Forum Discussion

plasticmaster's avatar
Apr 01, 2019

Still getting "Check trailer wiring" message 2014 Silverado

I posted this about 6 months ago, but didn't want to resurrect an old thread. My truck is a 2014 Silverado with factory ITBC brake controller built in. While towing, I randomly get the "Check trailer wiring" message on the dash and then a second later, it says "Trailer connected". During that split second, I indeed have no trailer brakes. Several months ago, I replaced the plug on the trailer end with the Pollack brand plug as that is what some here recommended. I was hoping that would fix the problem, but it did not. This weekend was my first time towing any distance since doing this and while towing it home today on a 4 hour drive it was doing this constantly, for 4 hours. Obviously, this was making me very nervous. Wiggling the plug and plugging it in better did not help the problem. I crawled under the trailer and found the end of the main trailer plug where it goes into a metal junction box. I opened the juction box and had my son sit in the truck with it running while I wiggled these wires in the junction box, and nothing happened. The only way I could recreate the message was to unplug the camper and then plug it back in. What should I check next? Could a short between this junction box and the actual brakes be causing this problem? Could it be a problem with the truck or the truck end of the plug? I'm hoping someone here can help. Thanks.
  • wnjj's avatar
    wnjj
    Explorer II
    An intermittent open circuit is possible. Check the wires all the way to the brakes themselves, including any grounds.

    Ideally you’d have another trailer to try pulling or have someone else pull your trailer to determine if it’s a truck or a trailer issue.
  • Many trucks have an adapter on the truck. The chassis wiring has a large connector
    that the blade assembly connects to.

    Note the connector and then package with replacement truck wiring pigtail and connector.
    Pollak replacement
  • I'm thinking after reading your testing info so far that it's on the truck end of the plug.