Indicator LED on Tekonsha Voyager is Green Even When No Trailer is Connected

Question:

I just installed a Voyager on my 1999 E350 and the green light is always on. I do not have a trailer at this time looking to purchase one. My 7 way connecter is equipped with LED lights that indicate proper operation of each function. The LED for the trailer brake controller output pin 2 is also always lit. I read about 6 volts on this pin with my multi meter. Is it possible that the draw on the LED is confusing the brake controller into thinking it is connected to a trailer? Will this situation cause a problem with the setup and operation of the controller once a trailer is attached? I understand that the brake control wire should always show some voltage on it, but is the 6 volts I am seeing too high?

asked by: George C

Helpful Expert Reply:

I spoke with my contact at Tekonsha, who tried some experiments with an LED on the brake output circuit of a Voyager brake controller. He found that the LED did indeed pull voltage through the circuit, which would explain why you are getting a green light on the controller with no trailer connected and are reading 6-volts at the output pin on the 7-way. Essentially, the controller is seeing the power draw of the LED as a short circuit.

To determine if this will cause a problem when towing a trailer, turn the gain of the controller up to maximum. Use a circuit tester like part # PTW2993 on the 7-way brake output pin to create a load on the circuit along with a voltmeter. Have a helper activate the manual switch on the controller while you hold the voltmeter and test lamp on the output pin. You should see 12-13 volts on the pin. If you do, you can continue to use your current 7-way with no worries about the draw that the LED creates on the circuit. If you do NOT get 12-13 volts, I would recommend swapping your current 7-way out for one that does not feature LEDs, like part # HM40975 (assuming that your existing 7-way uses a US Car type connector).

expert reply by: Mike L