Troubleshooting Titan BrakeRite for Disc Brakes That Wont Power Up

Question:

After a few years of trouble free performance, my actuator stopped working. I have a Progidy P2 controller and a Titan 4813100 actuator. One problem is that I my 2003 Silverado battery had completely lost its charge one night. I charged it the next day and it held its charge. I recently learned that the controller was set to electric, which I changed to electric/hydraulic. It must have defaulted to the electricinch setting. The problem is that the actuator wont pump. Ive tried stepping on the brake pedal, Ive engaged the toggle switch on the controller, and Ive tried disconnecting the pigtail, while engaging the breakaway Tekonsha Model 2010 switch. I installed a new 12 volt Duracell battery to ensure that it had power. I cannot hear the actuator fire up in any of those attempts. I should also point out that the controller was set to relatively high pressure 13-14. How can I test the system? How can I test the controller and the actuator?

asked by: Brian B

Expert Reply:

I would start by checking to make sure that you're getting power on the 12v auxiliary power circuit on your 2003 Chevy Silverado's 7 way plug; since the Titan BrakeRite # T4813102 receives its' power from this circuit it's possible that your problem lies here. You'll need a circuit tester like the # PTW2993, and you'll want to turn the truck on and test the pin at 1 o'clock when looking at the front of the 7 way receptacle. If you're getting 12v power from the vehicle then we can isolate the issue to the BrakeRite; if you're not getting power on that pin then you'll want to check the towing fuses on your vehicle to make sure that the battery going out didn't also cause a fuse to blow.

You can also test your BrakeRite by plugging it into a different tow vehicle; if it functions normally that can also tell you the vehicle is the issue, or can help confirm that the BrakeRite is the issue. In order to test the brake controller, you'll want to test for power on the brake output circuit located at the 5 o'clock position; just activate the manual override from the cab of the truck and verify you're getting voltage when it's used.

If you can verify that the BrakeRite is actually getting power and the brake output circuit is working properly, that will allow us to help you continue to troubleshoot this. I've also linked a helpful article on 7 way trailer plugs and wiring for you to check out, as it might be helpful in all of this.

expert reply by: Erik B