Trailer light problems

[gordonv]

I'm off to our Rally in a couple of days, and don't even have time to look at this at such a late time.

After my annual Valhalla Rally, found out that my right turn signal and brake light wasn't working on the trailer. Took a meter to the wires, found 10V going to the controller (5 wires in, 4 wires out), and only 2V at the plug. I plugged the trailer into another vehicle, and it worked fine. Problem is with my controller.

Bought a replacement, cut out the old controller, and wired into the existing wires connected to my bikes wires. Check with a volt meter, now 10V in and out. Plug in the trailer, works fine.

Took the trailer out for a ride Sun, greased the bearings, and checked the lights. WTF! The same right side  trailer right turn and brake light is not working.

How can 2 controllers fail in the same way? Looks like hand signals will be need to get to our Rally.

1) I'm thinking the trailer wiring may be shorting out, and causing the controller to fail.
2) The wires into the bikes wires are faulty.

This is my 3.5 year old trailer. Was used with a GW that had the same 5 in 4 out controller, which I also needed to replace. Now I'm using my 2 year for me, 99' IS.

Thank you in advance for any advise.

[da prez]

  A good thing to remember " verify the grounds". It is possible there is a faulty ground on the bike or trailer. Find a good trailer ground , even if you have to grind one. Hook a jumper lead to bike ground at the battery and then to the trailer. If it clears up, you are on the right street.
  Good luck and let us know.

                                       da prez

[gordonv]

I had a chance to look over the bike/trailer on the weekend. In the end, we took a volt meter to it again, and the exact same problem. Power into the controller, but nothing coming out, on the same runs. The right turn and brake light.

Seems strange, same problem as the previous one. But we found one other item. Since the trailer was a break down, the neck had a connector in it. Seems there might have been a flaw, an over size connector, that wasn't really connecting. I wonder if this might have lead to the problem?

Now, maybe my best long term solution, might be to change out the wiring to a direct wire 5 & 5. Do away with the controller. I would need to investigate how the wiring works in the rear lights.

[da prez]

It is referred to as European wiring. I believe there is info in tech. Online info can be pulled up. It's been a while since I worked on one.

           da prez