HELP!, Yet another trailer wiring issue

[harrypottar]

Phew spent over 8 hours at the dealers ship today, plus the 7 hours round trip it took me there and back. I will post this saga later.

Supposed to go Americade in the morning Friday urgent help if possible please.

Had my hitch and tailer harness wired today to my 2012 RT Limited.

Ordered the BRP 9 Pin Pig Tail 710002029, there are lots of post on here on the lead and how to wire it. My need is for 5 pin, I have separate yellow turn signals on my trailer.

Is the wiring different on a 2012. According to the post and the marking on the 710002029 pig tail Blue should be left flasher and Green should be right flasher.

However, red is Brake plus right flasher, Orange is brake plus left flasher.

So I wired the red to my brakes but when I put the right turn signal on the brakes flash. If I put a meter on the green or blue flasher wire with the turn signals on nothing, no signal.

Is the 2012 wired so ONLY the left and right brake light are signals.

:gaah:
harry

 

[SpydherLuv]

My 2011 is wired the same, I explain how I connected everything here: http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?37944-Wiring-for-a-trailer

 

[NancysToy]

The newest trailer modules will not provide 5-wire (Actually 6-wire) output. You will have to modify your trailer to 4-wire.

 

[SteveMac]

The newest trailer modules will not provide 5-wire (Actually 6-wire) output. You will have to modify your trailer to 4-wire.

Agree. I have done two different 2011s recently. The first one worked with the five wire diagram I used for my own trailer. However the second only worked with a four wire setup. So I converted that Trailer to a four wire.

The only way I know to be sure is to hook the adapter cable to your module and test the wires with a test light or multimeter.

 

[NancysToy]

The only way I know to be sure is to hook the adapter cable to your module and test the wires with a test light or multimeter.

You can test directly in the connector, but it is a pain. Plugging in the tongue harness makes it much easier.

 

[SteveMac]

You can test directly in the connector, but it is a pain. Plugging in the tongue harness makes it much easier.

True. You can tell if it is a four or five wire at the module. I guess to clarify it made it much easier for me to strip the end off the adapter and test each wire so I would know which one went to brown, yellow green, white (on the four wire) and then the blue on the five wire. It sure would have been nice if they used the same colors I have been used to for the last 30 plus years!

 

[JCSMOKE]

What trailer

Make and model

 

[harrypottar]

What I ended up doing was disconnecting the single wired brake lights, taking the wires from the turn signals in the trailer and wiring them to each of the brake lights.

Then wired the RT's left brake to the left turn signal of the plug, and the RT's right brake to the right turn signal of the plug.

Now I have brake lights and brake light turn signals, the original trailer turn signals I wired in as running lights. I may change the lenses to white and wire these as reverse lights.

All working now, I can now get 6 hours sleep before heading to Americade, tomorrow night while at the hotel I will post my 8 hour service wows (not dealers fault)

thanks for all your input.

harry

 

[harrypottar]

My 2011 is wired the same, I explain how I connected everything here: http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?37944-Wiring-for-a-trailer

Wanted add a thanks to this, when I tested my harness with a meter mine was exactly the same as yours in this post.

The labeled turned signal wires in the harness never get any power. The wires for the two individual brakes are also the turn signals in mine as well.

Thanks

Harry

 

[NancysToy]

True. You can tell if it is a four or five wire at the module. I guess to clarify it made it much easier for me to strip the end off the adapter and test each wire so I would know which one went to brown, yellow green, white (on the four wire) and then the blue on the five wire. It sure would have been nice if they used the same colors I have been used to for the last 30 plus years!

Exactly! Much easier to test at the wires before they are attached. I agree that it would be nice for the color coding to follow the standard....or even to follow the Spyder color codes.

Wanted add a thanks to this, when I tested my harness with a meter mine was exactly the same as yours in this post.

The labeled turned signal wires in the harness never get any power. The wires for the two individual brakes are also the turn signals in mine as well.

That is known in trailer circles as a "4-wire or 4-pole system".

 

[mtbear]

Harry,
I wired my Spyder harness to a magnetic light kit and took about ten minutes, works fine.
mtbear:yes:

 

[bmwlarry]

I went thru what you are going thru and feel your pain. I finally gave in and went to the local Uhaul hitch shop. They disconnected the amber turns and spiced into the large red lights and everything works great only the ambers are off all the time. I paid $20 and it was done in minutes. I have considered running the rear ambers from the side markers for more rear visibility. As Nancystoy said to me, sometimes its better and easier to give in and turn some things over to those that know how to do things!

