OEM Trailer Harness help

Discussion in 'Modifications And Maintenance' started by bhiku, Aug 17, 2009.

  1. bhiku
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    bhiku Well-Known Member

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    Request: Does anyone have the OEM Trailer Harness on their car and a few minutes to spare some time tomorrow?

    Background: I bought the OEM Harness used last winter and finally got around to wiring it into my car. The 02 WRX wagon did not come with the harness plug in the car. So after researching, testing wires, thinking about it, etc. I decided to get the plug from an outback at a u-pull and wire that into my wrx's rear harness rather than directly splice the Trailer Harness into the car.

    Skipping ahead to now: Everything at the plug I spliced and going into the OEM Trailer Harness seems/tests to be good. But coming out the other side of the converter box thingy I get absolutely nothing. No tail lights, brake lights or turn signals. The Digital Multi-Meter shows nothing on the trailer side of the box but everything honky-dory going in. I am wondering if my Harness/Converter Box is kaput.

    So: If anyone has the OEM setup in your car and wouldn't mind meeting me to see if my Trailer Harness works in your car, that'd be great. I will be in Bloomington from mid-morning on tomorrow, but will also be willing to meet elsewhere. I guess I won't have the trailer with me for obvious reasons, so I suppose that could be a complication.

    Thanks for any help! I won't be online tomorrow: SevenOneFive 299 Four Oh Five Six.
    Christopher
     
    bhiku, Aug 17, 2009
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  2. Vila
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    Vila New Member

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    I put the OEM one on my '02 WRX a long time ago. If I remember correctly, it didn't work and I had to buy a genaric one at Walmart or something. The genaric one worked fine with no problem.

    I'll double check what I have later, but that's how I remember it...

    Vila
     
    Vila, Aug 17, 2009
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  3. bhiku
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    bhiku Well-Known Member

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    Thanks, Vila, for that input. Not quite what I was looking to hear, but if that is how it was...

    If you figure out what you did in the end and could post it, that would be great.

    Anyone else have thoughts or are available?
     
    bhiku, Aug 17, 2009
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  4. Vila
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    Vila New Member

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    Confirmed... I have a "Hoppy" Trailer wiring harness in my trunk. It is by Hopkins Mfg. Co.

    So, the Subaru OEM trailer harness's are junk.

    By the way, if you have a new trailer hitch receiver on your car, I would highly suggest painting it now with a duable coating, such as truck bed liner or auto under coating. Mask off the surface from paint which mates to the car "frame rails". You should not put thick paint there.

    Vila
     
    Vila, Aug 18, 2009
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  5. bhiku
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    bhiku Well-Known Member

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    I got the hitch used, too. It could use a bit of touch-up, but I think I will wait until winter when I probably won't have a use for it back there and do the maintenance then.

    Does the Hoppy have a converter box on it? Or just the straight lighting pass-through? I guess I can look that up, huh? Thanks for the response, eh. I was hoping someone with the working factory set-up would chime in and be willing to see if my box worked on their car so I knew if it was the equipment that was bust or possibly something else in my wiring.
     
    bhiku, Aug 19, 2009
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