Troubleshooting Electric Brakes Locking Up When in Reverse

Question:

Trailer locks up in reverse. Should there be any continuity on any lines in the plug in for the trailer? What is the best way to find the short?

asked by: Daniel

Expert Reply:

It sounds like the issue may be that you have a short somewhere between the brake output circuit and reverse light circuit which is causing your brakes to lock up when you put your vehicle in reverse. You could also have something mis-wired which is causing the problem so you need to use a circuit tester like # PTW2993 and test your vehicles 7-way to ensure that all of the wires are properly connected. If all of your wires are connected properly you would want to closely inspect the insides and outside of the connectors looking for any corrosion or exposed wire that could be causing the short and fix as necessary. If nothing is there you will need to trace the wiring back up till you find the short.

I have attached a couple of wiring diagrams you can use to reference when checking your wiring,

expert reply by: Scott S