 

[harrypottar]

Harry,
I wired my Spyder harness to a magnetic light kit and took about ten minutes, works fine.
mtbear:yes:

What is a magnetic light kit, pictures please.

Harry live from Americade, spiders,spyders everywhere

:yes:

 

[SpydherLuv]

Wanted add a thanks to this, when I tested my harness with a meter mine was exactly the same as yours in this post.

The labeled turned signal wires in the harness never get any power. The wires for the two individual brakes are also the turn signals in mine as well.

Thanks

Harry

Hey Harry, you are very welcome! Of course, a lot of what I learned came from Scotty (NancysToy) and lots of emailing back and forth - so I gotta give credit where credit is due. This is a great forum with lots of wonderful folks ready to help out when you need it. :firstplace:

Have a great time and ryde safe!

-Anita

 

[mtbear]

Harry,
A magnetic light kit is the kit you can buy at walmart that you put on a tow vehicle.
it holds on by magnets, you can see them on the back of a lot of towed vehicles.
They have a four pin harness and hook right up to the harness that Can-Am makes for the 2012 Spyder.
It was recommended by my dealer.
mtbear also (Harry)

 

[NancysToy]

Hey Harry, you are very welcome! Of course, a lot of what I learned came from Scotty (NancysToy) and lots of emailing back and forth - so I gotta give credit where credit is due. This is a great forum with lots of wonderful folks ready to help out when you need it. :firstplace:

Have a great time and ryde safe!

-Anita

Anita -
We worked this out together...the hard way I might add. Give yourself the biggest share of the credit. You did the testing and the work, not to mention the good descriptions you gave that helped us work through it. We learned a lot along the way. This has been a moving target, and it has been hard to advise folks. I wouldn't have learned this latest wrinkle without you.

Look me up in Durango...I can't wait to finally meet you in person.

 

[SpydherLuv]

You got it Scotty! I look forward to meeting you.

 

[Rando]

Non BRP trailer wiring issues

I tried but was unsuccessful in wiring our dog trailer to our 2011 RT using a purchased BRP trailer wiring harness. My Spyder is already wired for the BRP trailer. Either the trailer brake lights would work but no turn signals or signals with no brakes! Or brake light and turn signals but no running lights!

 

[78OldRide]

trailer wire

Rando not sure how you are doing it. Does the dog trailer use a 4 flat if so you may need to run an extra wire for the running lights sperate.
I don't have the BRP connector but I bought a digkey plug and pins. I ran straight from the Bike plug and used 5 wires. 1 for the running lights 1 for the brake lights 2 for turn signal and 1 for ground.
Hope this helps I'm not an expert but it did work for me.
Gary

 

[harrypottar]

I tried but was unsuccessful in wiring our dog trailer to our 2011 RT using a purchased BRP trailer wiring harness. My Spyder is already wired for the BRP trailer. Either the trailer brake lights would work but no turn signals or signals with no brakes! Or brake light and turn signals but no running lights!

I'm, sure with all our collective minds on here we can help you with this.

Your trailer, is it 4 or 5 wire, in other words do you have integrated brake and turn signals or separate turn signals?.

The easer part is finding what the sypder is feeding if you don't have a meter then a cheap and cheerful automotive electrical tester will do



Plug the trailer harness in to the spyder, clip the alligator clip to the ground. Then simply start to test the output, not sure on the 2011 but my 2012 didn't have independent signals, the brake lights where combination turn and brake.

I wired the the brake/turn from the bike, to the turn signals in the trailer plug. In the trailer I remove the brake wire from the brakes and then took the wires from the turn signals and wired them to the brake lights. So my trailer plug wires for the turn signals now go to the brake lights on the trailer.

I then just wired my amber lens turn signals as extra running lights.

My plans; I now have an extra 5th wire not in use, this was the old brake wire that went to both brakes. I'm trying to find some replacement white lenses for old amber turn signals.

I plan to run the old brake wire (not currently used) to the white lensed turn signals, then wire the reverse lead from the sypder to this. This will give me reverse lights for the trailer.

I now just need to practice reversing, no one looked twice at the Goldwing with the trailer, I would reverse get stuck, get off and pull the trailer straight by hand. :roflblack:

NOW, everyone gawks at the set up, I was at Americade over the weekend with the trailer, oh boy I felt like I was on show. Every time I had to park a crowed gathered, luckily I found a few drive through parking areas, other times I would try and revers straight in. There was one time I was at the main Fort Henry sign in area and I had to reverse the trailer between some bikes. The usual crowed grew and I nervously reverse inching my way in very slowly. I did it with out causing a domino of bikes, but defiantly need to practice.


Rando PM me if you need help.

harry