Trailer break problem. I need help, I;='m Stumped

[sb47]

Hey folks I need help on my trailer. It has breaks and they were working fine, then they seemed to just stop working. My breaks work just fine on my cargo trailer but not on my flat bed. I’ve tried everything I know to do but still can’t get them to work. I checked the voltage at the actuator and its getting voltage there but the breaks dont engage.
I have brand new actuators that I bought to replace the old ones but I feel like since I’m getting 12 volts to the old ones that I may not need to put the new ones on.
This trailer does not have break away battery on it so thats not the problem.
The lights work, the turn signals work and the break lights work, but not the breaks.
I’m stumped.

Can anyone give me any ideas?

 

[Fifelaker]

Check the ground and while your there check the ground.

 

[leon]

trailer issues

Hey folks I need help on my trailer. It has breaks and they were working fine, then they seemed to just stop working. My breaks work just fine on my cargo trailer but not on my flat bed. I’ve tried everything I know to do but still can’t get them to work. I checked the voltage at the actuator and its getting voltage there but the breaks dont engage.
I have brand new actuators that I bought to replace the old ones but I feel like since I’m getting 12 volts to the old ones that I may not need to put the new ones on.
This trailer does not have break away battery on it so thats not the problem.
The lights work, the turn signals work and the break lights work, but not the breaks.
I’m stumped.

Can anyone give me any ideas?

If you can afford the cost of a trailer connection test plug purchase one at
TSC or an auto parts store (they were under $20 the last time I looked.


Do you own a trailer plug brush?

Have you checked the fuse that protects the brake circuit?

You may have a fuse with a hair line crack too.

I would blow the dirt out of the connections first or if you
have a small vacuum attempt to remove any dust that may be left.
Then I would purchase a can of contact cleaner and spray the male and
female connections and then see if you have brakes.

If not make a jumper wire from a hot lead in the trailer plug and
then clip it to an exposed lead on one brake if possible to check
if the plug is the problem if you do not own a trailer jack testing
plug for both male and female parts.

 

[dave_dj1]

I second checking the ground.

 

[sb47]

Well since I already bought the new brake assembly for both sides I went ahead and replaced both of them. Then I put a new 6 way plug on the trailer side because it looked rusty and I figured maybe it wasn’t grounding well.
I adjusted the breaks till the wheel stopped turning and then backed it off just a little bit so the wheel will turn.
Took it for a test drive and they do just barley work when you give it a full 12 volts on the trailer brake control.
But with 12 volts it should have locked up.
When the trailer was new it would lock up with just about 6 to 7 on the brake control.
My cargo trailer has a 7 way plug on the trailer side and I use a 7 to 6 way adapter and the breaks work just fine on that trailer.
And the flat bed worked just fine for years, then they just stopped working.

It has all new brake parts so it must be in the wiring somewhere.
Probably something simple, I just cant find what it is.
I need the breaks to work, last week I pulled 6080 lbs on the trailer so they need to work.
Probably going to have to pay someone to fix it.
I’ve done all I know to do.

 

[Fifelaker]

Run a temporary ground wire from frame to frame.

 

[sb47]

Run a temporary ground wire from frame to frame.

Already tried that! nada. Took my jumper cables and grounded the trailer to the frame of the truck, both legs. No difference.

 

[kr5258]

Bad ground. Most electric trailer brakes just have the ground pig tail connected to the frame. Sometimes the ground connection to the truck is just the ball or pintle. Make sure you have a good ground through your trailer plug. Run the brake ground all the way up to the trailer plug if you have to.

 

[sb47]

Thing is on this trailer they took the time to run good quality heave gage wire and secured it very well. So nothing is dangling or not secured. Doesn’t mean corrosion has creped in somewhere and reducing the currant. Could be on the truck side but that doesn’t explain why my other trailer works like it should and has no problems.

Could be even though the parts are new they still may not be working rite.
Problem is all the trailer places want you to drop off the trailer and there is about a 2 week waiting period before they can even look at it. And they don’t take appointments.

I use this trailer almost everyday. I can just leave it for 2 weeks just to get it looked at.

 

[sb47]

Bad ground. Most electric trailer brakes just have the ground pig tail connected to the frame. Sometimes the ground connection to the truck is just the ball or pintle. Make sure you have a good ground through your trailer plug. Run the brake ground all the way up to the trailer plug if you have to.

I have a dedicated 10 gage ground running from the battery to the trailer plug.

 

[confused8122]

Here

. Then I put a new 6 way plug on the trailer side because it looked rusty and I figured maybe it wasn’t grounding well.

But with 12 volts it should have locked up.
When the trailer was new it would lock up with just about 6 to 7 on the brake control.
My cargo trailer has a 7 way plug on the trailer side and I use a 7 to 6 way adapter and the breaks work just fine on that trailer.
And the flat bed worked just fine for years, then they just stopped working.

I’ve done all I know to do.

Is your adaptor bad? Seen it before.
How are you checking voltage? And where?
A voltage meter can read proper voltage, but wire could be corroded, limiting flow. I recommend using a old style headlight. The old glass style. Use wires and clips or whatever. Hook up at wheels. At full brake power, should have 12+ volts, and light should be bright. If light is not bright, recheck controls in truck. Are they set to max? If so, add separate grounds to light and recheck. Any better? If not, use original ground and add full 12 volts with jumper cable. Is light bright? If so move to truck. Wire light directly to trailer plug. Do same things. Make sure you use adapter, if using with trailer.
This should tell you if you have a truck, controler, trailer, wire, or brake problem.

Hope it helps, and hope you can understand my instructions.
If you need, pm me. I can help more.
Nick

 

[VW Splitter]

I would check the adjustment again.

