1999 Windstar Trailer Wiring

I bought my 1999 Windstar used. When I bought it, it was wired with a Hoppy electronic taillight converter for trailer wiring. I was recently towing a friend's pop-up camper when I began to smell smoke. The smoke was coming from the left taillight. When I popped the taillight off, the Hoppy was smoking and melting. Tonight I tested the wiring. The red wire is connected to the battery and is getting constant power, as it should be. The white wire is properly grounded (tested positive for continuity). The green wire is connected to the right taillight, but is getting constant power. Turning on the turn signal or hazards does not have any effect on the power reading from this wire. When I popped off the right taillight, I found that the green wire connects to the taillight next to another green wire. The other end of the second green wire goes into a connecter along with a black wire, which comes from the same light. These wires connect to two red wires. Does this seem right? There is a hole melted completely through the Hoppy just below where it says "Right Turn" on the "Trailer Output" side.

Hopefully someone has done this and can help, but there was a recent TSB that came out on Windstars that detailed the different tow harness part#s required for the various Windstars based on build date. I guess there have been quite a few wiring changes, I wonder if the harness you have isn't specific to your Windstar. The part# for the wiring harness for your 99 is XF2Z-15A416-CA, the service dept. might have some documentation on installation of that part.

I have the same problem with 1999 Windstar. Just had hitch/wiring by UHaul and have a live wire. Green light on trailer wiring (right side) comes on by itself. Will go off when I push the keyless entry to unlock doors. Have it booked in at dealers. In meantime, needed a new battery, that didn't help, still problem. Something is draining battery even when everything is shut off. Green light will come on when van has been sitting for about an hour. Stays on until I unlock the doors. Does anyone have any ideas.

I had the same problem with the Hoppy unit. Get the one from Drawtite. Hoppy admitted to me that there box has a bug that they don't know how to fix. Drawtite has a unit that works great. They also make another brandname that they sell at Schucks and other auto stores. Check out drawtites web site and give them a call for info on there equipment.
Perry

Have you checked under the vehicle about 3' from the rear and off toward the passenger side for an already in place trailer wiring connection? I had purchased the Hoppy kit when I did the trailer hitch thing on my '99 and thought, "what a piece of work". Started looking for an alternitive and ran across this little plug under the van. Ford makes a pigtail connection for it, if you have it, for about $50. I made one up for artound $10 plus time. It works flawlessly and is so simple. Worth checking out. As I said I ran across it by accident.

Correction! That lead is about 12" to 18" from the rear and just behind the passenger side rear wheel well. It's been over a year so memory has faded a little.

For my two cents worth I purchased a 96' Windstar new, with the trailer towing pkge. in it, which included the wiring harness to the left rear(drivers) side about 2 feet from rear bumper along the "H" frame. Just have to plug in Fords own harness or DrawTites and have not had a problem to date with it!

just to clear things up

in order to have the trailer wiring already brought to the back of the vehicle, your van must have come with the trailer towing package.
this package also includes a transmission cooler, as well as a PS cooler line.

In order to have the trailer wiring already brought to the back of the vehicle, your van must have come with the trailer towing package. This package also includes a transmission cooler, as well as a PS cooler line.

I kinda thought that may be the case with mine. Bought it used and never inquired about towing. An after thought when I had it in my possesion for about 6 months. Was going to install trans cooler but will have to check now and see if it is already in place. Would be nice.

In regards to the 99 Windstar, and maybe newer ones, the lights are unusual in that they have 12 volts going to them at all times, and the switching is in the return (or ground) line. This is just the opposite of most other cars, and means the usual cheaper adapters will have problems.

I realize that the last posting is nearly 5 years old, but there maybe someone out there, who like me, may still need a solution to this issue. I just recently installed a hitch on my used 1999 Windstar and needed to wire the lights. What I found out from the Uhaul Dealer who sold me the hitch and from his person that does all of his wiring is that the Windstars that were manufactured in Canada have the system where the lights are controlled by controlling the ground, not the hot lead as in the US. This is the issue that is discussed in the previous posts.

The mechanic who does the wiring for my UHaul dealer said that one needs a harness from Ford and I believe he said these cost about $125. Well, I made my own for about $40 and it works great.

