wiring a XJ hitch

And, I agree with you. The problem is, your link is not the strength you
need to make the statement you made. Your link lists products that include
the converter it one is needed. Basically, they sell systems for one price.
If you need a converter, they do not sell you the flat 4-pin and the
converter, they sell a converter that already terminates in a flat 4-pin.
They do not list converters because they do not sell converters separately,
they sell a product that has one unplug an existing harness, plug their
product in, and reconnect the harness to the new connector to complete the
vehicle's wiring, then has a flat 4-pin coming out to connect the trailer
to.

Get it?





"L.W.(Bill) Hughes III" > wrote in message
...
> That was what I was trying to tell Jeff. The reason I just said
> "no" to the poster's question.
> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
> http://www.billhughes.com/
>
> Mike Romain wrote:
>>
>> My 88 and 87 hitches are wired direct. Never used them, but that is
>> what I have.
>>
>> Mike
>> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
>> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
>> Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
>> Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
>> (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

Posted Monday 10:39 PM: "No:
http://www.accessconnect.com/trailerwiring.htm
http://www.etrailer.com/faq/wiring.asp" "No" answers the poster's
question, if an adapter is needed with a link that indicates there are
none for his '88 XJ. The second link had a useful Jeep color code, which
makes it possible to hook it up with testing the leads.
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
http://www.billhughes.com/

Jeff Strickland wrote:
>
> Bill,
> You're missing the point. There is no adapter listed for any of them BECAUSE
> the adaptor is included if it is needed.
>
> Your link is good because it offers a product that is "plug-n-pray", no
> splicing or anything like that. Simply locate a connector, unplug it, plug
> the "thingie" in, and reconnect the other side of the original connector to
> the other side of the thingie.
>
> The problem is, I can get a flat 4-pin for around $10 that includes both
> sides of the wire harness (the vehicle side and the trailer side) and
> something on the order of 15 ft of wire. I have to lcoate the wires on the
> tow vehicle that I'm interested in, and I have to make splices. But, I save
> $20, or more, for my trouble. And, I get all of the color codes I need ...
>
> "L.W.(Bill) Hughes III" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Find, lets have the link with the color codes for our news group.
> > There was no adapter listed for his '88 XJ.
> > God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
> > http://www.billhughes.com/
> >
> > Jeff Strickland wrote:
> >>
> >> WalMart sells the harness the guy needs complete with color codes for a
> >> fraction of the prices listed in your link.
> >>
> >> And "they" include the needed converter in the connection kit, so it is
> >> difficult to determine if a converter is needed or not unless one assumes
> >> the over priced $45.00 kit includes a converter while the over priced
> >> $25.00
> >> kit does not. The ONLY reason to buy this product is to avoid splicing
> >> wires. The company provides a simple connector that plugs into the
> >> existing
> >> wire harness.
> >>
> >> <quote>
> >> Taillight converter included with kits when needed.
> >> </quote>

OK the problem is there is a ground wire, left turn wire, auxiliary
power wire, electric brake wire, reverse wire, tail light wire, and
right turn wire on the on the back of a 7-pin. Well I have the turn
signal wires, the reverse wire, and the ground but I have 2 wires for
the tail lights the wire for the brake lights and a wire for tail
lights which power 2 different bulbs. Well I didn't realize this until
I was down to 2 wire that I need and only 1 wire on the 7-pin. Which
means I either have brake lights and no tail lights or tail lights and
no brake lights I've tried it. If you connect them both to the wire
your headlights come on when you hit the brakes its kinda funny.

The grounds need to be wired correctly.

The brake lights usually ground through the fixture and thus through the
trailer hitch. Most folks have to put a dedicated ground to the frame
of the trailer from the body of the Jeep.

The running lights are supposed to ground through the harness which also
bolts to the Jeep body. If the brake lights don't have a good ground,
they will steal it through the running light bulb element and in your
case it would seem the headlight circuit as well.

