Troubleshooting Wiring On Brake Controller Installed On 2011 Ford F-450  

Question:

Expert Reply:

It sounds like you may have a wiring issue somewhere. You will want to do some troubleshooting on the brake controller system to locate the problem. First, you will want to check the blue wire coming out of the brake controller with a circuit tester like part # PTW2992. You need to probe the blue wire and then step on the brake. If you are getting no signal, then you may have the red wire connected to the wrong place on the stop light switch located above the brake pedal. The red wire needs to be connected to a wire that only carries a signal when the brake pedal is pressed. If you switch the red wire and you get a signal on the blue wire, you will want to test the manual override.

To test the manual override, you will want to probe the blue wire. If you get a signal but the brakes do not engage, you will need to test the 7-way on the vehicle side for output from the brake controller. If no signal exists, there is a problem in the vehicle wiring and you will want to follow the harness wiring back to make certain there are no breaks or loose connections or poor grounds.

If you get a signal on the 7-way, then the trailer side wiring has a problem. If you are not getting any signal on the blue wire from the back of the brake controller, the controller is bad and needs to be replaced.

I have attached a few helpful articles that includes how to troubleshoot and also how to install a brake controller from scratch.

To make the installation much simpler for you, I recommend the Tekonsha Plug-In Wiring Adapter, part # 3034-P. This adapter cuts the installation time a tremendous amount and assures that you are using the correct wiring when you install your controller.

expert reply by: Jeffrey L

0