Trailer Brakes Stayed Locked Up unless Trailer is Disconnected
Question:
Towing newly purchased trailer. Everything was fine until the tires on the trailer froze up every time we applied brakes. Unhooking the electrical connector between the trailer and the truck was the fix. Do you know why? We almost crashed.
asked by: Dori
Helpful Expert Reply:
It sounds like you have electric trailer brakes and there is a short circuit that is causing the magnets to stay energized. When you disconnect the trailer from the tow vehicle no electricity is getting back to the magnets so the brakes release.
The most common cause of this situation is a dirty or corroded trailer connector. You will want to check the vehicle and trailer side connectors and make sure they are clean and corrosion free inside and out. If the issue continues to happen then there could be some issue with the trailer and since it is new I would take it to the point of purchase and have them fix it.
You also might have a problem with the brake controller. I have included some links on testing and troubleshooting brake controllers for you.
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Dexter DX7.5 Drop-N-Go Brake Actuator - Disc Brakes - 2" Ball - Zinc Plated - 7,500 lbs
- Brake Actuator
- Surge Brake Actuator
- Straight Tongue Coupler
- Bolt-On
- 7500 lbs GTW
- 2 Inch Ball Coupler
- Disc Brakes
- Electric Lockout
- Dexter
more information >
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