Factory Installed Brake Controllers

[travelnman]

Anyone experienced factory installed brake controllers? I heard
they are weak and don't provide enough juice to strongly activate
the trailer brakes but others say they do work OK. Trailer Life
says you need to follow the factory instructions in setting them up,
true but why then are the folks I talk to saying they still are
not working right. I have a after market and it can squeal the TT
tires if I set it that way but factory units are not able to do
that. I would prefer as much juice to those brakes as you can get when
in a emergency. I like the way they look on the dash built in but
again there is another difference, they seem to be all mounted on
the left side and I'm right handed not sure how I would like that.
Any comments would be appreciated I'm about to buy a suburban with
a factory brake control mounted on the left. Dennis B.

[DocRobbs]

I hated the integrated controller until I learned a bit about it. On my GMC Yukon XL it works off the hydraulic pressure but does integrate with the computer. It also needs to be hooked up with the key off. I've never had to do that with any other controller but the power surge when connected running/key on triggered a failure that had to be reset. The dealer who showed me this couldn't understand why every controller didn't need to do this. Also the boost needs to be about 8-8.5.

After I learned about and used it I love it. Better than my P3 in my truck.

[Lynnmor]

Crabbypatty wrote:
We just upgraded to an f250 with the controller. Before that we had the Prodigy P3 that I hooked up. No matter the adjustment or wiring I always felt like I was being pushed by the TT. Now with the built int controller, like magic stops on a dime. I was cut off and had to lock it up and it did. Must be something with the onboard computer syncing it all together. HUGE difference. In the ford you can input fr the different types of trailers that you tow. Love it!

It's not magic, you now have a brake that is actually connected to your foot by reading the hydraulic pressure. Folks are just now coming around to accepting the idea that this has always been the correct way to control trailer brakes. There are still many holdouts, but when they finally buy a new truck they will (might?) understand.

Years ago, add on brake controller were tapped into the hydraulics of tow vehicles, then for a number of reasons, production of those controllers stopped in favor of the simple designs currently available. Better controllers like Brakesmart and MaxBrake were made and they worked much the same as the current factory controllers, but they went out of business due to buyers accepting inferior products.

[Crabbypatty]

We just upgraded to an f250 with the controller. Before that we had the Prodigy P3 that I hooked up. No matter the adjustment or wiring I always felt like I was being pushed by the TT. Now with the built int controller, like magic stops on a dime. I was cut off and had to lock it up and it did. Must be something with the onboard computer syncing it all together. HUGE difference. In the ford you can input fr the different types of trailers that you tow. Love it!

[HuckleberryHunt]

I used my GM integrated for the first time last weekend. Worked great. Dare say I thought it was smoother than my old prodigy.

[ktmrfs]

my gm integrated controller is IMHO light years ahead of the prodigy I had been using on my older GM truck. Both were 2500HD, CC 4x4 towing the same trailer.

with the 2015 and integrated controller there was one time I had to use full brakes, ABS on the truck for about 3 seconds due to an idiot cutting in front of me. control was awesome, straight and true for the truck and trailer.

I'd dare to say with the prodigy it would have been a serious accident given how close I came to hitting the car in front and how much traffic was in either lane.

With the GM integrated controller a setting of 5 is near lockup with the prodigy 10 gave me nowhere near the trailer braking force.

And the GM controller will work with the stabilitrac tyo prevent sway and keep the trailer from fishtailing on braking.

and braking is much much smoother than with the prodigy.

At least with the GM system setup is very easy and has worked flawlessly for about 15K miles of towing.

I would never ever get another tow vehicle w/o a factory integrated controller.

[BenK]

All IBC's are 'highly integrated' into the TV's computer network and
all of the computers onboard...including after market stuff that is likewise
tied into the TV's network...

The temptation to 'highly integrate' is way to high for the designers
to ignore...used to have to red-line lots of stuff out of their proposed
designs...just because they could...they will use EVERYTHING...

