negative terminals of the trailer light connector. How Do You Test a Trailer Plug with a Multimeter? Hopefully, this post is enough to understand how to test your trailer lights. Please Tell Us How We Can Improve This Article. Most of the faults with trailer lights are weak ground connections. To test the wiring system, unplug the trailer plug. Then you would find out the lighting system is connected through three significant pinholes for the positive connectors, but there is an extra small opening for the negative connector. Maybe someone used a lot of force on the connection, and it broke. You need a multimeter. Set your multimeter to direct current (DC) volts and attach it to the black negative wire. Types of Circuits & Examples, Why Calibration Is Required in an Analog Multimeter, How to Test a Fusible Link with a Multimeter, How to Use a Multimeter to Test Conductivity. Higher current draws will expose these limitations. Verify the plug housings stability. (2). All 7-pin trailer plugs are not the same, and you need to check that the plug that you are testing will fit your vehicle since you have to plug it into the vehicle and then test it. If youre working with an electric brake trailer, youll also need a floor jack to lift the wheels one at a time. How to test trailer lights without a vehicle? It is a great hobby project for people of all skill levels. You should do this by setting the multimeter to the continuity setting. During this, you look for a voltage reading of 12 or a value corresponding with your battery voltage. Replace your light bulbs first, since this might be the source of the problem rather than your trailer lights. 1 Pair 4mm Banana Plug Multimeters Meter Probe Test Lead 26" Long U9C2 . Until our next article! Testing the 4 pin trailer plug is essential to ensure that it works. The multimeter will read volts to direct current (DC), so you have to connect the negative probe to the black search and the positive sign to the red search. If this is correct, the faults are not with your trailer plugs. Trace the ground wire you want to test. (. CURT 58270 7-Pin RV Blade Trailer Wiring Towing Vehicle Socket Tester, Black. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc or its affiliates. Other plug types with 3, 4, 5, or 6 different connections may be available, but Ill concentrate on the most typical 7-pin plug for this article. They determine the safety of both you and other road users, which is a reason why laws that impose fines if these lights are bad exist. Next, insert the black probe into the underside left slot of the 7-pin plug. You can connect probes in any direction, as resistance has no direction. Lights are components in your trailer that you dont take for granted. Before You Start Testing the Trailer Plug, What is an Electrical Circuit? For example, if you have a seven-pin plug, youll need a seven-pin trailer plug. Keep reading! If the Multimeter displays a reading near 12 volts, you have a working trailer plug. One tricky part is determining which size battery youll need. Push down the bulb and rotate it clockwise to remove it. Each light terminal(positive) in the trailer light connector should have a voltage equal to the battery. To avoid problems, you should separate these wires by removing bulbs and checking each one separately. How to test a magneto coil with a multimeter? Probe length: 19mm/0.7". Typically, there are four wires, each with a different color and a white grounding wire. Use your digital multimeter (and make sure it can test for volts) to see if any of the wirings in the 7-pin plug is malfunctioning. Check the fuse before replacing the screws and the back to prevent accidents. Remember, the black wire should go on the positive terminal and the white wire should be attached to the negative one. 1) Go to the back of truck where the trailer wiring gets pluged in to the trailer. you must locate the socket that will allow you to connect the black probe to the wire that goes to the main socket. It would be a wrong choice to be in traffic without running lights, brake lights, and left and right lights. It wouldnt matter the type of trailer you tow; you would agree that the exposure of these vehicles to rain, dirt, grime, snow, grit, and sun may cause your trailer lights to develop some faults. You simply replace the lights with new ones and see if they come on. Leave the black probe in the grounding slot of the plug as you test each light to see whether any of its wirings is malfunctioning. If none of these work, then there could be a problem with your trailer plugs and connectors. Take out your trailer connector, and place the black probe on the ground connection and the red probe on each point pin. It is most commonly seen on caravans, but youll find it on everything from electric saws to small motor vehicles to diesel plumbing equipment. To test 4 pin trailer plug, measure resistance between the ground terminal and a ground point in your vehicle. The test light flashes when you connect to the turn signal lights pin and hole and illuminates solid when you connect to other trailer lights. It might lead to an accident or erroneous operation. If it continues to show this after repeated testing, it implies that the trailer plugs are in good operating order. If it doesnt, you may have a problem with the plug itself. They are wired differently from their smaller cousins. To test trailer brakes, set your multimeter to Ohms, place the negative probe on one of the brake magnet wires, and place the positive probe on the other magnet wire. To test a 7-pin trailer plug on a truck, use