Why Is My Brake Output Wire Not Receiving Power In My 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?

Question:

the light blue wire is dead and the orange wire works when I press the brake2011 chevy Silverado 1500

asked by: Claude.j.dupuis

Expert Reply:

First you're going to want to check to see if your brake controller is even receiving power.

If your brake controller is not on, then you'll want to verify that the black power wire is connected to the battery by way of a 20 or 30 amp circuit breaker. You'll also want to verify that the circuit breaker has not been tripped either.

If you have a plug-and-play vehicle specific wiring harness then a fuse may be blown, and you'll want to check that as well.

If you are getting power, then you'll want to set the gain on your brake controller to maximum and cut the blue wire about 6" from the controller. You will then want to use a circuit tester # PTW2993 to test for power when manual override is activated.

If there is no power when this is activated, then the controller is bad, and will need to be replaced.

However if you have a proportional brake controller, and you're are testing for power when the brakes are pressed then there will not be power to the blue wire, as proportional brake controllers only send power to the brakes when the vehicle is moving.

I have also included a FAQ that has some more good information about how you can troubleshoot your brake controller.