Brake Controller Trailer Disconnect Warning Light

Question

Question:

I just took my travel trailer in to get bearings packed and new tires put on. Prior to this i have never had an issue with the trailer brakes, they worked great. On my way home from the shop, i noticed the trailer brakes were barely working. I figured they got grease on the pads or something. Also, now my truck brake controller is giving me a warning trailer brake light that comes off and on constantly when towing. It says the trailer is disconnected and then says it is connected. It does this every 20 seconds or so. I know the grease on the brakes will definitely affect stopping, but will it also give me the warning that my controller is telling me? Thanks

asked by: Rudy

1

Helpful Expert Reply:

An often seen cause for the trailer brake controller to display a disconnect error message is a damaged or corroded connector on the trailer. This may have occurred during it's time at the shop or just didn't show up as a issue until after this work was done.

Other common causes for this error message are a bad connection at the electric brake assemblies or a short on one of the magnets. There could also be damage or a short on the wire that carries the brake circuit. I recommend re-checking the trailer.

Corrosion can occur inside a connector too so you'll want to re-inspect both the external contacts and the back/inside of the connectors if possible for signs of any corrosion. Even slight greenish or whitish discoloration can indicate a corrosion issue, and certainly it can also happen that there can be severe corrosive build-up inside the connectors. Use a product like Dielectric Grease for Electrical Connectors # 11755 to help prevent corrosion.

There is a chance that your trailer connector could be wired differently than your truck since the trailer is new. You can test the trailer by keeping it disconnected from the truck and applying 12V power directly to the brake circuit contact. On a trailer plug this will be the pin indicated by the arrow shown in the linked photo. If the brake circuit activates then it is wired correctly.

A troubleshooting article is linked for you.

expert reply by: Patrick R

1

Answer 1

You can verify that the 10-19 grease seal included in Bearing Kit #BK2-100 is the correct one for your spindles by taking two measurements. First you want to measure the rear hub bore where the seal is inserted. The seal's outer diameter…

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Answer 2

The blue wire coming from the brake controller to the trailer brakes is the brake power output wire used to tell the trailer to apply the brakes once given the response from the brake controller. Therefore, you should not have a constant charge to…

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Answer 3

According to the Dexter Axle instructions, the bolts that are used to install the E-Z Flex Equalizer for 1-3/4" Double Eye Springs #013-144-03 should be torqued in the range of 30 - 50 ft-lbs (see attached cutout). Attached is an…

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Answer 4

Bearing Buddy pumps grease into the center of the hub all the way back to the grease seal. A double lip seal should be used to prevent grease from blowing out the seal when added. When the hub and seals and bearings are first assembled, they should…

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Answer 5

I have a solution for you, but the main issue with puck style lights that mount to the surface of your RV ceiling or under cabinets, is that there aren't replacement bulbs available and they aren't really designed to have the bulbs replaced.…

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Answer 6

I was able to find a picture of the part number 90110 C1 that you need and found that the exact replacement is the #BV0554-03 that you referenced. If you wanted white instead you'd want #BV0554-01.

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Answer 7

First, do a visual inspection. You should make sure that the front of the magnet is not worn to the point where the interior copper windings are visible. Also, check the armature surface (inside rear of brake drum where magnet rides) is free of…

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Answer 8

To determine the correct magnet you will need, you need to go by the manufacturer and size of the brakes on the trailer. Sometimes, the year of the brakes is needed as well. The brakes may have information stamped into the metal on the back side (in…

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Answer 9

As long as one of the wires coming from the back of the hub is a ground and the other is a power, it does not matter which wire on the magnet goes to which wire from the back of the hub. I have included a link to a video of a magnetic brake…

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Answer 10

In order to determine the torque rating for the lug nuts on your trailer you will need to know check out the chart I attached that shows all of the torque specs for all the trailer lugs available based on stud size, wheel material and wheel size.

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Answer 11

Even though I cannot comment specifically on the grease you used because I am not familiar with it, I can tell you the best grease for trailer bearings is a a grease with a rating of GC-LB, which just means it is made to withstand very high…

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Answer 12

To determine the size of the brake assemblies you need you have to measure the depth and width of the hub drum on the axle like what you see in the picture I attached. The most common size is 2-1/4 inch wide like the #T4071600-500 that you…

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Brake Controller Trailer Disconnect Warning Light

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