Ron Helmuth

Dragged home a $200 Subie the other day for my 16 year old and could not rent a tow dolly at UHAUL because...

my 4pin tow light connector is not functioning for turn signals-headlights seem to work fine.

I search some threads to convince me to rip apart the drivers side rear cargo area panels to get to the taillight converter black box stuffed in the rear corner. Dang that is a bunch of work to open up that massive a$$ panel, though not particularly difficult.

I convince myself that the 4 pin wiring is bad (it was crimped with wiring poking out of the insulation) and buy a $7 kit to rewire it.

Still not functioning for turn signals. Yes I double checked my wiring and with the color coding I could not find a way to screw that up.

My buddies over at IRBIS OFF ROAD helped me out and let me test my black box and no improvement using their black box

I examine the black box closely and notice that the 6 pin input is really only using 4 wires anyways (1st question-why the heck is this box even needed when a simple connector could do the job?)

so from left to right-clip side up-top row-the 6 pin wiring is green, then green yellow in the middle and right side is empty.

Bottom row from left to right-clip side still up-the wiring is green white and green in the middle and far right is again empty.

So while a 6 pin connector-it only carries 4 actual wires.

That is correct-2 wires are plain green. I call the top left one the headlights and the bottom middle one the left turn signal.

Just for grins I stuck the wiring of the 4 pin cable running to my hitch into the 6 pin ports and voila! it seems to have solved my issues. I am measuring voltage at the 4 pin at the hitch for each function.

2nd question-any reason I can't just bypass this stupid (err smarter than me) black box and wire up the 4 pin leads straight to the wires leading to the 6 pin connector?

3rd question-should I be concerned that the voltage measured is less than 12 volts for any function? All measurements taken with engine off.

I get 11.47 volts at the headlight pin, variable results for each turn signal-digital multimeter used and it just keeps bouncing all over the place.

Anyone with recent experience with this? I welcome your thoughts before I pull a major FUBAR and start cutting pigtails.

I need to put my back end back together...

EDIT: The solution turned out to be-eliminate the Toyota black box and splice in a Hopkins "4 wire flat" to replace the existing 4 pin connector. Hopkins part number #48055 includes 4 LED lights to show what functions are working and which are not. These LED lights are visible at the trailer connector outside the vehicle, making it much easier to keep track of what functions are working properly and which do not. Careful documentation of which wire is which leading into the 6 pin connector-which then plugs into the black box- will assist in wiring up the Hopkins product.

FURTHER EDIT 053009- Ended up also buying a Hopkins #43145 taillight converter box with plug and play wiring harness ($34.75 Amazon) . This product presumes that your 4Runner has never had a 4 pin connector sticking out the back end near your hitch. It plugs into the left and right turn signal harnesses to feed signal to the 4 pin trailer connection. Because I already had an existing Toyota taillight converter box I simply spliced in the 5 -(not 4!) input wires and connected the 4 wire output to the Hopkins LED indicator 4 pin mentioned in edit above. The 5 wires converting to 4 is the whole purpose of the taillight converter. Those input wires are 1/ Left Turn 2/Right Turn 3/BrakeLight 4/ Parking Light/Headlight 5/ Ground.

firemaniac

That converter box is needed to convert the separate circuits of left turn signal, right turn signal, and brake lights into right turn/brake, and left turn/brake combo's.

I would test the output for the trailer at the converter box, if their is no problem at this connection, the wire's between the box and the trailer connector are suspect. If their are no signals or brake lights after the box, check the input wiring to the box, you should be able to find running (head) lights, left turn, right turn, and brake lights (all separate wires) at this connector (I think this is the "6 pin" connector you are talking about) If all of these test good your converter box is suspect, if they don't test good, and all of the lights are working on your truck, check the wires between the 6 pin and the lights, possibly a "T" connector that plugs into the Toyota factory harness, or splices installed by a PO or aftermarket up-fitter.

Let us know if this helps

This site helped me with my trailer wiring when I started

limon32

11.47 volts with the engine off is not abnormal. With the engine on you should measure something over 13 volts.

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

I was having problems with my 6 pin a couple months ago and it was the "cheapo" connector on the end (from Toyota). I upgraded and got a better one and no more lighting problems. Guy at my local trailer store said it was a common problem on OEM 6 pin connectors. He took it apart in front of me and you could see where the connectors were just sloppy and cheap and weren't making good contact at the pins.

I hate electrical gremlins.

Good luck.

Ron Helmuth

thanks guys for the feedback

firemaniac thanks for the link to Hopkins website. My new 4 pin wiring is from them and the lack of instructions with it left me guessing what was correct. They even include grease for the 4 pins but no detail on what to do with it. My guess it that I should coat all 4 receptacles to prevent corrosion/water.

I looked at the Hopkins wiring conversions last weekend at Checker and Auto Zone. They are a "universal' fit and not 4Runner specific at all.

To my untrained eye their kits are a splice in type of arrangement. Thus in my mind I should be able to eliminate the "black box" and just be certain I am matching correct wiring up to one another.

Does that make sense?

I understand what you are saying about the conversion of signals firemaniac-but when the input connector (plugs in one end of box) is only carrying 4 wires anyways and the output is also 4 wires (coming out other end of box) I just am not grasping what the point of a $200-300 box is actually accomplishing.

waskilly wab fab the 6 pin connector itself seems fine and I took my voltage measurements off the pins within the connector, but again that connector is only carrying 4 wires-not 6.

Is this the core of my problem? my 6 pin connector does not contain all 6 wires? I have no unacccounted for wiring.


thanks all of you for helping me to talk this out before I do something stupid and leave myself with no working 4Runner rear signals.

firemaniac

$200 to $300??? a converter box for trailer lights shouldn't cost this much, the last time I bought one it cost in the neighborhood of $10 to $20, that was for a universal box with only wires coming out of it. A "T-ONE" connector may be more, but not $200 to $300.

To confirm weather or not the 6 pin with only 4 wires will work directly connected to the trailer plug I would recommend a simple light bulb style tester

1. Turn on the left blinker, find the pin, and mark its position
2. Turn on the right blinker, and as before find the pin, and mark its position
3. Have an assistant step on the brakes, or put in some sort of prop rod, or weight enough to turn on the lights, if the brakes send power to both of the previously marked wires (left, and right signals) it may work, if the brakes are on a third wire, you still need a converter

That 4th wire may be either the running lights, or a ground

A universal converter will have 5 wires coming out of it, 3 on one side; right turn in, left turn in, and brake in, and 2 on the other; right turn/brake out, and left turn/brake out.
A "T-ONE" should have at least 2 connectors that match the OEM connectors, and connect in line with the factory wiring at a plug somewhere in or under the body. It will also have either a third plug, or a short set of wires coming out one side, hence the "T"

Ron Helmuth

thanks firemaniac for your interest and sticking with it.

The OEM black box from Yota is in excess of $200 here at my dealerships.

Yes I did the procedure you described-I took voltage measurements at the 6 pin connector of the 4 incoming wires.

I confirmed headlights, both turn signals and the ground but my able bodied assistant is away for Easter to confirm the brake lights. I've confirmed 4 but there should be 5 at minimum is what my logic is telling my brain.

Most appreciated how you guys step in to help. Do not be shy about letting me know what I can do for you out here. I get a lot of satisfaction rep'ing the 303 area code to the rest of you all.

firemaniac

Aaah OEM, Toyota must be especially proud of that part. If you plan on doing a lot of towing in the near future and the converter is the problem, I wouldn't be afraid of replacing it with something other than OEM. If the towing you do can wait until you can pick up a Toyota part, and that is what you prefer, I wouldn't worry about it until you get the part.

If you are able to find out if the brake lights come on through the same wires as the turn signals when your assistant returns, you can take thoes directally to the trailer connector.


If you would like recommendations for rewiring, I am happy to offer what I can, as I used to work at a tent trailer/camper dealer and have done several installs

Ron Helmuth

Nice to know your qualifications firemaniac.

I am just going to try one pigtail cut and see how it goes to wire up the new 4 pin wiring direct.

I'll let you all know how that goes.

I will take some pictures for my own safety in case I mess something up. Then have something to reference back to.

Ron Helmuth

solved my issues.

First off I went back to the auto parts store to buy a 4 pin tester. Discovered I could not find a tester alone, so bought a hopkins 4 pin kit that includes LED lights to indicate working functions.

