Brake Lights Work but Brakes Dont Work Correctly on a Down2Earth Trailer

Question:

I have a trailer Down2Earth with electric brakes and 3 axels , 6000 thousands pounds per each , the problem is I have lights on my trailer but my brakes don’t work properly, sometimes brakes work for little while and losing again, my truck 3500 Dodge Ram said that my trailer is not conected or said check the brakes lines connection, but lights work and brakes not , few people checking on my truck and trailer but they don’t be able to find the problem

asked by: Dasiel L

Expert Reply:

The good news is that the brake lights and the brakes on your trailer are on separate circuits, so you only need to troubleshoot one circuit.

Since you only get brakes some of the time it leads me to believe that you have a short on your 2014 Ram 3500 or your Down2Earth trailer somewhere. Start off by checking the connectors on both your truck and trailer for any damage or corrosion. If they both look good, then the issue is with the wiring.

For the truck side of things, you can use the circuit tester # PTW2993 to ensure that the pin in the 5 o'clock on the 7-Way is functioning properly (see attached photo). Apply the manual override on the brake controller and you should see a constant signal to that pin. If there isn't a signal when you use the manual override then the issue is on your truck, but if it works correctly that means your trailer is the culprit.

Either way you want to start off checking the grounds on the brake controller circuit. Make sure they are secure and connected to a clean, bare-metal surface. Next you need to go along the wire and look for any places that it is damaged or pinched and replace it with 10 Gauge Wire # 10-1-1 and Butt Connectors # DW05745-5.

If the problem still persists after doing this troubleshooting, then your best bet would be to take it into a shop and have them inspect your towing setup. Getting some fresh eyes with wiring experience might be helpful in discovering what the problem is.