If you have one of these not right, the lights will go insane by
stealing 'grounds' through other bulb elements as you have noticed.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

AWantz wrote:
>
> OK the problem is there is a ground wire, left turn wire, auxiliary
> power wire, electric brake wire, reverse wire, tail light wire, and
> right turn wire on the on the back of a 7-pin. Well I have the turn
> signal wires, the reverse wire, and the ground but I have 2 wires for
> the tail lights the wire for the brake lights and a wire for tail
> lights which power 2 different bulbs. Well I didn't realize this until
> I was down to 2 wire that I need and only 1 wire on the 7-pin. Which
> means I either have brake lights and no tail lights or tail lights and
> no brake lights I've tried it. If you connect them both to the wire
> your headlights come on when you hit the brakes its kinda funny.

Okay. One more time.

You have turn and brakes for the left. This is one wire.

You have turn and brakes for the right. This is another wire.

You have running lights for both left and right. This is the third wire.

You have ground for the entire system. This is the fourth wire. It's also a
white wire on the flat 4-pin.


The flat 4-pin has all of the colors you need to know about, one of which is
white. I do not recall where the brown, red, and yellow wires go, but the
directions are very clear.

You do not need a converter, but apparently you couls use one of the
overpriced plug-n-pray kits from Bill's first post.







"AWantz" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> OK the problem is there is a ground wire, left turn wire, auxiliary
> power wire, electric brake wire, reverse wire, tail light wire, and
> right turn wire on the on the back of a 7-pin. Well I have the turn
> signal wires, the reverse wire, and the ground but I have 2 wires for
> the tail lights the wire for the brake lights and a wire for tail
> lights which power 2 different bulbs. Well I didn't realize this until
> I was down to 2 wire that I need and only 1 wire on the 7-pin. Which
> means I either have brake lights and no tail lights or tail lights and
> no brake lights I've tried it. If you connect them both to the wire
> your headlights come on when you hit the brakes its kinda funny.
>

"Mike Romain" > wrote in message
...
> The grounds need to be wired correctly.
>
> The brake lights usually ground through the fixture and thus through the
> trailer hitch. Most folks have to put a dedicated ground to the frame
> of the trailer from the body of the Jeep.
>

The WHITE wire on the trailer harness is the ground. Connect it to the frame
on both the tow vehicle and the trailer.

The Cherokee has separate bulbs for the brake and turn signals unlike
the Wrangler or CJ that use one bulb element and wire for both.

If his trailer uses a dual element bulb like an 1157 bulb instead of two
1034's I could see the need for a diode in there.... If the trailer has
fixtures like the Cherokee then straight wiring would be ok.

I don't know if mine have a diode inside the plug or not, but mine are
just crimped onto the existing wires. After thinking on it, I would
suspect mine does have diodes.

Yup, there are things to be said for a 'kit', that's for sure.

Mike

Jeff Strickland wrote:
>
> Okay. One more time.
>
> You have turn and brakes for the left. This is one wire.
>
> You have turn and brakes for the right. This is another wire.
>
> You have running lights for both left and right. This is the third wire.
>
> You have ground for the entire system. This is the fourth wire. It's also a
> white wire on the flat 4-pin.
>
> The flat 4-pin has all of the colors you need to know about, one of which is
> white. I do not recall where the brown, red, and yellow wires go, but the
> directions are very clear.
>
> You do not need a converter, but apparently you couls use one of the
> overpriced plug-n-pray kits from Bill's first post.
>
> "AWantz" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > OK the problem is there is a ground wire, left turn wire, auxiliary
> > power wire, electric brake wire, reverse wire, tail light wire, and
> > right turn wire on the on the back of a 7-pin. Well I have the turn
> > signal wires, the reverse wire, and the ground but I have 2 wires for
> > the tail lights the wire for the brake lights and a wire for tail
> > lights which power 2 different bulbs. Well I didn't realize this until
> > I was down to 2 wire that I need and only 1 wire on the 7-pin. Which
> > means I either have brake lights and no tail lights or tail lights and
> > no brake lights I've tried it. If you connect them both to the wire
> > your headlights come on when you hit the brakes its kinda funny.
> >

Unless the OP wants to add another pair of lamps to his trailer, then he
can simply use a 6-pin trailer connector and wire it direct. One pair
for turn, one pair for stop and tail, just like his XJ.

