Trailer Brakes Started Locking Up After 500 Miles with New Trailer and Brake Controller  

Question:

Expert Reply:

The most likely issue is that the brakes on the trailer had not yet been adjusted out (if they are self-adjusting brakes) and that would have caused you to set of the brake controller aggressive enough to compensate. Over a little time, the brakes adjusted out and now the setting on the brake controller is too aggressive. Try reducing the output voltage on the brake controller.

Also, some controllers will behave erratically if they are mounted outside the range specified in their manuals. If the controller was accidently bumped it could have pushed it out of its range causing the braking problems.

If you continue to have problems, then there could be a short somewhere. You can test the brake output pin and it should only show power with the manual override. If it shows power any other time, then there is a short somewhere between the connector and the brake controller you will need to track down. I recommend a circuit tester such as # PTW2993 to test for the presence of current or a meter, # PT89ZR, to test for specific voltage.

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

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