Troubleshooting Curt Echo C51180 Applying Trailer Brakes Any Time Truck Is Turned On

Question:

I’ve had my controller one year. First year it worked like it was supposed to. Now it applies brake all the time as long as my truck is running. When I cut the truck off it only applies brake when I mash the brake pedal.

asked by: Chris M

Expert Reply:

I reached out to my contact at Curt and it sounds like there is an issue with the brake signal wires on your 7-way connector, as that is what tells the Curt Echo # C51180 to know when to apply the trailer brakes.

I recommend checking both your trailer and vehicle connector for any corrosion that may be causing the brake signal wires to get power when they shouldn't.

If you remove the Echo and plug the trailer directly into the 7-way connector, are there any oddities with the lights on the trailer?

How about with the Echo plugged in? If it is powering the brakes constantly the brake lights on the trailer should also be on.

Using a circuit tester like # PTW2993 check the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock pins of your vehicles 7-way connector while the vehicle is turned on, but the trailer not hooked up. If you get power to these pins while the truck is running but no one is applying the brakes, then that is what is causing your problem.

If you are not getting power to those pins, I recommend trying to recalibrate the Echo.

If these steps do not fix the issue let me know and we can go into more in-depth trouble shooting steps.