No Trailer Lights

[LSRanchJVG]

Hello 400h friends,

My husband finished installing a new hitch this weekend on my 2008 400h. My car has the towing prep package and everything was a snap. The wiring harness fit the pigtail tightly and the instructions were easy to follow. The problem is the trailer lights won't work - no blinkers, brakes - nothing. Everything seems fine otherwise and we can find no reason the lights won't work. We even connected the trailer to my husband's truck to ensure that the lights on the trailer are not the problem. The trailer lights worked fine with his truck. We've hauled boats, flatbeds, horse trailers... you name it and my husband has always done the trailer wiring himself. Needless to say, he's particularly frustrated at this point, especially since this is our first hybrid.

This hitch is a new Toyota product that I bought direct from lexuspartsonline.com, based on the recommendations of others in another forum. It fits beautifully and we are very happy with the hitch itself. The wiring harness that came with the hitch seems straighforward and is identical to photos others have included in the forum... We just finished reassembling the parts that we removed to install the harness. We left the harness attached inside. I'll take my car to the dealer in the next day or so to see if they can get the lights working but I am not at all happy about having to take my car to the dealer for something like this. Especially if it's something minor. Plus, besides taking it to the dealer, I hesitate to take my someplace where the workers may be unfamiliar with hybrids. So, here I am, asking for help from you. Any ideas???

Thanks in advance for any help,

Vanessa

[RXREY]

Hello 400h friends,

My husband finished installing a new hitch this weekend on my 2008 400h. My car has the towing prep package and everything was a snap. The wiring harness fit the pigtail tightly and the instructions were easy to follow. The problem is the trailer lights won't work - no blinkers, brakes - nothing. Everything seems fine otherwise and we can find no reason the lights won't work. We even connected the trailer to my husband's truck to ensure that the lights on the trailer are not the problem. The trailer lights worked fine with his truck. We've hauled boats, flatbeds, horse trailers... you name it and my husband has always done the trailer wiring himself. Needless to say, he's particularly frustrated at this point, especially since this is our first hybrid.

This hitch is a new Toyota product that I bought direct from lexuspartsonline.com, based on the recommendations of others in another forum. It fits beautifully and we are very happy with the hitch itself. The wiring harness that came with the hitch seems straighforward and is identical to photos others have included in the forum... We just finished reassembling the parts that we removed to install the harness. We left the harness attached inside. I'll take my car to the dealer in the next day or so to see if they can get the lights working but I am not at all happy about having to take my car to the dealer for something like this. Especially if it's something minor. Plus, besides taking it to the dealer, I hesitate to take my someplace where the workers may be unfamiliar with hybrids. So, here I am, asking for help from you. Any ideas???

Thanks in advance for any help,

Vanessa

Look at LauraW's post on "Best Ipod integration for 2008 RXh"... scroll down and she mentions this,if I remember correctly, after talking about other technical info....good luck , this forum is great for things like this. I have always gotten great advice and info from the good people on this site. Rey

[LSRanchJVG]

Hello 400h friends,

My husband finished installing a new hitch this weekend on my 2008 400h. My car has the towing prep package and everything was a snap. The wiring harness fit the pigtail tightly and the instructions were easy to follow. The problem is the trailer lights won't work - no blinkers, brakes - nothing. Everything seems fine otherwise and we can find no reason the lights won't work. We even connected the trailer to my husband's truck to ensure that the lights on the trailer are not the problem. The trailer lights worked fine with his truck. We've hauled boats, flatbeds, horse trailers... you name it and my husband has always done the trailer wiring himself. Needless to say, he's particularly frustrated at this point, especially since this is our first hybrid.

This hitch is a new Toyota product that I bought direct from lexuspartsonline.com, based on the recommendations of others in another forum. It fits beautifully and we are very happy with the hitch itself. The wiring harness that came with the hitch seems straighforward and is identical to photos others have included in the forum... We just finished reassembling the parts that we removed to install the harness. We left the harness attached inside. I'll take my car to the dealer in the next day or so to see if they can get the lights working but I am not at all happy about having to take my car to the dealer for something like this. Especially if it's something minor. Plus, besides taking it to the dealer, I hesitate to take my someplace where the workers may be unfamiliar with hybrids. So, here I am, asking for help from you. Any ideas???

