Brake Light Stays On When Tekonsha Voyager Brake Controller # 39510 is Connected  

Question:

Expert Reply:

If you are referring to the LED light on the brake controller itself, then the unit may be incorrectly wired. A circuit tester such as # PTW2993 will make it much easier to confirm the function carried on each vehicle wire to ensure connections are correct. I have also linked the installation and operation instructions for the Voyager.

The light on the Voyager should be green when your trailer is connected and should turn red when the brake pedal or manual override lever is applied. You can check that your manual override switch is not engaged.

If you are using a vehicle specific harness to connect the controller to a port under the dash of your vehicle (as opposed to a hard-wired install) it may be that the adapter is wired incorrectly. Please note that certain wiring errors can destroy the controller.

In a hard-wired installation the white wire is a ground wire and should be connected to a suitable ground point on the vehicle or to the battery negative terminal. The blue wire is the output wire that sends power to the trailer brakes when they need to activate. The red wire should be connected to a stop light circuit; usually this is the brake light switch at the top of your vehicle brake pedal. (You want to connect this red wire to the cold side of the brake switch that carries voltage only when the pedal is pressed.) If the red wire is connected to the wrong side of the brake switch it will send a continuous signal to the controller. The black wire should be connected through a 40-amp breaker to the vehicle battery positive terminal to provide power for the Voyager.

If the green light on the Voyager remains on when the trailer is not connected to your vehicle it means that the brake controller is sensing a load on the blue brake output wire. Often when this occurs the cause is green or white corrosion that has formed inside the trailer connector at the rear of the vehicle. I would check the front and back side connections inside the connector to ensure that the connections are clean and that corrosion has not bridged between two or more circuits.

An easy way to see whether there is a problem in the brake controller itself or on the blue output wire past the brake controller is to disconnect the blue wire near the back of the brake controller. Cut the blue wire about 4 inches from the controller. If, when the wire is separated, the green light goes out you know there is a problem on the blue wire between the controller and the rear of the vehicle. Trace the blue wire all the way back to the trailer connector to check for cracked or worn insulation or for signs of it rubbing on the trailer frame; repair any such damaged spots on the wire or replace it. If the green light remains on, there is most likely a problem in the brake controller itself and, the controller will need to be replaced.

I have linked an article concerning troubleshooting brake controller installations that might be helpful to you.

If you can provide the year/make/model of your tow vehicle and some information about your trailer I may be able to offer more specific guidance.

expert reply by: Adam R

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