Trailer Brakes are Locking Up After Brake Controller Install

Question:

2014 Ram 1500 with Pilot Electronic Trailer Brake Control system #13523 with wiring harness for specific vehicle....towing 2019 Mallard M312 travel trailer. Issue Im having, the trailer brakes stay engaged even when truck brakes are NOT engages. Controller still works to set intensity of trailer brakes, I just purchased the trailer new, and installed the controller so I could tow it. Controller is mounted about 70 deg from horizontal, but that's supposedly not a problem for this unit. Manual slide on the controller moves freely and feels normal.

asked by: JASON S

Expert Reply:

This is not a brake controller we carry, so we are not at all familiar with it, meaning I can only offer some general troubleshooting to try, independent of this controller. For locked up trailer brakes the main cause is often an incorrect stoplight wire connection, though you said you have a vehicle-specific wiring harness (which I think you meant adapter for the brake controller), and if you meant adapter, you can probably rule that out. If not, you can use Cordless Circuit Tester # PTW2979 to check and see that you have correctly wired the controller to the stop light switch, which will be the wire that only has power when you press the brake pedal.

Otherwise, the issue is likely going to be a short on the blue brake output wire so you will want to check that to see if the wire is pinched, frayed or otherwise damaged. It could also be a problem with corrosion on your truck-side connector which will be green or white so you will want to check to see if that is the issue.

I have added a link to a help article on troubleshooting brake controller installs for you which has a lot of pertinent info so I definitely recommend taking a look at it.

expert reply by: Kyle S