How to Wire Towing Lights on a Ford Escape
by Bob White
To legally tow a trailer, it must have signal, brake and marker lights. To deliver power and control to these lights, your Ford Escape must be wired with a four-way connector. These lights are vital because they provide the information necessary to other drivers about the size of your vehicle and its turning and braking potential. Wire a four-way trailer connector with some basic tools and a little knowledge of vehicle electrical workings.
Step 1
Loosen the screws that fasten the tail lights to the Ford Escape with a screwdriver, then remove the lights.
Step 2
Determine which wires provide brake, signal and marker power to the tail lights with the 12-V test light. The test light works by connecting its ground to a bare metal section of the body and probing the wires for power. For example, to find the marker power source, turn the vehicle's marker lights on and probe the bare connections until the light on the test light illuminates. Also find the left and right signal connection.
Step 3
Connect the vehicle's power wires to the four-pole connector using the scotch connectors. The scotch connectors work by placing one wire in each groove and closing the gate. Connect the the left signal to the harness' yellow wire, the right signal to the green wire, the marker's power source to the brown wire and the white wire to the ground.
Step 4
Fasten the harness' wires to the interior body of the Escape using the cable ties. Make sure to leave enough length to make it to the trailer's connection.
Step 5
Attach the four-way connector to a trailer, then test all of the possible lighting sequences.
Tips
- Common Ford wiring colors are orange with blue stripe for right turn signal; light green with orange stripe for left turn signal; brown for marker lights; and black or gray for ground wire.
Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver set
- 12-V test light
- 4-pole wiring harness
- Scotch lock connectors
- Cable ties
Writer Bio
Bob White began his writing career in 2006. Working in sales, he was a technical writer tasked with responding to requests for proposal. White has a Bachelor of Arts in computer science and a diploma in home inspection. He has also worked in construction, landscaping and the pool industry for more than 15 years.
