Troubleshooting Trailer Brakes that Arent Working with Brake Controller  

Question:

Expert Reply:

There can be several reasons for your brake controller not to be sending power to your trailer brakes. If the controller seems to have lost power then the problem is either on the ground or power wire for the controller. You will want to verify that it's connected securely to the wires under your dash on your 2006 Chevy Silverado.

If you just installed the controller you should note that there are a few connections under the hood of your vehicle that need to be made to make the controller functional. See the FAQ article I attached.

If the controller is powering on but not sending power to the brakes of the trailer the problem is either the brake switch wire not being connected correctly. (This is the circuit that tells the controller when to start applying brakes.) Or it's the brake output circuit. (This is the circuit that carries the amperage to the brake assemblies.)

First place to check from here is corrosion in the trailer connectors. Inspect the wiring on the trailer and truck to see if you can find any exposed wire or shorts and fix as necessary.

Testing the brake controller is fairly easy. Sever the blue brake output wire near the brake controller leaving enough room to reconnect it and then apply the manual slide. Using a circuit tester like part # PTW2993, you should get output to the controller side of the wire you severed. If the manual slide activates the trailer brake output wire properly, try the brake pedal. If the brake pedal activates the brake output properly also then the problem is farther back either in the vehicle wiring or on the trailer.

If either the brake pedal or the manual slide are not functioning properly you will need to test the wires going into the brake controller. Make sure you have power entering the brake controller on the black wire. On the red wire you will only want power when the brake pedal is pressed.

If there is power on the red wire before the brake pedal is pressed you have connected the red wire from the brake controller to the wrong circuit. You would then need to find the brake switch wire that has power ONLY when the brake pedal is activated.

If these connections check out and the brake controller is properly grounded then there is possibly a problem inside the brake controller.

I am including a link to a video that will show you how to test the wiring on a brake controller.

expert reply by: Jameson C

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