wiring a XJ hitch

The determing factor is if the Trun Signals and the Brake Lights use the SAME bulb. If they do, then you do not need a converter, if they each use their own bulb, then you will need the converter.

Another way to tell is if they have a converter at the store that fits your vehicle, then you will be needing to buy one.

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.

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.

Taillight converter included with kits when needed.

My 88 and 87 hitches are wired direct. Never used them, but that is what I have.

Mike

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 ...

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?

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

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.

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

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:

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

philthy wrote:

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: