Brake Controller Seems to be Working But Trailer Brakes are Not Working

Question:

I have a green light when I apply the brakes become orange an red like is suppose to but I have no brakes on the trailer. Any idea what is wrong

asked by: Habib O

Expert Reply:

There are some common things that might cause weak braking on a trailer. The most likely is that the brakes themselves will need to be adjusted. To see how to manually adjust trailer brake assemblies check out the video I attached, fast-forward to the 4:35 mark of the video. The adjustment tool is # W80630.

Also you can check the vehicle and trailer side connectors and make sure they are clean and free of corrosion inside, where the wires attach, and outside on the pins.

If the truck side checks out fine then it could be the wiring to the brake magnets or the magnets themselves. Inspect the power wires to the magnets and look for pinched, frayed, or damaged wires and fix as needed. Make sure the ground wires are attached to clean and corrosion free bare metal surfaces.

You can visually inspect the magnets and if you can see the copper windings coming through the magnets will need to be replaced. To further test the magnets you can follow the help article I have linked. I have also included some help articles on testing and troubleshooting brake controllers for you.

expert reply by: Michael H