Flat four plug wiring question

[BWSwede]

Hello all,

I have a question for the electrical gurus on the site. I have a tractor with running lights, brake lights, and turn signals front and back. It also has a trailer plug. This winter I plan to remove rear fenders and lights to protect them from snow banks when backing. In lieu of the factory tail lights I am running a cheap set of magnetic mount led tail lights. I removed the fenders and tail lights and tested the new led magnetic lights by plugging them into the trailer plug. I found that everything works except the driver's side when the emergency flashers are on. For some reason it is not flashing.

Since the brake lights and turn signals work am I correct in assuming that I have a problem with the flasher unit on the tractor?

TIA,
Blane

 

[BWSwede]

Answering my own question, I wonder if the reduced load of removing the stock incandescent bulbs and instead using led's is causing the issue. I am going to see what happens today when I hook up my trailer with incandescent bulbs.

Blane

 

[Tinhack]

Yep. LED bulbs typically won't activate a normal flasher--There's not enough current draw to heat the bimetal strip in the flasher. You can replace the flasher with a LED compatible one (electronic) or add inline resistors at each bulb.

 

[LD1]

Id also vote to start with the flasher.

You have already confirmed the bulb and the wiring is good.

On 4-wire trailer, you have ground, tail lights (brown) Left turn (yellow) Right turn (green).

Both left and right turn activate (without flasher) for the brakes. So hazard lights, turn signals, and breaks are ALL the same wire. SO if brakes work the wire and bulb is good.

 

[BWSwede]

One last post for the archives. The problem turned out to be in the 3 to 2 wire tail light converter. Everything worked fine except the driver's side emergency flasher. I switched out the converter and everything now works as it should.

Blane