I will come back later and edit in the model number-for $1 more than the kit I had already bought -it proves it worth immediately.

EDIT 05302009: Hopkins 4 LED 4pin trailer connector is #48055 I highly recommend this for your back end viewing pleasure. Shows you at a glance what is working and what is not.

I cut off the 6 pin connector and eliminated the "black box by Yota" and wired my new 4 pin with the LED indicators direct to the 4 wires of the 6 pin.

All seems well. I have functioning turn signals/ brakes and headlight indicators.

Appreciate the help in listening to me rant and the suggestions along the way.

I blew my stop light 10amp mini fuse when I wired up the green/white wire to a ground wire. Then I realized the green white was the stop light wire-which is co-connected with the headlight wire-doh of course....

EDIT: 05302009 There are actually 5 wires to hook up but the 4 pin is only 4-thus the reason for the taillight converter-see original post EDITs.

eddieleephd

I am lost as to this box you are talking about!

Any who when I installed my trailer light converter It was an after market
and plugged in between the tail lights and the plug to them, then down to the middle of
the truck where it connects to the trailer wiring harness!

easy as that the hardest part was running the wires where they needed to be

firemaniac

Good to know.

Ron Helmuth

eddieleephd - I am not sure the Tacomas had such a box. For the Runners it is either tucked in the drivers side or passenger side rear corner. (Depends on the model year of vehicle)

I am very glad to have it finished and out of the way.

eddieleephd

yeah probably not

But I would almost bet that you could use the same converter that I have.
I understand that you are done with yours just saying that as long your lights on your truck work the plug to your tail lights are most likely the same and a little running of wires
is a hell of a lot better than $200-300.

I am glad that you gotter done and are on the up and up Happy wheelin

Ron Helmuth

thanks guys.
Sometimes just knowing you guys are out there in case something goes wrong is worth a whole lot less worry.

Appreciate having this kind of data base of knowledge to listen to me babble.

Ron Helmuth

yeah I should have known it was not so easy.

I have wired up my brake lights to my parking lights. See #10 post-I thought I knew what I was doing when I blew my stop light fuse-but wiring them together was not the correct move.

Called the nice Hopkins folks and they state "box is not removable" however can convert to one of theirs. Going to give that a try next. Wish I had not put the back end all back together before I found this out.

Apparently one purpose of the converter box is to only allow signal flow one direction-out to the trailer 4 pin wiring from the vehicle. By doing my own cross wiring I have enabled two way electric flow. That is a bad thing in this case.

Ron Helmuth

Finally solved -my dash lights and parking indicators no longer light up when I step on my brakes.

I have edited the original posting to truly reflect the fix.

A tail light converter is a necessary evil. The Hopkins product #43415 is a plug and play solution or can be spliced in if you consider that "easier". Because I had already used a Hopkins product (#48055-with LED indicators) for the back end 4 pin-it was quite easy to match it up to the Hopkins kit.

eddieleephd you were alluding to this kit all along, but until I called Hopkins 800 number I never found a Yota specific application online. Seeing as you have a 99 Tacoma you likely are using the Hopkins #43415 yourself.


Well at least I know how to access some power wires back there when I am ready to do back up lighting and so on.

Live and learn. It did not kill me so it definitely made me stronger.

Cytronus

My OEM converter box may be bad too but voltage is moving through it from testing it, however, none of the lights on the trailer are working at all. I think it might be the quick plug/connectors that receive the wires and allow them to be plugged into the converter black box.

Do you know where I can find the simple connector/plug part? I'm sure that's a cheap part and I'd rather try replacing those before buying a new converter, OEM or after market and having to splice wires and all that. You think Fry's would have those connectors?

eddieleephd

be sure that you have a good ground between vehicle and trailer!
This can easily create such an issue.
First check that you get a complete circuit at the plug for the trailer, then go to the trailer first checking positive grounding!
The ground may be the most important part of the equation~

rubronthroad

I am having trouble with my trailer lights, I wired in a" universal" Hoppy taillight converter box, replaced the plugs(m and f), wire harness and lights, tailights work fine, switch turn signals and the fuse blows(10 amp) previously a friend wired in diodes, that set up started to fail, maybe the Hoppy box isnt working, would appreciate any advise.I will take some pics too.