johndeerejohn
New member
The power setting on the brake controller isn't turned down is it? the manual slider will only put out as much power as the controller is set to.
Electric Trailer Brakes Troubleshooting
- Thread starter HappyOne
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joshuabardwell
Elite Member
Uhh... You know, I just gave this same advice to someone on another thread. But somehow, I totally spaced it over here. Yeh. Definitely check the gain.
Brad_Blazer
Veteran Member
My trailer brakes were acting up recently and I was pretty stumped until I figured out that when I installed the load distributing bracket I tightened the clamping bolt right onto the wires!
You say you checked the voltage feeding the controller. Did you also check it under load (brakes applied)? There could a fault in the circuit feeding the controller and the voltage will drop under load.
Also like aczlan and bardwell said, check the wiring to the back of the truck; see if the brakes lock up by powering it from the controller end; you really want to check all the way back to the pin in the truck connector to be sure there is no big voltage drop when a load is applied due to corroded plug, loose conncetor, frayed wire, etc. I wouldn't purchase a new controller until ALL the wiring checks out under load.
aczlan
Good Morning
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The reason I suggested that is that I spent most of an afternoon once under an F450 when I replaced a working brake controller with a bad one and the brakes still didn't work... The problem was in the "jumper" harness that plugs into the main harness on the frame rail and goes back to the trailer plug.
Aaron Z
I checked the voltage at the controller both on the blue wire and the source feeding the unit. Under load the feed voltage did not waiver. Checking voltage on the blue with the controller turned up then all the way down and no difference in the output voltage. .25 is all. I
In the morning i'll pull the power from the controller and feed it directly into the brake control wire. We checked continuity the other day, so if this test works, I'll go hunting for a controller locally.
In the morning i'll pull the power from the controller and feed it directly into the brake control wire. We checked continuity the other day, so if this test works, I'll go hunting for a controller locally.
Soundguy
Old Timer
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bottom line.. if you can fee dthe blue wire 12v after the controller and hte brakes lock.. but the controller set to max and pushed won't send anything.. it's a controller issue.
orezok
Elite Member
You need both voltage and amperage for the brakes to work. I have seen a blown fuse still indicate voltage but would not pass current. A simple check that should always be performed is to use a 12v test light. I you do not have both V & A it will not illuminate.
I fed 12v through the truck and the brakes locked right up. Looking for a good deal locally on a Tekonsha Prodigy or will settle for a Primus if that's all I can find. I could get one on Amazon much cheaper, but would like to get this back in service today.
Thank you all for the help!
Thank you all for the help!
joshuabardwell
Elite Member
Seems like a pretty definitive test. One final question that I'm not sure I've heard the answer to: is the gain all the way up on the controller?