NJRVer wrote:
snip

With the case of GM, the fact that it is connected to the trucks computer is a problem.

But not only GM...ALL OEM's do this...highly integrate IBC's to the
rest of the computers on the TV's network

One little glitch and no trailer brakes.
Check out my post about GM Factory Controller problem.

2011 Suburban Brake controller
But can be any OEM, just one of my first comments on "highly integrated IBC's "

benk wrote:
Posted: 04/15/11 10:34am

This is one reason I don't like too many embedded systems in my vehicles

Vehicle OEMs are experts in vehicles, not trailer brake controllers.
Sure they most often these days out source it, but then they 'highly'
integrate it into the vehicle system

GREAT when it works in concert, but horrible when they don't

I speak with lots of experience in this area...systems/process controls/
automation/computing and general interest in anything automotive...and
while at SunLabs worked with my scientists on the EV's that GM had
requested diagnostics help with their JAVA applications.

Note that very large organizations, even once very creative and forward
looking lose their ability to invent well and quickly. Committee metrics
become the norm and is both stifling and staid. Why 'labs' and 'skunk
works' came to be

The temptation to 'highly integrate' is something all engineers fall
prey to and know this well as have been there done that often both
as a designer and as a manager of design teams.

Have not delved into the specifics of the GM trailer brake controller
other than what I've read here. It is a brake hydraulic sensed controller.
Meaning it the thing that initiates the controller to start the trailer
braking session is the TV's brake system's hydraulic pressure.

Then that the engineers have highly integrated that controller into
the rest of the TV's braking & handling features (systems). Why your
ABS and stability system lights came on.

There needs to be a clear hierarchy (master and then the slaves, where
there are then levels of slaves) all in concert. That is where GM
messed up with their JAVAized EV (electric vehicle). Once that was ID'd
as the culprit and the whole vehicle turned into a network with a
clear master with subordinate levels, all was good.

By removing the fuses, it cleared the 'flag' that was set in the ECU
or whatever controller thought it was master.

Think going back to an independent controller would be a wise thing
and the issue will then be HOW2 turn off the integrated controller,
as the vehicle controller will still think it is active and in control
of the trailer brakes.

[S_Davis]

No problems with my 2013 chev 2500HD towing a 13,000lb gooseneck, but then I use my turbo brake as well.

[trail-explorer]

I can smoke the trailer tires with my factory installed controller. 2008 and 2009 GM trucks in my fleet.

[NJRVer]

Michelle.S wrote:
I love my factory installed controller. It's connected into the truck's computer system, so it knows exactly what the truck is doing and how much brakeing is being applied and controls the trailer equally.

With the case of GM, the fact that it is connected to the trucks computer is a problem.

One little glitch and no trailer brakes.
Check out my post about GM Factory Controller problem.

[Trackrig]

Even back on my 2005 Ford F250 the factory controller works fine. I have mine set on five out of a possible eight or ten. I'm sure newer ones are even better.

Bill

[CallMeChris]

I have the factory controller in my 16 Ram and love it once I learned to set it up. Factory settings you could turn it all the way up and barely feel the trailer brakes working. Once it was set right I have my gain on around 4.5 and the trailer will stop the truck from rolling just by manually pressing the control like it's supposed to.

Mine is also on the right hand side in the dash.

[brirene]

donn0128 wrote:
Because of the vast number of adjustments possible, most problems seem to be lack of understanding and or lack of correct setup.

I'll agree with donn, these don't operate the way the after market ones do. If you're expecting the "tug" from the trailer brakes, you won't get it. The IBC is much smoother and works in concert with the truck brakes. I've never had a problem stopping with them or felt the trailer brakes weren't doing what they should.

[donn0128]

Because of the vast number of adjustments possible, most problems seem to be lack of understanding and or lack of correct setup.

[diazr2]

mine works fine as well on an F250 on the the right hand side.