 

[sb47]

I re adjusted the breaks a little tighter hopping that would help, but it didn’t.
I don’t have a volt meter but I did use a 12 volt light at the hub and it lit up but I don’t know what the voltage is.
I tried to save time and money but 2 hours drive time getting parts, 6 hours working and checking everything I can think of, plus $120.00 in parts and I did have a tiny bit of breaks where as before I had nothing.
I have a top of the line controller and it works fine on my other trailer.
The trailer was wired with industrial 12 Gage 6 conductor wire like for heave machinery, not the cheap stuff you get at an auto parts.
It was made in 05 so its only 8 years old, only thing I can think of is the wire has corroded and it’s restricting the voltage somewhere. Probably the ground, but I used jumpers from truck to trailer so that didn’t help.

The running lights and break lights are bright so they seem to be getting full voltage and a bad ground would affect them as well.

With the breaks engaged you can hear a hum from the hubs, so currant is getting to them, just how much I don’t know.

I wish I had a spare trailer so I could put this on in the shop and wait the 2 weeks they say it will take to even look at it.

It’s probably be something cheap and simple that was the problem.lol

 

[Fifelaker]

Are these full electric or electric over hydraulic?

 

[Frank Boyer]

Learn how to do a voltage drop test with a volt meter. Runing an extra ground wire and the head light test can be helpfull, but a voltage drop test will show if the circuit has a problem. A voltage drop test is done from the pos terminal of the battery to the pos wire at the brake. You should have less than 1/2 volt drop/reading. If you find more than 1/2 volt between the brake and the battery go upstream to the plug and test it there. Go back upstream till you have less than 1/2 volt drop and then look down stream for the problem.

Try running a number 10 ga wire from the pos battery terminal to the brake and see if the brake works. You can use a 12 volt battery at the wheel and check each brake separately. The old adjustable brakes were tighten till it drags and back off 8 teeth.

One problem area is the trailer plug because people tend to pull it out by the wire instead of the handles on the plug. Plugs can wallow out so check the fit on the plug. If you aren't sure how to test or don't have the time you can rewire and put new plugs on in a couple of hours.

 

[sb47]

Learn how to do a voltage drop test with a volt meter. Runing an extra ground wire and the head light test can be helpfull, but a voltage drop test will show if the circuit has a problem. A voltage drop test is done from the pos terminal of the battery to the pos wire at the brake. You should have less than 1/2 volt drop/reading. If you find more than 1/2 volt between the brake and the battery go upstream to the plug and test it there. Go back upstream till you have less than 1/2 volt drop and then look down stream for the problem.

Try running a number 10 ga wire from the pos battery terminal to the brake and see if the brake works. You can use a 12 volt battery at the wheel and check each brake separately. The old adjustable brakes were tighten till it drags and back off 8 teeth.

One problem area is the trailer plug because people tend to pull it out by the wire instead of the handles on the plug. Plugs can wallow out so check the fit on the plug. If you aren't sure how to test or don't have the time you can rewire and put new plugs on in a couple of hours.

I always pull from the plug not the wire plus I just put a new plug in the trailer side today.
I may try a new plug on the truck side but I kinda ruled that out because my other trailer works perfectly. So I feel it’s on the trailer side somewhere.
I have seen corrosion travel down a wire a long way. But without a meter I cant get a true reading on the voltage at the hub.

What I did today helped just a tad so at least I’m making some progress even if a very small one.

 

[confused8122]

. A voltage drop test is done from the pos terminal of the battery to the pos wire at the brake. You should have less than 1/2 volt drop/reading. If you find more than 1/2 volt between the brake and the battery go upstream to the plug and test it there. Go back upstream till you have less than 1/2 volt drop and then look down stream for the problem. .

Just to be picky, this would be correct for a simple switched circuit. The one we are talking about has a controller, will complicate things slightly. And readings should be with a load on the circuit.

 

[bigbadbob]

Does it have a break away, if so activate it and see if the trailer brakes lock up. That will give the brakes a full 12v.
Or try another plug as the one you changed may be bad, or wired incorrect.
Interesting problem to say the least.

 

[leon]

trailer etc.

I always pull from the plug not the wire plus I just put a new plug in the trailer side today.
I may try a new plug on the truck side but I kinda ruled that out because my other trailer works perfectly. So I feel it’s on the trailer side somewhere.
I have seen corrosion travel down a wire a long way. But without a meter I cant get a true reading on the voltage at the hub.

What I did today helped just a tad so at least I’m making some progress even if a very small one.

I dont know what part of Harris County you live in but I
would take the trailer to a national brake repair shop
that installs electric brake controls and electric brakes
and have them spend an hour with it and they will
most likely find it for you and fix it.

An hour of shop labor and it shoud be fixed quickly
I would think.

 

[sb47]

I went to the same place that I bought the trailer from and had the man come out and look at it so I made sure I got the rite parts. The first thing is he noticed was that it didn’t have a break away battery on it. I said it never came with one, and I gave him the name of the guy that sold it to me. (Buy the way, it was Ron White) just like the comedian.lol true story.
I asked if there required by law how did they sell me one with out it? He said and I quote “the guy must have been high!”
I did pick up a breakaway module for it but I haven’t hooked it up yet. I have to figure a way that is nice and neat to go with the wiring that is already there. And a nice neat place to mount it. I like to do things rite and not half ass.
He said they didn’t work without the breakaway device but I knew he was full of it because when it was new, you could be going 60mph and use the emergency trailer break and it would lock up at about 4 or 5 on the controller.
They used to work real well. And nothing has changed since I bought it.