Hayes Blackbird Has Constant Power On Blue Wire Without Brake Pedal or Override Activated
Question:
My trailer brakes are not working. I attempted to bench test the brake controller. I connected the black wire to the positive side and the white wire to the negative side of a 12 volt battery so there was power to the controller. The controller is a Hayes Blackbird time delay controller. When I used the manual brake slide switch, the brake light wire the red one showed 12.6 volts. This seems normal. The blue wire the brake actuator shows a constant 12.6 volts regardless of the status of the manual brake slide switch. When the power is supplied to the black and white wires, the blue wire always outputs 12.6 volts to the brakes. This seems abnormal. Does this indicate my controller is faulty and needs to be replaced? Thanks for your help.
asked by: Dave B
Expert Reply:
Correct, if you have constant power on the blue brake output wire then your brake controller is faulty and will need to be replaced. The Hayes Blackbird Trailer Brake Controller part HA81726 is a timed delayed brake controller so this would be a great time to upgrade to a proportional brake controller which will be much smoother and will have a faster response time. The Hayes-Lemmerz Energize III part # HA81742B would be a good option for this and it uses the same plug and mount you have now so it will be an easy swap.
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Hayes Energize III+ Trailer Brake Controller - 1 to 3 Axles - Proportional
- Trailer Brake Controller
- Proportional Controller
- Electric
- Under-Dash Box
- Dash Mount
- Up to 3 Axles
- Indicator Lights
- Hayes
more information >
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