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F350 Trailer wiring fault when towing my XLR

nguyenbio
Explorer
Explorer
Okay here it goes. I have a 2015 F350 towing a 2016 XLR. For over a year, everything was fine. About two months ago, I slowly started getting a "Trailer wiring fault" message when starting off a trip and then sporadically getting "trailer disconnected" and "trailer connected going on and off, even though the trailer is connected the entire time. During this time, all my lights work and brakes work perfectly.

Lately, when I take off at the beginning of my trip, the wiring fault message loose us after a few seconds at idle speeds, all lights work but no brakes. After a few seconds longer my brakes begin to work. During my driving at highway speeds I always check my brakes when the message sporadically pops up and have never lost my brakes at highways speeds. When I get to my destination and slow down, the wiring fault pops up again, I loose my brakes again at idle speeds.

I have checked and used both the bed receptacle and bumper receptacle and the same symptoms exist. I tried to go underneath and wiggle the trailer brake wires and cannot replicate the problem. I've cleaned and use dielectric grease on all connections and same results. I also double checked the j box to ensure all connections are tight. No connections had water intrusion

My next item is to test each magnet and re-run all axle brake wires to the outside of the axle. This is the result of talking to Dexter. I may redo all the brake wires period!

According to Ford, the problem is only on the trailer side if the wiring fault pops up when no trailer is connected. I guess one bad magnet will send the trailer fault message to the integrated brake controller and the truck senses that all brakes are bad. Dexter and Ford agrees it's usually the trailer and not the IBC.


Does anyone have any ideas or experience with this?? I would tow another trailer or have another person tow mine but I don't have any friends with fifth wheela!
Joe
2014 Ford F250 6.7L Crewcab Beast
2014 Grand Design Reflections 303RLS
15 REPLIES 15

lincster
Explorer
Explorer
Yep, has happened to me a couple of times.
If you spend enough time, you will find the broken wire or bad connection. it is there somewhere in your brakes on your trailer.
Nothing wrong with the truck or the plugs in the truck.
100% somewhere in the trailer.
2022 F350 PSD CC 4X4 Dually to pull 2006 LE3905

Lincsters Truck/Trailer

Lincsters Rail