LED lights on trailers doing funny things

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

a few times now have been hooked up to a trailer with LED lights (sequential audi/vw etc style indicators…although don’t think that’s the problem) that brings up various warning/errors on the dash on an MAN TGX, the warnings could be anything, tail light/brake light/indicator

usually after checking the warnings don’t actually mean there’s any problems with the lights, but recently had the reverse lights coming on, on both unit and trailer when driving, also had the hazards lights randomly flash (on the dash, so probably outside too) a few times so the circuitry for the trailer lights must be feeding back to the unit somehow?

with the reverse lights problem… switching off the ignition and taking out/putting back in the suzie plug sorted it, although might have been luck/coincidence…

the reverse beeper cut off on the unit can be a bit temperemental…could this be a cause?

just wondering if anyone has had similair and what the cause/fix might be?

2

I always try blowing into it first. The suzie I mean :wink: just to clean the contacts maybe. Then change it failing that. Least that way you’ve done the first thing a fitter would suggest to do

3

I had LED clusters fitted on my Scania rigid, the light clusters did strange things until we fitted resistors to the loom. Could be a compatibility issue?

4

I know some LED light clusters are not compatible with the CAN BUS systems on certain vehicles and can make the lights either flash all the time or have random outages such as described above.

5

I have had the reverse light thing on several of our trailers. Cleaning the plug cured it every time.
Just a build up of muck and 5th wheel grease. Wd40 and a rag handy for it now.