Super Easy Trailer Hitch Wiring

OK, here it is! I found the solution for not knowing what color goes to what and not wasting time chasing down signal wires.

I choose a circut protected unpowered converter from etrailer.com that will work with LED lights. It is a Drawtite and it was $20 + shipping.

You'll need to use a signal converter due to the seperate bulb functions found on imports and new vehicles that don't have T-One connectors available.



It may be your prefernece to choose a different converter, such as a powered one, but the main thrust of this post is finding the signal wires you want fast, easy, and with NO Splicing and NO Scotch Locs.

on the back of your tail light bulb cluster are spades that can easily be tested by a cheap 12v tester(probe w/ light). using the tester you can connect to the stud from your tail light as shown below where the white ground wire(below photo) attaches from the signal converter and test each of the spades for the signal you wish to sample from your converter.



I didn't label each of these, just use your tester, and connect a female insulated spade connector to the end of the signal wire from your convernter and plug it into the correct male spade in the back of the tail light bulb cluster.

you need to use the insulated kind as you can see that there are two connectors that touch each other and would touch another spade to the left of the center(blue one). i cheated and only used one insulated spade for the blue one and the rest are uninsulated connectors as they don't touch any other male spades.



I mounted the converter to the inside of the truck where the cd changer would be located. On the back of the converter that I choose was a self adhesive pad for easy installation.


Just replace all covers and stow your wiring in your compartment above your CD changer.

HAPPY TOWING!

You can't just say which wire powers which thing (ie running lights, brakes, blinker, etc.). I tried the same thing but blew some fuses. I haven't gotten a chance to actually get a tester on them yet. I've been looking all over the forums for this information. Thanks though!

So after doing some research on etrailer.com it looks like the Green wire = Right Turn light (not shown above), Brown wire = Running Lights, Yellow = Left Turn, and Red = Brake. I think my key problem earlier was not realizing I needed insulated connections. I blew the fuse for the blinkers and both tail lights. Pretty slick deal though as I use the 12v source for power then simply plug in and I can completely take my trailer wiring out leaving it all stock.

Do a search of the Forum -- several posts have a great chart of the MKIV tail light wiring.





http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=37966&page=2&highlight=tail+light+wiring+diagram

You are much better at searching then me. I tried searching everything I could think of to come up with this diagram but could turn it up. I figured it was here somewhere. Anyway... Thanks!

Do you have to use a "signal converter". I read the post above and I don't really understand the need. Can someone explaine this to me?

Boost_virgin said:

Do you have to use a "signal converter". I read the post above and I don't really understand the need. Can someone explaine this to me?

Click to expand...

Yes.

Doesn't work without it.

I'll try - the trailers only have 4 wires, one of them a ground wire. The car has many more. The converter converts the many to four.

Here's my thread on installing a hitch on my car, including the signal converter -
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=210729&highlight=hitch

Re "do you need a signal converter" ...

If the vehicle has separate bulbs for turn signals and brakes, then yes, you need it, because North American standard trailers have combined brake and turn functions in the same bulb. This applies to all VW's up to the Mk5.

The Mk5 sedans have combined turn/brake bulbs but the vehicle is a very different animal and requires a different solution. A normal trailer adapter will not work. There are other threads out there dating back to when all us Mk5 folks were figuring this out.

Okay I get it now. Since the break and trun are not on the same bulb/wire the box combines it. Thanks for the quick response.

Tried this setup, then BAM

Hey Guys,

I hope that someone will see this soon- I did this setup today with my Curt adapter. I went and got the insulated connectors, and hooked them up right, then when I went to rent a trailer from U-Haul, I got out of the lot, 2 miles down the road and then all of my electronics went dead.

The car turned the hazards on by itself, and I was fortunately within coasting distance of a right turn lane into a plaza, in the ghetto.

I checked all of my fuses, everything is intact, but I can't get the car started! I hear an initial click if i let it sit, but nothing from the starter, and nothing when I tried to hill-bump start it in reverse (it died on a slight incline). I have NO CLUE what could be wrong, but I need my baby working again! The only thing that was odd at u-haul was that my turn signals weren't working on the trailer. I tried to switch the inputs briefly, but that blew a fuse, so I put them in the original orientation, which allowed the car turn signals to work at least.

Does anyone have any ideas? I will try anything!

GoFaster said:

because North American standard trailers have combined brake and turn functions in the same bulb.

Click to expand...

The nice thing about standards is there are so many to choose from. I pull a North American standard trailer, and the brake lamps are separate from the turn signals. Of course, I wouldn't advise even trying to pull this particular trailer with a VW - it's WAY over the maximum allowable weight (even if you go by European specs).