Thanks in advance for any help,

Vanessa

Look at LauraW's post on "Best Ipod integration for 2008 RXh"... scroll down and she mentions this,if I remember correctly, after talking about other technical info....good luck , this forum is great for things like this. I have always gotten great advice and info from the good people on this site. Rey

Thanks Rey. I took a look at Laura's post and found the section about the hitch. Her install went fine so I don't know what the problem could be with our install. It was perfect install from start to finish. Somewhere something is missing but we have no idea what.... We read somewhere about a converter but my car has the trailer prep package, we also read about a fuse needed but no additional information was provided.

We'll probably end up paying the dealer the money we thought we were saving by installing the hitch ourselves... that's too bad but I need the lights!

Thanks again! B)

Vanessa

[GDixon]

Hello 400h friends,

My husband finished installing a new hitch this weekend on my 2008 400h. My car has the towing prep package and everything was a snap. The wiring harness fit the pigtail tightly and the instructions were easy to follow. The problem is the trailer lights won't work - no blinkers, brakes - nothing. Everything seems fine otherwise and we can find no reason the lights won't work. We even connected the trailer to my husband's truck to ensure that the lights on the trailer are not the problem. The trailer lights worked fine with his truck. We've hauled boats, flatbeds, horse trailers... you name it and my husband has always done the trailer wiring himself. Needless to say, he's particularly frustrated at this point, especially since this is our first hybrid.

This hitch is a new Toyota product that I bought direct from lexuspartsonline.com, based on the recommendations of others in another forum. It fits beautifully and we are very happy with the hitch itself. The wiring harness that came with the hitch seems straighforward and is identical to photos others have included in the forum... We just finished reassembling the parts that we removed to install the harness. We left the harness attached inside. I'll take my car to the dealer in the next day or so to see if they can get the lights working but I am not at all happy about having to take my car to the dealer for something like this. Especially if it's something minor. Plus, besides taking it to the dealer, I hesitate to take my someplace where the workers may be unfamiliar with hybrids. So, here I am, asking for help from you. Any ideas???

Thanks in advance for any help,

Vanessa

Did you check the fuse box for a blown fuse? Sometimes that accidentally happens on an install. If a ground wire is just slightly touched by a hot wire it will blow a fuse in an instant.

After the fuse is verified to be OK then another check might be to investigate the wiring harness where the hitch's electric wire connects by the driver's side wheel in the cargo area. Use a 12V test light to see if the pigtail in the car's wiring harness works correctly with the test light. For instance, with the turn signal on, try different sockets to see if one of them lights up. Make sure the test light has a good ground. Also try it with the brake light on. If the test light will not light up then you have a warranty issue with Lexus and it shouldn't cost a cent to get it fixed.

If the test light glows then plug in the hitch wire and try the receptacles that are on the hitch. That should diagnose where the problem lies.

Having a hybrid or not shouldn't influence this trailer light problem.

[LSRanchJVG]

Hello 400h friends,

My husband finished installing a new hitch this weekend on my 2008 400h. My car has the towing prep package and everything was a snap. The wiring harness fit the pigtail tightly and the instructions were easy to follow. The problem is the trailer lights won't work - no blinkers, brakes - nothing. Everything seems fine otherwise and we can find no reason the lights won't work. We even connected the trailer to my husband's truck to ensure that the lights on the trailer are not the problem. The trailer lights worked fine with his truck. We've hauled boats, flatbeds, horse trailers... you name it and my husband has always done the trailer wiring himself. Needless to say, he's particularly frustrated at this point, especially since this is our first hybrid.

This hitch is a new Toyota product that I bought direct from lexuspartsonline.com, based on the recommendations of others in another forum. It fits beautifully and we are very happy with the hitch itself. The wiring harness that came with the hitch seems straighforward and is identical to photos others have included in the forum... We just finished reassembling the parts that we removed to install the harness. We left the harness attached inside. I'll take my car to the dealer in the next day or so to see if they can get the lights working but I am not at all happy about having to take my car to the dealer for something like this. Especially if it's something minor. Plus, besides taking it to the dealer, I hesitate to take my someplace where the workers may be unfamiliar with hybrids. So, here I am, asking for help from you. Any ideas???

