Trailer Brakes Will Not Activate When Pushing The Brake Pedal

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Question:

Trailer brakes Utility don’t work with truck pedal

asked by: Miguel R

0

Expert Reply:

If your trailer brakes activate when using the manual override but not when pushing on the brake pedal you may have a bad connection or a faulty brake switch. I have also linked below our article on Brake Controller Troubleshooting. Also if you have a proportional brake controller and you are not moving the trailer brakes will not activate as the controller does not sense the inertia needed to activate the brakes.

First I would push on the brake pedal and see if the vehicles brake lights come on. If they do not be sure to check the fuses for your specific vehicle to ensure it is getting power. You can confirm that the brake switch is getting power with a Circuit Tester # PTW2991. You can also verify if power is coming out of the switch when the pedal is pushed. If no power is coming out of the switch than it is faulty.

If your brake lights are working off the pedal you will need to see if the power is getting to the brake controller. Test the wiring going to the brake controller. Typically this is the red wire but refer to your manual to ensure which wire for your specific controller. If you are getting power to the controller and can manually activate the brake the controller is defective.

expert reply by: Bud M

0

Answer 1

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 2

Assuming that when you tested the resistance of the brakes you were testing the two wires on each magnet and getting 2.0 and 2.8 ohms the magnets on your trailer are not working correctly and will need to be replaced. For 7" brakes you should…

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Answer 3

The only true way to test the brake controller in your 2019 Ford F150 is by connecting it to a trailer with brakes. You could use the brake controller's manual override with the tester plugged in to make sure that the signal was being transmitted…

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Answer 4

Since you know there is a short in the braking system itself, I recommend starting with testing your trailer magnets. I've attached an article to help you with this. If the magnets check out then you know you have a short in the wiring. I…

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Answer 5

This is a really good question, but the short answer is that the Ford OEM brake controller of your 2019 Ford F-350 is compatible with the Hydrastar actuators like #HBA16. The chart you found where it says only up to 2017 hasn't been updated…

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Answer 6

You are correct, you should only be getting output when the brake is applied, or the override switch is activated. It sounds like the controller might be bad, but to make sure, you should probably bench test it before tossing it. Use a circuit…

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Answer 7

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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Answer 8

The colors that GM typically uses for their factory trailer wiring are as follows - Dark Green - Right Turn/Brake Lights Yellow - Left Turn/Brake Lights Brown - Tail Lights White - Ground Light Green - Backup Lights Blue - Electric Brakes Red/Black -…

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Answer 9

Actually that is a possibility. Proportional brake controllers will not engage the brakes with the pedal unless the tow vehicle is in motion. Another possibility is the red wire from the brake controller isn't connected correctly. It needs to be…

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Answer 10

First, make sure that your #3015-P harness is pinned out correctly. The red wire should be in the bottom left location (if looking at the back of the end that plugs into the truck). Directly next to the red wire should be the blue wire. Above the…

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Answer 11

If you installed a decently sized deep cycle battery on your trailer you wouldn't have a problem powering the LED lights of it for the length of time mentioned since LED lights draw a fraction of the amperage as incandescent. Group 24, 27, and 31…

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Answer 12

Since the controller is activating the trailer brakes when you use the manual override that means that the trailer battery not being connected is not the problem. Both the brake pedal and the manual override will tell the controller to send back…

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Trailer Brakes Will Not Activate When Pushing The Brake Pedal

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