The trick is to use the native electrical system to activate relays that in turn provide switched hot leads to the trailer system. Then a normally wired trailer with a grounded negative system and a switched positive 12 volts will work as expected. The acutal cost of the relays was under $15 and the balance was for a harness that converts a vehicle system with separate turn lights from the brake lights to a system for the trailer that combines the turn and brake light.

If anyone wants more detail or wants to build one, post a thread and I will be automatically contacted by email as I have enable montoring of this forum.

I have a 2003 Windstar and I tried a standard wiring harness and now the lights don't blink on and off when I arm my factory alarm. Did I damage an electronic light monitoring module? I still need to wiring up my windstar for trailer lights and I'm not sure what to do from here.....Any help would be kindly appreciated. Thank you.

Regarding your 2003 Windstar: First, look at the ID plate on the post by the driver's side door and see if the van was manufactured in Canada. If so, you probably have a system that controls the lights by controlling the ground and I can help you with how to get your trailer lights working.

I don't know whether you have damaged you system or not when you put in the harness. I would suggest that you disconnect the wiring harness you installed and see if the alarm and other systems work OK again. If so, you have not damaged anything.

Once everything is working as it should, if you have a volt-ohm meter, or a test light, check for constant 12 volts at any one of the tail light plugs (turn, stop or tail light) with the test ground lead connected directly to the body of the car. Do this with the lights and ignition off. If you find power, you have a Canadian wired car.

Please post the results of your tests and we will go from there. Good Luck.

IIRC, *ALL* 99+ Windstars use low-side switching for lighting. You can check the van for where it was manufactured - but *ALL* Ford Windstars were assembled at Ford's Oakville, Ontario plant - so assembly location isn't really the issue.

Yes, you'll need to convert 99+ Windstar lighting signals in order to connect trailer lighting. You can do it with an electronic conversion box - or use relays to accomplish the same thing, as noted above.

I went overboard wiring my Windstar for trailer work: I added an electronic conversion box with its own power source (it uses van lighting only for input; the power to drive the trailer lights is separately sourced, with its own fuse). I added a high-current, relay-controlled 12V line to run a refrigerator in a popup camper. I use a Tekonsha Prodigy brake controller; it has associated wiring to run electric trailer brakes. All of these circuits have *their own* fuses.

I also added an auxiliary transmission cooler to my Windstar, which I highly recommend.

I took a number of pictures of my Windstar towing-related projects. See links below:
Adding popup camper brakes (http://community.webshots.com/album/548339571fnHjzQ)
Adding Airlift spring airbags to a Ford Windstar (http://community.webshots.com/album/548741257AJALLi)
Ford Windstar tranny cooler, wiring and brake controller (http://community.webshots.com/album/549196858rbUAlb)

Hi MJBurton,
Thank you for the quick response.
Yes, you're right. My 2003 Windstar was made in Canada. I wired a standard trailer wiring harness to my Windstar's lights and I think I messed up the "advanced electronic module" that monitors my lights. The harness is now disconnected, and all the lights work properly, i.e. brake, tail light, turn signals, etc. The interior lights go on, when I disarm the alarm, BUT the parking lights don't blink on when I arm or disarm the alarm.

Do you know where the "advanced electronic module" is located? What is your suggestion on how I should proceed? Should I buy the Ford Trailer harness, since I have the trailer towing package. Thank you so much for your expertise.
Kjlouie

My 2003 Windstar is made in Canada. The incorrect standard trailer wiring is disconnected and all the lights still work i.e brake, tail ligh, turn signal and backup lights) I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to which trailer light wiring kit is the best. My outside lights do not blink on and off when I arm and disarm the alarm, but the interior lights do go on, when the alarm is just disarmed. Also I'm not sure if I damaged by "Advanced Electronic Monitor" b/c I used a standard trailer wiring harness. Does anyone know where this is located? Thanks in advance.
Kingman
kjlouie@hotmail.com:rofl:

Cool pictures phil-l

MJBurton,
I burnt up my "Power Converter, and I am very interested in your DIY solution. Are there any products out there for the less-mechanically included which won't bust the bank? - Thx

MJBurton -

I am going to be equiping my 2000 Windstar for limited trailer towing, and would greatly appreciate your DIY information.

Thanks, Charles
mrb37211@yahoo.com