Troubleshooting Brake Controller with Erratic Display Readings

Question:

When I press on my brakes and the brake controller engages if I have it over a certain power and I release the brake the light still shows that is freaking with power if I turn it down to 10 then it will the power will turn off off and on like it should but if I increase it to more than 10 the light stays on

asked by: Jim

Expert Reply:

It is possible that your controller is functioning correctly and that it just has either a malfunctioning display or that there is a short somewhere in the wiring for the brake circuit, either on the vehicle or on the trailer. If the unit seems to apply the brakes properly when you're driving and nothing else in the operation seems weird, then I would expect it is a bad display.

If you have a circuit tester like # PTW2992 you can apply it to the brake circuit and ground pins on the vehicle socket to see what the voltage is. Please refer to the photo to see which contacts to test. Set the controller to maximum power and maximum boost. Have a helper activate the manual control while you apply the tester to the brake circuit. You should detect right around 12-volts.

If the actual braking power when you're driving is not right then the unit might have internal damage.

It is hard to know exactly what to make of your trailer brake controller's behavior since I do not know the brand and model of controller or the vehicle. Please tell me a bit about your controller (the brand and model) and your vehicle (year, make and model). Also let me know if this is a new installation or if the unit has been in service for a while and has just developed this problem.

expert reply by: Adam R