Troubleshooting Brake Controller Output Pin Showing 13 Volts

Question

Question:

Hello! What voltage should you have at the trailer connector between the ground and the blue brake wire when the vehicle is running and not connected to the trailer. Mind is showing 13v. Please help!

asked by: Heather H

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Expert Reply:

You shouldn't have any voltage on your brake controller output at the 5 o'clock pin when the brake controller isn't engaged. It sounds like you either have corrosion completing a circuit, a short that is drawing power from another feature, or your brake controller is installed to the hot side of the brake light switch versus the cold side.

To start troubleshooting, I first recommend using some sand paper or steel wool to clean all the pins on your 7-way. Then use dielectric grease # 11755 to give you protection from moisture and debris at that connector. Next, I recommend using a circuit tester like # PTW2993 to test your 5 o'clock pin at your 7-way. It will be a bright light when connected to 13v but shouldn't be getting a light at all when the brake controller doesn't have the manual override engaged.

If you still have the 13V, then cut the blue wire coming from your brake controller about 6 inches behind the unit and test it there right behind the controller. If the power isn't present on the wire when cut coming from your controller then you can test the manual override on your controller to give you power when engaged and no power when disengaged. If that solves the issue, then simply run a new wire # 10-1-1 to the 5 o'clock pin on your 7-way.

If that doesn't solve the issue test the red wire coming into your brake controller by probing through the insulation with your circuit tester. If that is hot when not hitting the brake pedal, then that wire is not connected in the correct spot. Use your tester to determine which wire on your brake light switch is only hot when the pedal is pressed and splice the red wire into that location. If the red wire is correct and there is power on the blue wire when cut then the controller itself is bad.

I've attached a couple articles to help further.

expert reply by: Jason S

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Answer 1

No you should not have constant power on the brake output pin, the blue wire should only have power with the brake pedal depressed in the vehicle or the brake controller manual override is activated. If the blue wire has a constant 12V then it is an…

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Answer 2

If you have a factory 7-way then you can add part #C56070. This wiring plugs into your factory wiring and the plug gets mounted in the bed of your truck. If you don't have a factory 7-way let me know what kind of trailer wiring your truck has…

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Answer 3

If the blue output wire is showing power when it should not be then that indicates that the controller is bad and will need to be replaced. But to test it properly you will need to sever the blue wire a few inches from the back of the controller.…

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Answer 4

Yes, if you test your brake controller output pin on your 7-way for voltage with the brakes applied and the gain set to the max you would see a full 12 volts. You should be able to adjust the gain to get varying voltages.

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Answer 5

The light that indicates that the 12 volt circuit is hot is normal and it will not drain the battery. Think of it as the battery having a really long positive terminal that just extends to the rear of the vehicle. If nothing is drawing power from it,…

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Answer 6

The only pin that should be continuously showing 12V power on the 7-Way connector on your vehicle is the 12V power circuit which is normally the black wire but not always. In 7-way wiring the 12V auxiliary power feed is carried on the contact at the…

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Answer 7

The P3 brake controller, #90195, will go into a sort of sleep mode after it detects no movement for 15 minutes. While it is on it does not draw very much power. What you can do to make sure it goes to sleep is exit the truck after turning it off,…

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Answer 8

Each model of the B&W Biker Bar Motorcycle Tie-Down System for Trailers will use two anchor plates #BWMC2305 to connect to. The anchors would be secured to the underbelly of the trailer making it hard to use in multiple locations, so you'd…

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Answer 9

There are a number of troubleshooting steps you can undertake in order to try and determine what the issue is with the brake controller on your 2006 GMC Sierra To test the brake controller itself, sever the blue wire a couple inches from the back of…

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Answer 10

The 13 might be the E1 error only displaying upside down for some reason. If this continues to happen even after a trailer is connected then there are some things you can check. The vehicle side trailer connector might be dirty or corroded causing…

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Answer 11

With the brake controller gain turned all the way up, you should be seeing closer to 12-volts at your trailer connector. You are losing voltage somewhere between the brake controller and the trailer connector. I am assuming that by electric brake…

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Answer 12

Excessive rust would definitely weaken the pull of the magnet, so I would recommended replacing the magnets on your trailer if they are severely corroded. If you have power going into the magnet and it is not engaging at all, this again would be an…

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Troubleshooting Brake Controller Output Pin Showing 13 Volts

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