Could Trailer Brake Magnets Get Damaged After Trailer Short

Question

Question:

My electric brakes are very weak. Checked adjustments - all good. All electrical connections appear to be OK. However, recently I had a major short circuit in my trailer wiring. Car battery positive connected to trailer negative causing trailer negative wire to overheat and short to brake wire if that makes sense?. I suspect the resulting high current passed to the brake wire and then traveled through the magnets to the trailer negative. Wiring has been repaired, bit if the magnet has been damaged by high current is it possible the magnet could still work but in a weakened state?

asked by: Mark T

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Expert Reply:

With a short that severe it is very possible you could have shorted out your brake magnets. Your best option would be to check out the help article I attached that details how to troubleshoot and test trailer brake magnets.

expert reply by: Jameson C

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Answer 1

There are a number of reasons why the brakes on your trailer may not be working. Lets start with the easiest things to check. First, check the vehicle and trailer connectors for corrosion. This can cause a short inside the connector and the brake…

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Answer 2

You are correct, you should only be getting output when the brake is applied, or the override switch is activated. It sounds like the controller might be bad, but to make sure, you should probably bench test it before tossing it. Use a circuit…

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Answer 3

It sounds like you have an intermittent short somewhere in your braking system. The readings you are seeing are correct, because the short is intermittent. An intermittent problem can be very difficult to find, but your best bet is to physically…

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Answer 4

On each individual electric brake magnet the amperage draw would be 3.0 to 3.2 max amps at 12 to 13 volts on 7-inch brake magnets and 3.2 to 4.0 max amps at 12 to 13 volts on 10 and 12-inch brake magnets. The max amperage draw for the brake magnets…

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Answer 5

I think you are on the right track with the ground. When there is intermittent function like this it is almost always a ground issue. When traveling there is a certain degree of bending and flexing on the trailer that would be difficult to simulate…

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Answer 6

I would disconnect the connector before testing so that you do not back feed power to the Prodigy controller. This is the best way to ensure there is no damage to the controller and to be sure the breakaway system is functioning properly. The…

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Answer 7

If you look at the backs of the brake assemblies there should be a hole where the magnet wires come out and a little opaque plastic strap. So if you are looking at the back of the assembly and those items are on the left then it is the left side…

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Answer 8

I believe you almost solved the problem when you swapped the wiring, but in reality you needed to use 10 gauge wire like part #10-1-1 (sold by the foot). You are experiencing a voltage drop due to the long distance of wire that's not thick…

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Answer 9

An axle without idler hubs would not have a left or right side assigned to it. It could basically be ran either direction. If it has brake assemblies installed though then it would need to face the right direction. Otherwise you'd have to swap…

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Answer 10

Trailer axles like the Trailer Axle #e43SR you referenced aren't necessarily directional, but since the label on the axle has a lot of really important info it's best to have it on the backside of the axle so that debris on the highway would…

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Answer 11

The orientation of the Dexter Electric Trailer Brake Kit part #23-26-27 does matter, the magnet will be at the bottom and the actuating arm will be pointed towards the front of the trailer.

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Answer 12

In order to determine the torque rating for the lug nuts on your trailer you will need to know check out the chart I attached that shows all of the torque specs for all the trailer lugs available based on stud size, wheel material and wheel size.

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