[waltross]

When installing the trailer lights wiring, are you keeping it in the spare tire compartment or are you running it out to the hitch? If you are running to the hitch, what is the best way to do it. I did some searching and could not find answers. Thanks in advance.
-Walt

 

[Dom.five]

There are several threads about this topic, on the site. I did a quick search on trailer wiring, and came up with several threads, Some have Photo's. Too many to post the links. Read through some of them. They will help with all your questions.

Try this thread.

Dom

 

[waltross]

Thanks Dom,
I actually installed the wiring harness quite a while ago, but I have been leaving it in the spare tire area. I was just wondering the best way for me to get the wire down to the hitch area as a permanent fix. Right now I just hang it out the back of the tailgate over the bumper.
Thanks again,
Walt

 

[John Gaquin]

.... I was just wondering the best way for me to get the wire down to the hitch area as a permanent fix.....

I'm doing the harness install thing myself. Go here:

http://www.hondapartsdeals.com/HondaInstallGuides/Element/trailerhitchkit.pdf

and download.

These instructions have detailed text and pics to show the trim parts to remove for access through the rear body parts. If you already have a non-OEM trailer harness, you may have to work out your own grommet assembly, but this will show you the routing locations.

 

[waltross]

Thanks John.
Best of luck with your install.
-Walt

 

[ApriliaGuy]

I leave mine in the tire well.

 

[waltross]

I leave mine in the tire well.

Thanks ApriliaGuy,
I currently route mine out of the well and under the back drop gate. I am planning some long trips with a trailer and am afraid of scuffing up the bumper. I may just make some sort of cover for it where it hits the bumper.
Cheers,
Walt

 

[MotoChef]

When installing the trailer lights wiring, are you keeping it in the spare tire compartment or are you running it out to the hitch? If you are running to the hitch, what is the best way to do it. I did some searching and could not find answers. Thanks in advance.
-Walt

You can cut the wire and in tail gate area you may find some grommets that you can run it through. You would have to splice them back together. I would solder the connections and tape them in the well.

Another way and this is what I was thinking of doing is to go to a trailer shop and see if I can get a jumper cut and install that or see if they have a plug connector end that I can install on the jumper in the well.


You could go to a hardware store or trailer shop that has an assortment of grommets. Most Ace hardware stores have something and drill a hole if need be. Just be sure that you prep the hole with a rust preventative before you pop the grommet in place.


I'm in Chicago and the weather has turned my connectors on other trucks green with corrosion. This way I always have a clean connector in the well and I'm not cutting the stock pigtail.

Do it right and your connections will always work.


Good Luck!

 

[buttermilk]

Here's how I did mine. Mine is an '09 model which may be a little different than yours.

You have to cut the plug off the end of the harness to route it this way and then reattach it.

First, I peeled back the tape at the back of the spare tire to reveal the hole that the existing wires run through to the tailgate.

The I lifted the flap between the back floor and the tailgate and cut a slit in the rubber boot where the wires run through to the tailgate and fed the trailer wires through that. then down through the crack below it and out under the back bumper. I planned on making a bracket to mount the plug to under the bumper but I haven't gotten around to it yet. It only takes a couple of minutes to route the wires through this way.

 

[waltross]

Thanks Buttermilk!!!
That is exactly what I was looking for. I am going to attempt it this weekend. I have the OEM hitch with a nice spot that I can zip tie the plug end to.
Cheers,
Walt

 

[i <3 my honda]

.......

i did exactly what buttermilk did but without cutting any wires. wat i did was i removed the pins from the harness, fed the wires from the bottom up. cut a slit in the rubber seal, slipped the wires through and stuck the pins back into the harness. planning it took 5-10 minutes and actually doing it took no more then 5. The best part is that you dont have to remove any panels or bumpers.

 

[waltross]

i did exactly what buttermilk did but without cutting any wires. wat i did was i removed the pins from the harness, fed the wires from the bottom up. cut a slit in the rubber seal, slipped the wires through and stuck the pins back into the harness. planning it took 5-10 minutes and actually doing it took no more then 5. The best part is that you dont have to remove any panels or bumpers.

thanks for the info. are you using the oem harness or the etrailer version. I have the one from etrailer and do not see a way to separate the wires from the connector.

thanks again!

 

[i <3 my honda]

..

im using the etrailer wires. it looked a lot easier to install than the oem and it had good reviews.

For unpinning, if you are looking at the harness from the side of the pins and not the side where the wires come in, you should see a piece of plastic thats in the middle of all four pins. pull that piece of plastic out. If you know how the pins look, you would know that they are kind of like a fish hook. to remove them, you have to the push the pins downward or upward towards the wall of the harness depending on which way you are holding it. they should snap off and come loose fairly easy. once they are loose, you can pull the pins out from the back of the harness by the wires. reconnecting them is the exact reverse.

i am using the oem trailer hitch as well, to keep wires in place at the hitch, i just routed them through the original bracket. The wires just hang there perfectly.

good luck

 

[waltross]

im using the etrailer wires. it looked a lot easier to install than the oem and it had good reviews.

For unpinning, if you are looking at the harness from the side of the pins and not the side where the wires come in, you should see a piece of plastic thats in the middle of all four pins. pull that piece of plastic out. If you know how the pins look, you would know that they are kind of like a fish hook. to remove them, you have to the push the pins downward or upward towards the wall of the harness depending on which way you are holding it. they should snap off and come loose fairly easy. once they are loose, you can pull the pins out from the back of the harness by the wires. reconnecting them is the exact reverse.

i am using the oem trailer hitch as well, to keep wires in place at the hitch, i just routed them through the original bracket. The wires just hang there perfectly.

good luck

Worked like a charm! Thanks again.

 

[simpson]

great thread!

helped me!

-simpson

 

[Big Bill]

Iam going to use the e-trailer unit for my trailer lights, can anyone tell me what the four wires from the OEM plug are for . Mine has a black wire with dotted silver tracers, and a yellow wire with a silver dotted tracer, green wire with silver dotted tracer, and a brown wire with silver dottted tracer. I belive that the green is right turn signal, yellow is left turn signal but the black and brown Iam not sure of. I tried to check them with a test light but could not get any to light up. I will be soldering the e-trailer wires into the OEM harness and using shrink tubing to protect the joints. Thanks in advance .

 

[breese524]

Iam going to use the e-trailer unit for my trailer lights, can anyone tell me what the four wires from the OEM plug are for . Mine has a black wire with dotted silver tracers, and a yellow wire with a silver dotted tracer, green wire with silver dotted tracer, and a brown wire with silver dottted tracer. I belive that the green is right turn signal, yellow is left turn signal but the black and brown Iam not sure of. I tried to check them with a test light but could not get any to light up. I will be soldering the e-trailer wires into the OEM harness and using shrink tubing to protect the joints. Thanks in advance .

Whoa! what are you doing again? I thought that even the after market wiring harnesses were plug and play...

If you mean on the trailer itself, you should have what should be a standard 4 wire harness on the Element.

 

[buttermilk]

. Here's a link to some wiring diagrams that may help

http://www.accessconnect.com/trailer_wiring_diagram.htm

 

[lizzurd]

Whoa! what are you doing again? I thought that even the after market wiring harnesses were plug and play...

If you mean on the trailer itself, you should have what should be a standard 4 wire harness on the Element.

There are aftermarket plug and play harness for all years except 2005-2006 on the E.

 

[breese524]

There are aftermarket plug and play harness for all years except 2005-2006 on the E.

I suppose if BigBill would have filled out his profile we'd know if he falls into that camp.

I'm still not sure which he's trying to wire, his Element or trailer.