I recently finished up my 1948 utility trailer and _wanted_ separate
stop and turn signals on it. I used an after-market in-line connector
on my `96 XJ to get into the wiring harness and then broke into that
upstream of the converter box to get the seperate terminals. I left the
4 pin connector in place in case I ever tow something that uses that
connector.



philthy wrote:
> yes
>
> AWantz wrote:
>
>
>>I've got a 88 XJ and I'm wiring a hitch. Do I Need a converter since
>>the tail lights and brake lights are operated with 2 different wires??
>
>


--

Do they sell one for his `88? I ask because I never could find one for
my `89 XJ. I didn't look but I suspect that there was no easy-to-get-to
connector to plug into.



Jeff Strickland wrote:
> WalMart sells the harness the guy needs complete with color codes for a
> fraction of the prices listed in your link.
>
> And "they" include the needed converter in the connection kit, so it is
> difficult to determine if a converter is needed or not unless one
> assumes the over priced $45.00 kit includes a converter while the over
> priced $25.00 kit does not. The ONLY reason to buy this product is to
> avoid splicing wires. The company provides a simple connector that plugs
> into the existing wire harness.
>
> <quote>
> Taillight converter included with kits when needed.
> </quote>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "L.W.(Bill) Hughes III" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>> Oh Jeffy,
>> Maybe if you thought a while you would agree it's nice to have the
>> color codes, and the fact that they don't sell a converter for his
>> truck, should answer the question whether one was needed. Understand?
>> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
>> http://www.billhughes.com/
>>
>> Jeff Strickland wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> OUCH! Those are expensive.
>>>
>>> I can get a flat 4-pin for a Wrangler/CJ for about $5.00, AND that
>>> includes
>>> both sides of the connector and several feet of wire.
>>>
>>> PS
>>> That link does not clear up the OP's question because several of the
>>> high
>>> priced units they list have the converter built in. All that link
>>> shows is
>>> that one can get a trailer harness that is easy to connect.
>
>

I just read that again and have no clue what I was babbling on about,
It sure didn't come out like it was meant, please disregard....

Mike

Mike Romain wrote:
>
> The Cherokee has separate bulbs for the brake and turn signals unlike
> the Wrangler or CJ that use one bulb element and wire for both.
>
> If his trailer uses a dual element bulb like an 1157 bulb instead of two
> 1034's I could see the need for a diode in there.... If the trailer has
> fixtures like the Cherokee then straight wiring would be ok.
>
> I don't know if mine have a diode inside the plug or not, but mine are
> just crimped onto the existing wires. After thinking on it, I would
> suspect mine does have diodes.
>
> Yup, there are things to be said for a 'kit', that's for sure.
>
> Mike
>
> Jeff Strickland wrote:
> >
> > Okay. One more time.
> >
> > You have turn and brakes for the left. This is one wire.
> >
> > You have turn and brakes for the right. This is another wire.
> >
> > You have running lights for both left and right. This is the third wire.
> >
> > You have ground for the entire system. This is the fourth wire. It's also a
> > white wire on the flat 4-pin.
> >
> > The flat 4-pin has all of the colors you need to know about, one of which is
> > white. I do not recall where the brown, red, and yellow wires go, but the
> > directions are very clear.
> >
> > You do not need a converter, but apparently you couls use one of the
> > overpriced plug-n-pray kits from Bill's first post.
> >
> > "AWantz" > wrote in message
> > oups.com...
> > > OK the problem is there is a ground wire, left turn wire, auxiliary
> > > power wire, electric brake wire, reverse wire, tail light wire, and
> > > right turn wire on the on the back of a 7-pin. Well I have the turn
> > > signal wires, the reverse wire, and the ground but I have 2 wires for
> > > the tail lights the wire for the brake lights and a wire for tail
> > > lights which power 2 different bulbs. Well I didn't realize this until
> > > I was down to 2 wire that I need and only 1 wire on the 7-pin. Which
> > > means I either have brake lights and no tail lights or tail lights and
> > > no brake lights I've tried it. If you connect them both to the wire
> > > your headlights come on when you hit the brakes its kinda funny.
> > >