Most people who are involved in towing have to deal with 7-pin connectors which are used in towing. These connectors are a vital part of the trailer towing.
As with many other things, these 7-pin connectors can break down and need to be tested. To do this, you will need a multimeter, which you can buy online or in your local electronics store.
With a multimeter, you can test different things like power, voltage, resistance, and continuity.
Testing the Trailer Plug
When testing a 7-pin connector, you need to make sure you are testing the correct connector. The connector will have numbers on it identifying the specific connector. You will need the number to test the connector. Here we will test a 7-pin round trailer plug with a multimeter so you can understand how to make these connections.
- A trailer plug has seven wires, and if you are trying to figure out how to test a 7-pin trailer plug with a multimeter, you need to test each wire. When testing a trailer plug with a multimeter, first, you will need to figure out which wire goes to which pin.
- You need to make sure that you have the right tools to do the job.
- Disconnect the 7-pin plug from your vehicle. (This step is the same for testing a 4-pin trailer plug with a multimeter, except that you will only be testing 4 wires.)
- Check the back of the 7-pin plug to find out which wire goes to which pin.
- Then, using your multimeter, check the continuity of the pins. You should do this by setting the multimeter to the continuity setting.
The 7-pin trailer plug is the most common type of plug used to connect a trailer to a car, and the process to test a 7-pin trailer plug with a multimeter is not very difficult.
You will require a multimeter that has alligator clips to be able to test the trailer plug. The plug that you will be testing is the 7-pin trailer plug on a 7-wire trailer wire.
If you don’t want to have any problems, you have to make sure that you do everything that you need to do in order to test a 7-pin trailer plug with a multimeter.
What Is A 7-pin Trailer Plug?
The 7-pin trailer plug is used in recreational vehicles, cars, and trucks. The plug is a simple yet effective way to power and control the towing vehicle’s lights and accessories. Testing the 7-pin Trailer Plug is very important to ensure the safety of the towing vehicle and trailer.
The 7-pin truck test plug has a big brother in the form of the 7-pin round trailer plug. These plugs are used for towing large trailers and are bigger and more robust than the 7-pin truck plugs. They are wired differently from their smaller cousins.
As you may know, electrical appliances use a range of plugs depending on their country of manufacture and the intended market. Although most of these are now being standardized to a seven-pin plug, some countries have yet to embrace the change fully, so you may still find a four-pin plugin used in some instances.
The Pinout Order
The 7-pin trailer plug is a standard connector used on heavy duty trucks, trailers, and other large vehicles. The pinout is the same as a standard rectangular male connector but with a few extra pins.
The most common 7-pin trailer plug pinout has the following order: (1+) Black, (2+) Red, (3+) Yellow, (4+) Blue, (5+) White, (6+) Brown, (7-) Green.
Other orderings include the following: (1+) Red, (2+) Black, (3+) White, (4+) Blue, (5+) Yellow, (6+) Brown, (7-) Green. The 7-pin trailer plug is a very simple plug, and the testing is not at all complex
Why Should You Test a 7-pin Trailer Plug?
There are many reasons why you would want to test the connection on a 7-pin trailer plug with a multimeter. Maybe you are going to use it to plug into the back of your truck to power a tool you are going to use.
Maybe someone used a lot of force on the connection, and it broke. Maybe you are just curious about how it works. Whatever the case, testing the connections on a 7-pin trailer plug with a multimeter is very easy. It is a great hobby project for people of all skill levels.
Before You Start Testing the Trailer Plug…
People tend to get a little excited when they are planning to buy a new car. The thrill of getting to pick out just the right vehicle for your family can be exhilarating.
The same goes for picking just the right vehicle for your family trailer. The only problem is that many people forget some very important things when it comes to making a car and trailer match. Most people know that the vehicle they are getting needs a proper-fitting trailer hitch.
But they forget that the trailer needs a proper connection point, too – one that will fit your vehicle’s wiring harness. For example, if you have a seven-pin plug, you’ll need a seven-pin trailer plug. The same goes for a four-pin.
Here are other important things you should consider before testing 7-pin trailer plug with a multimeter:
- All 7-pin trailer plugs are not the same, and you need to check that the plug that you are testing will fit your vehicle since you have to plug it into the vehicle and then test it.
- Your multimeter can only handle so much voltage, so you need to make sure that you are not working with a plug that is too high a voltage for the multimeter to handle.
- Always make sure that you follow the right process.
- Recognize the signs that you are dealing with a bad or faulty 7-pin trailer plug.
While the seven-pin plug is much more versatile, it is also much more difficult to test since it is essentially two plugs crammed into one. If you are using a multimeter to test your 7-pin plug for faults, you will need to make sure that the probe will be able to reach each pin of the plug. Otherwise, you risk damaging the plug or your meter.
