Trailer Wiring Harness Question -- Splicing?

[hohieu]

I have a drawtite wiring harness for my 99 Forester that I've used twice in three years? The last time I went to rent a trailer from Uhaul, I discovered that right turn signal terminal for the trailer was dead. All other lights work just fine.

 

The problem lies somewhere in the little box where the wires from the car go through to the jack that plugs into the tralier wiring.

 

Questions:

 

Can I just cut the right turn signal wires and splice them together withough them running through the box?

 

Also, just curious as to what this box does and what's acually failing inside this box?

[Skip]

Questions:

 

Can I just cut the right turn signal wires and splice them together withough them running through the box?

I'm afraid not.

Reason:

The brake light filament and the turn signal are

the same on the trailer.

If you wired it as you say,

when the brakes were applied

the current would feed back through

the TS wiring into the car.

Also, just curious as to what this box does and what's acually failing inside this box?

Using semiconductors (probably SCRs)

the box separates

the brake lights needed for the common filaments

on the trailer.

And integrates the car's separate turnsignal signals.

 

Hope this helps a little.

[hohieu]

Thanks for the info., Skip.

 

Bummer that these things fail so easily and often.

[srs_49]

Skip - Are you sure they're SCR's and not just plain diodes? If the latter, then could just wire a diode in series with the spliced connection from the turn signal wire.