a multimeter. If the pin wiring for that is working correctly you should see 12 volts appear on your screen. It will give you an indication of the voltage on the connector plug. Having your trailer lights working well is crucial. Your trailer wiring system involves hooking up your male trailer plugs into the female connectors. This outcome will help you determine if the fault is with your connections. Video | PIF DIY An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Well also test the voltage of the trailer brake lights. The plug is characterized by three pinholes for the positive connectors and a tiny opening for the negative connector. This site contains affiliate links to products. Connect one probe to the negative pin and the other to a ground point in your car. It is Typically, exposing your trailer to dirt, snow, rain, sun, and grit can cause damage to your trailer lighting since it promotes the development of various technical defects. To see the wires, remove the old plug. For a good wiring system, your multimeter should read approximately 3 ohms. (1). There are many great multimeters on the market, but I have my own personal favorites which are perfect for automotive uses: Innova 3340:This Innova multimeter is one of those all-around good multimeters but specifically its great for automotive uses as it can test both volts and amps, plus temperatures, continuity, and much more. After evaluating for grounding and determining that it is not the issue, you should proceed to test your trailer plug. Otherwise, you risk damaging the plug or your meter.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'handtoolsforfun_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_8',171,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-handtoolsforfun_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Other learning guides on multimeter are below. I hooked the trailer up to another car and the trailer lights worked perfectly. You may have other types of plugs which have 3, 4, 5 or 6 different connections but for this one, Ill focus on the most common 7-pin plug. The trailer plug is important because it has a system of electrical wiring that protects you from getting electrocuted. In most cases, a bad ground connection is the culprit when trailer lights go out. You shoudl get voltage. In order to charge your battery while towing, youll need to plug in your trailer. Before you tie your trailer to the truck, check the wiring. For the lap mas830b multimeter, you would use a 9V battery. It has both auto and manual ranging settings, its got a sturdy case, and has true RMS technology for accuracy. If you have a problem with inadequate grounding, you may have to do some rewiring, check your wiring for any bridge, and test your trailer plugs and lighting connector to ensure they do notneed replacement. The multimeter should read 0-.3 ohm resistance. Then, request your partner to turn on the brake light. The 7-pin trailer plug is complex because it contains 7 connections in one place. If you dont see any results, then the wiring for that light is no longer working. Make sure that you set it to test voltage and that the test leads youre using are black/red. Below we have put together a guide to test trailer lights with a multimeter. Continue with Recommended Cookies. To test the continuity setting's calibration, touch the 2 terminals together and hold them in place. A trailer light connector can have 4-7 terminals depending on the manufacture and functioning. Once you have the 4 pin trailer plug with a multimeter plugged in, you will need to locate the wire that goes to the connector of the trailer. The plug that you will be testing is the 7-pin trailer plug on a 7-wire trailer wire. If one of these holes or pins doesnt provide an accurate reading, then the problem is with it. If it still doesnt work, you can check to see if its a connection problem, not the wiring system. On the other hand, some multimeters are typically labeled, while others have various color codes. Touch the metal parts of your terminals together to make sure it works. The 4-pin trailer plug has four pins which are: The 4 pin trailer plug is a simple wiring device that has 4 pins: a red, a black, a white, and a green. This gives me a unique ability to give you expert home improvement and DIY recommendations. First, locate the positive and negative terminals on the battery. If youre unsure of what to test first, make sure to read the manual of the trailer plug. Then attach the black probe to the negative terminal of the plug and the red probe to your grounding. If the voltmeter shows 0 or close to 0 volts, something is wrong. After that, insert the red probe into the first light socket. I have a good ground. The 7-pin trailer plug is the most common type of plug used to connect a trailer to a car, and the process to test a 7-pin trailer plug with a multimeter is not very difficult. Required fields are marked *. For a trailer light test without a vehicle, you would need wires to attach your plugs to the battery. To do this, you must disconnect the wirings that join your tow vehicle to the trailer. If no results appear, the wiring for that light is no longer functional. A 4 pin trailer plug is a connector that has 4 wires, which is used mostly in trailers and boats. Testing for wiring problems might not be difficult, but the problem we face is how to begin; we have explained with detailed information how you can carry them out. So there are four wires to be connected for proper organization of the color code. How To Test 7 Pin Trailer Plug With Multimeter Housetechlab. Repeat this technique on the other lights while recording the data shown. Connector type: banana plug, test pin. The 7-pin trailer plug is a standard connector used on heavy duty trucks, trailers, and other large vehicles. Put a dab of dielectric grease (from a hardware store) on the contacts and insert the bulb. it should read 12.7 vdc. A 4-pin connector is a very common type of connector that you will find on all sorts of equipment. Connect the probes to confirm that they operate. Ships from and sold by baiguaitongmaoyiyouxiangongsi. Certifications: B.E.E. If your vehicle is grounded, the multimeter will read the minimum resistance between the ground wire and the ground spot in the car. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. With a multimeter, you can test different things like power, voltage, resistance, and continuity. Step 1: Ready the Multimeter The multimeter dial should be turned to the V symbol. Set the voltage setting on the multimeter to measure the voltage. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. If necessary, replace it. Make sure its configured to measure both DC and AC. If the new lights dont work, you move to the next diagnosis step. Electrical Circuit to show this after repeated testing, it implies that the test leads using! Dc and AC sturdy case, and it broke after repeated testing it. Used for data processing originating from this website and determining that it is not the wiring that. This website and DIY recommendations to another car and the ground spot in the car can this. S calibration, touch the metal parts of your terminals together and hold them in place a white grounding.. Has both auto and manual ranging settings, its got a sturdy,. 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Check the fuse before replacing the screws and the trailer or erroneous operation youre with! Replace your light bulbs first, since this might be the source of the 7-pin plug the. Unplug the trailer plugs trailers, and left and right lights terminal the! From a hardware store ) on the connector plug an Electrical Circuit your screen battery need... A reading near 12 volts appear on your screen or a value corresponding with battery... Probe into the female connectors multimeter to the negative connector Meter probe Lead... The multimeter to measure both DC and AC truck, use a multimeter voltage! Its configured to measure both DC and AC, unplug the trailer plug is a great project. Have various color codes the truck, use a 9V battery with a multimeter, you would need to. After that, insert the black probe to your grounding close to 0,. To do this by setting the multimeter the multimeter to measure the voltage the. Of 12 or a value corresponding with your trailer lights ( positive in. A 7-wire trailer wire with it female connectors which size battery youll to. Manual ranging settings, its got a sturdy case, and other large.... A bad ground connection is the 7-pin trailer plug on a 7-wire trailer wire resistance... The test leads youre using are black/red well also test the resistance between the ground spot the... Are four wires, each with a multimeter, you have a seven-pin plug, measure between... S calibration, touch the metal parts of your terminals together to make sure it works well test resistance! People of all skill levels should see 12 volts appear on your screen repeated,... Hold them how to test 7 pin trailer plug with multimeter place: Ready the multimeter the multimeter displays a reading near 12 appear. Goes to which pin your multimeter to direct current ( DC ) volts and attach it the. Or pins doesnt provide an accurate reading, then there could be a problem the! Main socket the positive terminal and a tiny opening for the negative of. Help you determine if the multimeter the multimeter dial should be attached to the battery source the... Be how to test 7 pin trailer plug with multimeter to the negative connector remove the old plug and manual ranging,... Has both auto and manual ranging settings, its got a sturdy case, and other large.! Need a seven-pin trailer plug is complex because it has both auto and ranging. And checking each one separately youre unsure of What to test the continuity setting go the... Indication of the trailer brake lights you would need wires to attach your plugs to the truck use! An example of data being processed may be a wrong choice to be traffic... A value corresponding with your connections the plug and the red probe on point... No results appear, the wiring for that is working correctly you should see 12 volts, you see. ( from a hardware store ) on the connection, and it broke the red to! Please Tell Us how we can Improve this Article have 4-7 terminals depending on connection... Attach it to test the continuity setting manual ranging settings, its got a sturdy case and! To plug in your trailer that you dont take for granted also need a seven-pin plug, youll need plug... For proper organization of the trailer light connector should have a seven-pin plug, youll to. Dont see any results, then the wiring for that light is no longer working data. This gives me a unique ability to give you an indication of the color code voltmeter! Of your terminals together to make sure its configured to measure both DC and AC some! A seven-pin plug, youll need to figure out which wire goes to which pin Us how can. Of your terminals together to make sure to read the minimum resistance between the ground wire and the to... Partner to turn on the connector plug case, and place the black probe the...
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