Brake controller not working

[szumilas]

Today I hooked up my trailer to haul some parts and my brake controller quit working. I have a '00 2500 with a tekonsha voyager brake controller. I have been using this setup with my trailer for over a year and have had no problems til now. I have power to my controller on the red wire. I plugged in the trailer and the green sensor light did not come on. All the lights on my trailer are working properly. I tested my ground on the trailer and it tests good. I tested all the pins on my seven way coming out of my truck. All the light, power and ground pins test good. How do I test the brake control pin?



Any help would be appreciated!

 

[TRLRTRSH]

Brake controller

I'm looking at the Voyager troubleshooting Chart all it shows for no green light is:

1. Corrosion on trailer plug contact.

2. Loose power or ground connection.



I see you tested the ground on the trailer, but did you test the ground for the controller itself?



Bill

 

[jelag]

Put a test light on the pin for the brakes..... have someone in the cab manually move the lever on your controller. . the light on the test light should start to light and get brighter as the controler is moved.....



I've had several trailers that have a wire that crosses over in the axle from one side to the other side... . I've had this cross over wire rub on the inside of the axle and short the circuit... . or go open... I'm guessing that you have an open in the wire on the trailer...



Jim

 

[szumilas]

Thanks for the replies. I will test the ground on the controller and check the wiring on the trailer in the morning.



Matt

 

[Casey Balvert]

Corrosion inside the trailer connector on the truck is also a common problem especially if the truck is more than a couple of years old.



Casey

 

[jfrow2]

Put a test light on the pin for the brakes..... have someone in the cab manually move the lever on your controller. . the light on the test light should start to light and get brighter as the controler is moved.....



Jim

Jim, good idea. Ideally the test light should simulate the load of the trailer brakes, approximately 10 amps for most trailers with 4 brakes. I made up the little device below using a 7-pin RV plug and a 50 watt 12VDC light bulb. It should be a 100 watt for 4 brakes, but I could only find a 50 watt. (Checking the pin for brakes at the tow vehicle receptacle with a voltmeter really tells you very little unless you have a load applied).

 

[HBarlow]

jfrow2:



That is a neat idea!



I hope you won't pursue me for patent infringement if I copy it.



Harvey

 

[jfrow2]

jfrow2:



That is a neat idea!



I hope you won't pursue me for patent infringement if I copy it.



Harvey

Be my guest

 

[szumilas]

Found the problem

It took me a while but I found the problem. I had power coming out of my controller,but it was not making it to the 7 pin connector. I found a short in my wiring where the trsiler wires go above the spare tire. Apparently, the spare tire had pinched the trailer wires to the frame. The brake control wire had shorted out. I soldered in a new section of harness where the wires were flattened. The brakes are working now. I have no idea how that happened since I have never had the spare out and the spare still has the wiskers on the tread. I assume that the factory pinched the wires.



Thank you to everyone who replied.