Thanks in advance for any help,

Vanessa

Did you check the fuse box for a blown fuse? Sometimes that accidentally happens on an install. If a ground wire is just slightly touched by a hot wire it will blow a fuse in an instant.

After the fuse is verified to be OK then another check might be to investigate the wiring harness where the hitch's electric wire connects by the driver's side wheel in the cargo area. Use a 12V test light to see if the pigtail in the car's wiring harness works correctly with the test light. For instance, with the turn signal on, try different sockets to see if one of them lights up. Make sure the test light has a good ground. Also try it with the brake light on. If the test light will not light up then you have a warranty issue with Lexus and it shouldn't cost a cent to get it fixed.

If the test light glows then plug in the hitch wire and try the receptacles that are on the hitch. That should diagnose where the problem lies.

Having a hybrid or not shouldn't influence this trailer light problem.

Hi GDixon.

I'm very appreciative of your help and I'll post a response as soon as we've tried the things you've suggested. I'll be back a.s.a.p. I have my fingers crossed that it could be something as simple as a fuse. That would make me VERY happy.

Thanks again, Vanessa

[Gryphon]

Vanessa, this a bit of a long shot, but a possible source of help. I met a young man, now a good friend, while he was working in the installation department (back of building) at Best Buy. He is extremely talented with vehicle electrical systems, as are several of his friends who still work there. You might drop by a local Best Buy and ask if they are interested in diagnosing your problem. Even if they charge you, their labor rate is very low compared to a Lexus dealer.

Tom

[LSRanchJVG]

Hello 400h friends,

My husband finished installing a new hitch this weekend on my 2008 400h. My car has the towing prep package and everything was a snap. The wiring harness fit the pigtail tightly and the instructions were easy to follow. The problem is the trailer lights won't work - no blinkers, brakes - nothing. Everything seems fine otherwise and we can find no reason the lights won't work. We even connected the trailer to my husband's truck to ensure that the lights on the trailer are not the problem. The trailer lights worked fine with his truck. We've hauled boats, flatbeds, horse trailers... you name it and my husband has always done the trailer wiring himself. Needless to say, he's particularly frustrated at this point, especially since this is our first hybrid.

This hitch is a new Toyota product that I bought direct from lexuspartsonline.com, based on the recommendations of others in another forum. It fits beautifully and we are very happy with the hitch itself. The wiring harness that came with the hitch seems straighforward and is identical to photos others have included in the forum... We just finished reassembling the parts that we removed to install the harness. We left the harness attached inside. I'll take my car to the dealer in the next day or so to see if they can get the lights working but I am not at all happy about having to take my car to the dealer for something like this. Especially if it's something minor. Plus, besides taking it to the dealer, I hesitate to take my someplace where the workers may be unfamiliar with hybrids. So, here I am, asking for help from you. Any ideas???

Thanks in advance for any help,

Vanessa

Did you check the fuse box for a blown fuse? Sometimes that accidentally happens on an install. If a ground wire is just slightly touched by a hot wire it will blow a fuse in an instant.

After the fuse is verified to be OK then another check might be to investigate the wiring harness where the hitch's electric wire connects by the driver's side wheel in the cargo area. Use a 12V test light to see if the pigtail in the car's wiring harness works correctly with the test light. For instance, with the turn signal on, try different sockets to see if one of them lights up. Make sure the test light has a good ground. Also try it with the brake light on. If the test light will not light up then you have a warranty issue with Lexus and it shouldn't cost a cent to get it fixed.

If the test light glows then plug in the hitch wire and try the receptacles that are on the hitch. That should diagnose where the problem lies.

Having a hybrid or not shouldn't influence this trailer light problem.

Hi GDixon.

I'm very appreciative of your help and I'll post a response as soon as we've tried the things you've suggested. I'll be back a.s.a.p. I have my fingers crossed that it could be something as simple as a fuse. That would make me VERY happy.

Thanks again, Vanessa

I'm back! GDixon you are my hero of the day (besides my husband, of course. ;) ) When we couldn't find anything else wrong, my husband checked the turn signal, brake lights, and other fuses never expected a 'towing' fuse existed. He was pleased to find the problem but annoyed that he didn't look for such a fuse. In his defense, we've been moving equipment and such from a business we've sold to our home and he's exhausted. The last thing he needed was for this trailer lighting problem to come up with everything else going on. After getting your message, I grabbed the owner's manual, found the fuse box, and found a blown 30A fuse. Hooray! Sure enough, that fuse was the problem. We didn't have a replacment 30A but put a 25A in that was in the fuse box cover. I'll be getting an assortment of fuses tomorrow and will replace the 25A with a 30A tomorrow evening.

