Troubleshooting Erratic Trailer Braking On 1999 Ford E-350 Van

Question:

This is a Voyager unit purchase for a E350 van in 1999. The van has a towing package. Brakes are not working with pedal most of the time, and when manual is used they lock up, but not every time and sometimes dont engage at all. I bypassed the ground on the harness and went straight to the negative on the battery with the white wire. It seemedto help initially in the first few minutes, but later it went back to its old ways which I decribed above. I am at a loss of what to do. Also just replaced the plug,on the back of the van so I know that is good to go and no corrosion. Is it the control or is the wiring going bad?

asked by: Jim G

Helpful Expert Reply:

I have attached a helpful article that explains how to troubleshoot a brake controller.

If you have to use the manual switch on the brake controller, you could have a bad stoplight connection or the adapter wiring does not match the vehicle OEM connector on your 1999 Ford E-350. If the brakes are too aggressive, the brake assemblies may need to be adjusted or the boost and or gain is set too high on the controller. You want to make sure the brake controller is level and not tilted or turned to one side or the other. If there is a leveler knob on the brake controller it could be a problem.

I have also attached a helpful article that shows how to test a brake controller using a voltmeter.

We do offer a brake controller adapter that is designed to fit your van. It is the Tekonsha Plug-In Wiring Adapter, part # 3035-P.

expert reply by: Jeffrey L