Brake Controller Says No Trailer Connected with Trailer Connected to 2010 Ford F-250

Question

Question:

It tells me trailer not connected but the tail lights, brake lights etc. work on the trailer when connected why wouldnt the brakes be connecting and or why does it tell me no trailer connected and wont let me set the strength of the brake?

asked by: Kathy

0

Expert Reply:

The trailer lights and the trailer brakes are on separate circuits, and one does not affect the other so there is some other reason why the brake controller on your 2010 Ford F-250 is not sensing the trailer.

If it is a factory brake controller, we do not have a lot of experience with those, but it could be a dirty or corroded trailer connector on either the truck side 7-Way or the trailer side 7-Way. This is also a potential problem for aftermarket brake controllers.

There are some things you can test to determine where the problem is. Please note the following is for an aftermarket controller. Testing procedures for the factory controller should be verified with a Ford technician.

In the truck cab you will need to sever the blue wire several inches from the back of the controller. Then use a circuit tester such as # PTW2992 to test the end of the blue wire coming out of the controller. It should only have power when you apply the manual override (or brake pedal on certain controllers). If it shows power at idle, then there is something wrong with the controller and it will need to be replaced.

If it tests fine, then reconnect the blue wire. Then move on to the truck side trailer connector. Many times, dirt or corrosion can cause a short in a trailer connector. Make sure the truck and the trailer side connectors are clean and free of corrosion inside and out like I mentioned earlier.

You can test the brake output pin and it should only show power with the manual override. If it shows power any other time then there is a short somewhere between the connector and the brake controller you will need to track down.

If the truck side checks out fine then it could be the wiring to the brake magnets or the magnets themselves. Inspect the power wires to the magnets and look for pinched, frayed, or damaged wires and fix as needed. Make sure the ground wires are attached to clean and corrosion free bare metal surfaces.

You can visually inspect the magnets and if you can see the copper windings coming through the magnets will need to be replaced. To further test the magnets you can follow the help article I have linked. I have also included some help articles on testing and troubleshooting brake controllers for you.

expert reply by: Michael H

0

Answer 1

The "Trailer Disconnected" error message on the dash with a factory brake controller is usually related to an issue with the blue brake output wire that runs from the brake controller to the 7-Way connector. The fact that the issue…

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Answer 2

Normally when you are having a trailer connection issue, it is because there is corrosion or debris in the connection. The 7-way trailer connector on your truck at the 5 o'clock pin position is the brake controller output. This pin is where…

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Answer 3

On your 2002 Ford F-250 you will need to connect the Red wire to the Black wire on the brake controller for +12 Volts power and the Light Green wire to the Red Stoplight wire on the brake controller. The Dark Blue wire is connected to the Blue wire…

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Answer 4

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Answer 5

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Answer 6

From what I could find it looks like your 122R (red) and 122Y (amber) lights measure 3.75" x 1.70" x .81". We don't have any replacement lense directly for the GLO-BRITE lights but we do have some similar lights that you could use…

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Answer 7

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Answer 8

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Answer 9

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Answer 10

While we may have an option for you, we do not have the exact specs on your Allis grease seal part number 5013 29772. However, with the 1.6" ID and 2.5" OD measurements you provides, that is very close to our #58846. This particular grease…

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Answer 11

A 4-Way trailer connector has the basic lighting functions only; running lights, left turn signal and brake lights, right turn signal and brake lights, and ground. A 7-Way has these functions and a 12 volt circuit, a circuit for electric trailer…

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Answer 12

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