We're calling it a night with the moving and we are much appreciative. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Vanessa

[LSRanchJVG]

Vanessa, this a bit of a long shot, but a possible source of help. I met a young man, now a good friend, while he was working in the installation department (back of building) at Best Buy. He is extremely talented with vehicle electrical systems, as are several of his friends who still work there. You might drop by a local Best Buy and ask if they are interested in diagnosing your problem. Even if they charge you, their labor rate is very low compared to a Lexus dealer.

Tom

Hi Tom,

GDixon solved the problem for us (see my reply) but your tip is fantastic! We have a Best Buy in the city nearby and I'll keep your suggestion in mind for the future.

Thank you!!!

Vanessa

[Fenton House]

Hello 400h friends,

My husband finished installing a new hitch this weekend on my 2008 400h. My car has the towing prep package and everything was a snap. The wiring harness fit the pigtail tightly and the instructions were easy to follow. The problem is the trailer lights won't work - no blinkers, brakes - nothing. Everything seems fine otherwise and we can find no reason the lights won't work. We even connected the trailer to my husband's truck to ensure that the lights on the trailer are not the problem. The trailer lights worked fine with his truck. We've hauled boats, flatbeds, horse trailers... you name it and my husband has always done the trailer wiring himself. Needless to say, he's particularly frustrated at this point, especially since this is our first hybrid.

This hitch is a new Toyota product that I bought direct from lexuspartsonline.com, based on the recommendations of others in another forum. It fits beautifully and we are very happy with the hitch itself. The wiring harness that came with the hitch seems straighforward and is identical to photos others have included in the forum... We just finished reassembling the parts that we removed to install the harness. We left the harness attached inside. I'll take my car to the dealer in the next day or so to see if they can get the lights working but I am not at all happy about having to take my car to the dealer for something like this. Especially if it's something minor. Plus, besides taking it to the dealer, I hesitate to take my someplace where the workers may be unfamiliar with hybrids. So, here I am, asking for help from you. Any ideas???

Thanks in advance for any help,

Vanessa

Vanessa//

Where did you find the trailer hitch wiring harness installation guide? Can you please share?

thanks,

Fenton House

[GDixon]

Hello 400h friends,

My husband finished installing a new hitch this weekend on my 2008 400h. My car has the towing prep package and everything was a snap. The wiring harness fit the pigtail tightly and the instructions were easy to follow. The problem is the trailer lights won't work - no blinkers, brakes - nothing. Everything seems fine otherwise and we can find no reason the lights won't work. We even connected the trailer to my husband's truck to ensure that the lights on the trailer are not the problem. The trailer lights worked fine with his truck. We've hauled boats, flatbeds, horse trailers... you name it and my husband has always done the trailer wiring himself. Needless to say, he's particularly frustrated at this point, especially since this is our first hybrid.

This hitch is a new Toyota product that I bought direct from lexuspartsonline.com, based on the recommendations of others in another forum. It fits beautifully and we are very happy with the hitch itself. The wiring harness that came with the hitch seems straighforward and is identical to photos others have included in the forum... We just finished reassembling the parts that we removed to install the harness. We left the harness attached inside. I'll take my car to the dealer in the next day or so to see if they can get the lights working but I am not at all happy about having to take my car to the dealer for something like this. Especially if it's something minor. Plus, besides taking it to the dealer, I hesitate to take my someplace where the workers may be unfamiliar with hybrids. So, here I am, asking for help from you. Any ideas???

Thanks in advance for any help,

Vanessa

Vanessa//

Where did you find the trailer hitch wiring harness installation guide? Can you please share?

thanks,

Fenton House

I hate to step on Vanessa's post but she has a Lexus hitch that has the wiring as an integral part of the hitch package. The installation instructions for the hitch includes a wiring harness installation guide.

On your other post, this link below was given on how to do the install. There is a *.pdf file in the post that has the factory instructions as well.

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...mp;#entry254728