Troubleshooting Reese Brakeman IV Electric Brake Controller

Question

Question:

Reese Brakeman IV I recently installed electric brakes on my atv trailer and the brakes are minimally on all the time causing them to heat up. I used a friends pickup and the brakes worked well, no heating up. We checked my 2017 Silverado and found that there is 0.136 volts on the blue wire, normal 14 volts on the black, and zero on the red and white. Should there be any power to the blue as that wire seems to come from the brake light switch at the brake pedal?

asked by: Kent A

1

Helpful Expert Reply:

There should be a minimal amperage draw on the 5 o'clock pin of your 7-way from your trailer showing the brake controller that there is a trailer connected. That should not give you enough power to apply your trailer brakes and cause any issue. The white wire is ground and should have no power, the red wire should only have power when you hit the brake pedal, and the blue output wire should only have that small draw and nothing when the trailer isn't connected. The black wire should have the 12V power which will be slightly higher with your alternator. I recommend cleaning the connector with some sand paper to ensure you don't have corrosion causing power draw from another function on your brakes.

I've attached an article to assist with testing your brake controller as it sounds like it may be sending constant power. If this is the case, I recommend replacing it with the Prodigy P3 # 90195 which will allow you to use the same wiring harness if you determine the wiring isn't an issue.

expert reply by: Jason S

1

Answer 1

I reached out to my tech contact at Hayes to assist. The CP code on your Hayes Engage #HA81760 is not outlined in your owners manual because it is a calibration setting that is only common to see at the factory. He recommends disconnecting the…

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Answer 2

Without knowing what brake controller you have I will venture to guess that the OL code you are seeing is an over load code. The OL or overload error code indicates a short in the brake output circuit. Start by examining the trailer connector. Make…

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Answer 3

This sounds like the trailer brakes are not receiving the signal from the brake controller when you apply the brakes. I believe what is happening is that you may have a loose, broken, or inaccurate connection on the red wire from the brake…

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Answer 4

The only time there should be power on the blue wire when testing it should be when you are applying the manual override. If it shows power at any other time that indicates a problem inside the controller and it will need to be replaced. Also make…

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Answer 5

The 3025-P will indeed plug into the connector under the dash, but because the truck was not equipped with the tow package, you may need to make a few additional connections in the engine compartment and install a fuse or two. If you look at the…

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Answer 6

Yes, we offer a whole range of replacement parts for electric drum brakes including magnets. I have included two links you can click on to see all drum brake parts and just the various types of magnets we offer. Click on your brake drum size, such as…

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Answer 7

I took a look at the online version of your 2014 Ram 2500 owner's manual. It looks like there should be a 30 amp pink fuse located in the F11 position inside the power distribution box (under the hood). This particular fuse is for the integrated…

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Answer 8

When adding a new trailer connector like the Hopkins 7-Pole and 4-Pole Trailer Connector Sockets part #HM40975-11998 to the rear of your truck it is surprisingly common that fuses blow. The best way to prevent this is to remove the negative battery…

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Answer 9

The problem you describe of your brake controller displaying an error message when your tow vehicle lights are turned on suggests several possible causes. One potential cause is damage/corrosion in the trailer connector(s) that could be causing two…

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Answer 10

I believe the Reese Brakeman Brake Controller you mention is the same controller as the Activator IV Brake Controller, part #5504. You will want to make sure your controller is wired correctly. If you take a look at the attached instructions for the…

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Answer 11

The ER code on a Reese brake controller typically indicates an internal problem that can't be fixed and requires replacing the controller. Since yours is still working normal I'd say that you are probably on borrowed time with it and will…

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Answer 12

If the trailer is less than 1 inch off of being perfectly level either up or down then it will be perfectly fine. Having it slightly higher would be better because presumably the tongue weight of the trailer will pull it down a little. You could also…

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