M1082 LED Trailer Lights Work Intermittently

[gottaluvit]

So my newer M1082 came with LED lights all around. When I got it both tailights worked fine. About a month later I hooked up to it and the right one had half of the LEDs working but after a minute or so all of the LEDs began working on their own. This light did that every time thereafter. Today I hooked up the trailer and no taillights (all side/corner markers worked) for about a minute and then half of the right one started working and upon closer examination the left had all LEDs working but real dim. With blinkers the left ones were a tad brighter than the taillights, but way unacceptable by DOT or me. About a minute later the right one started working completely with all of it's LEDs (on both taillights and turn signals). After I got nowhere fiddling with the ground wire and it's bolt on the left one, a minute later it majically started working, but only half of it's LEDs. It never did recover to having all of it's LEDs working. I gotta drive it tomorrow, pulling out at 6 am driving in dark for an hour and a half before daylight, so for now I will be greatful for a halflit taillight. However, this is really pretty uncool wondering if they'll work each time I use the trailer.

Has anyone else had this with these tailights?

Has anyone had issues with the box that the interconnect hooks into on this trailer?

Are the lights prone to failure in cold weather?

Also, my truck has all incandescent lights but the finned flasher.

 

[Tinstar]

The newer trucks and trailers (and some older too) have ZERO electrical/anti-corrosion grease on any of the connections.
Has been a big problem according to a CW3 maint officer I know.

All my trailers had zero electrical grease when I picked them up.
My M989A1 is also all LED.
Was acting up like yours is doing.
So I went through every single connection and applied NO-OX-ID electrical grease.
Grounds too.

Problem gone.
Total PITA but worth it.

You will need the new style flasher for the LEDs.
For the truck anyway. Not sure about the Just the trailer.
My 5 tons are all LED.

 

[mkcoen]

Ground would be the 1st suspect in most electrical gremlins. Tinstar's suggestion is spot on but try the grounds to start and see if that fixes it then move on to the rest.

 

[rosco]

They sell a small stainless steel tooth brush at the hardware store (or at welding supply). Its pretty aggressive. A quick brushing with it of the surface areas, before you apply the grease, and you'll be done for life. You need to carry a good ground between the trailer & towed vehicle too.

 

[gottaluvit]

I am really feeling it is a ground issue myself. However, I just started it and turned the lights on and they all work properly. I have no idea how but I will take devine intervention any time it's offered! I will still clean all connections and ground locations come somewhat better weather. Thanks for the input folks. Greatly appreciated. I didn't know if these lights had issues or that box the interconnect hooks to, but since nobody spoke of such issues, I will heed y'all's advice and clean and get dielectric grease on all connections and ground locations.

 

[Tinstar]

I have found that dielectric grease crumbles/clumps over time. It's not like a true grease.
I Do not use it anymore.

Found out through another SS member about the NO-OX-ID electrical grease.
Most radio and antenna shops use it.
Goverment uses it. Just not on Military rolling stock it seems.

It works wonders and has additives that actually fights corrosion.

It will not dry out or crumble like dielectric grease does.
Bought my supply on eBay.

Just FYI

 

[gottaluvit]

I have seen that dielectric grease do just that. It literally falls off. I put it on the connections I soldered on my solar/battery setups I made for game cameras and it seemed worthless once it dried out. I will get some of that no-ox-id stuff. Thanks.

 

[Tinstar]

I use the large tubes of it.
Bought a lot of it surplus on eBay

Have been extremely happy with it.

Wish I knew about it before.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

I have found that dielectric grease crumbles/clumps over time. It's not like a true grease.
I Do not use it anymore.

I have never heard of that before. It must have been some really old non-silicone grease. Silicone dielectric grease is about as impervious to aging as it's possible to get.

Found out through another SS member about the NO-OX-ID electrical grease.
Most radio and antenna shops use it.
Goverment uses it. Just not on Military rolling stock it seems.

t works wonders and has additives that actually fights corrosion.

The "additive" is zinc powder. It acts as a sacrificial anode when used in connections that have aluminum conductors, which is what it's designed for.

It offers no benefits with copper conductors, other than the grease excluding oxygen, which is exactly what dielectric grease does. In fact, some brands of that kind of grease use a plastic base, and some use silicone dielectric grease.

Either will work just fine, but I would not want something containing zinc powder smeared across a multi-pin connector. While it's not conductive (though many think it is) because it is encapsulated in the grease, the idea of it bothers me.

I'll stick to plain silicone dielectric grease and leave the No-ox to the electricians working with aluminum conductors.

 

[Tinstar]

There is a lot more to the NO-OX-ID than that.
To each his own.

The trailer forum isn't the place for a grease debate.

 

[NuclearPuppy238]

I had similar on my M1102 trailer, all of my amber LED marker lights were flickering randomly, or going dim.
It turned out to be a fault internal to the sealed units and nothing to do with the wiring. Replacing the LED modules fixed the issue I had.