Jordan 2000-2020 users, need advice

Well I'm happy to report that after disassembling the Jordan and doing the suggested changes to the contacts, that I have not had any issues with it. Did the repairs last year and had good results on short tows.

Just got back from a 2000 mile trip to Mackinaw City and all went well. It does help that my friend has allowed me to carry his extra Jordan as back up.

I did discover while researching the unit that you should always disconnect the cable to the brake pedal, whenever you are NOT towing. I had not done that in the past.

Ben, thanks for posting the pics from the link.

Gdetrailer wrote:


I am simply amazed at times at the nonsense folks post.

The Jordan 2020 is simply the most elegant use of the K.I.S.S method.

It is not overly complicated, does not use a computer with faulty firmware (IE P2), does not require overly complicated "boost/no boost" or other fiddling with controls while driving. It is simply the best set it and forget it. Far smoother than any inertia based controller and the only ones that match it is a built in controller or one that taps the master cylinder.

Two things in the Jordan which can cause intermittent operation.

One is a potentiometer and the other is a leaf switch.

Either items often can be corrected.

You will find your repair answers HERE.

Thanks for the link!

I couldn't agree more with your KISS statement. Although I am leaning towards the maxbrake if I can't fix the Jordan, it requires a brake sensor to send a signal the the processor and then it send it's calculated voltage to the TT.

jerem0621 wrote:
Can you even buy this brake control any more? I thought they went out of business or something like that.

No you cannot. They were bought out by (I think) Camco but Camco never put it on the market again. Too bad!
Barney

Can you even buy this brake control any more? I thought they went out of business or something like that.

Steve....that old thread has many aspects based on new info and info not known back then

One poster used to boohoo 3/4 ton Subs as there is little difference with a half
ton Sub, but notice he now has a 3/4 ton...

Or that it was unknown to many that the GMT800 4x4's had the front axle bump stop
touch the lower A-Arm in all conditions, therefore a secondary front axle spring

Also, back then, even drop was still the rule of thumb, albeit in the process of
changing and my guess because of the new front suspensions already out there

Finally, it was still contentious, as it is a bit so now, that the GMT800 receiver
was a pick of junk...or more PC...not a good design

So many who have gone and spent the approx $200 bucks on a traditional receiver
design replacement *ONLY* have reported that they now can transfer enough weight

No other changes than that new receiver

Not worth the time to go further than 3 pages, as it is a repeat of contentious
comments without knowing what we know today (or at least what I now know)

Oh, the why of the jerking when braking while towing a trailer

It has to do with the TV's braking leading the trailer's brakes

There is slop in any coupler and is supposed to be there in order to move the
ball away from the front dome portion of the coupler

Towing will have the ball move forward, into that dome and that dome has a lower
hemisphere to capture the ball when the ball unweights during a whop-do AND the
latch assembly moves in a metal pawl to form a rear lower hemisphere

When the latch is opened, that pawl is withdrawn and as the ball is moved BACK
out of the front dome, it no longer has any lower hemisphere to keep it

When the TV's braking leads the trailers, the ball moves back and against that latch
pawl

When the trailers brakes finally kick in, the ball is now slammed into the
front of the coupler dome to become that 'bang' and 'jerk'

Since my P3 is told to initiate the trailer brakes BEFORE the MC ever develops
PSI, the trailer brakes 'LEAD' my Suburban's brakes...so the ball never leaves
contact with the front portion of the coupler dome

A case can be made that if I pressed the brake pedal hard/fast enough,
the TV brakes 'may' lead the trailer brakes...yes, if the hysteresis
of the trailer braking system is longer than the TV's braking system
but to date, have not experienced that...even after too many 'have to
slam on the brake' sessions with the trailers I've towed

Folks who marvel at the MC PSI sensed miss that and that they also
have a bit sooner lead, but not as much as my GM brake switch sensed
or those with a plunger type brake switch (they are later in the game,
as they can NOT be adjusted as tight as the GM switch...or that I've
come across...any have the switch spec on the other OEM's?)

By the time my Suburban's MC develops PSI, the trailer has already been braking
to then sense the inertia sensor's input that 'hey, there is deceleration' and
goes into the preset braking metrics

This is a ditto with MC PSI sensed, but again not as much lead as
my P3.

Albeit milli seconds (dependent on how fast/hard the pedal is
pushed...I can dwell and NOT go into pushing the MC piston rod, so
all trailer brakes and no TV brakes), but never the less, mine leads any MC PSI
sensed, unless they also employ a brake pedal switch that initiates
as soon as the GM brake switch

Steve...I'm semi-retired taking care of mom (Hospice) so for now, lots
of time to no time and glad to do this...therapeutic in a way for me

That old thread a bit long for my time available at this time...later
on that

Ah, went to that link posted by Gdetrailer and see that Jordon made
their own switch...tough in the limited quantities of 'this' product

The wiping action is common to all contacts. Whether hundreds of amperes
to milli-amperes. Hard gold for low voltage (signal) is also common and
the great debate on that is how thick...I like 5 microns as a min

Also, a carbon pot and haven't seen nor heard of a linear pot in decades



Personally, if these kinds of things necessary to keep the Jordon
going...it high time to look for a replacement. Very old technology
and sure it is simple, but also fraught with potential issues that
might show up at the wrong time(s)

Bending the switch arms, sanding down contacts, scraping off oxidation, etc
is a been there done that decades ago and also know how quickly their
issues comes back. The biggie is not if, but when...

Using the GM OEM brake switch solves that for me, as in this class
of OEM and products (assume GM does not make it like they used to make
just about everything, but outsourced and that there is a PO with a
detailed specification and most likely based on that switch OEM's
base line or product line specification)

That should have a MTBF in the millions of cycles at load (specified)
Maybe tens of millions or more

I got tossed out of a Detroit design center about 20 years ago. Sales
folks asked my Sunlabs team to install and test a custom CPU module
to run a CAD program head to head.

Since their Program Manager, I didn't have much to do, so wandered and
found a young kid loading up a switch spec and noticed all he was doing
was changing the spec from 5 microns hard gold to 2 microns...asked and
he said his boss said to do that for all of the switch from all of
their suppliers...explained why 5 microns is the 'gold' standard and
he understood...meanwhile his boss came over and got pretty steamed
at me...

A bit later found another group changing wire gauges and to a non AWG
but their own...ditto...to save money, but willy-nilly without engineering
thought...different boss and the group manager got wind and had me
escorted out of the building...

Knew from then on that, that Detroit OEM would have more electrical
fires than the others...

Anyway, just about any controller can be reworked and made 'almost'
like new, but why bother with a huge safety component when very affordable
replacements abound

Again, there is no 'one size fits all' here. I do NOT like the MC PSI
sensed. Both from their lack of fastidiousness of design and instruction

Nor does that design, unless they also use the brake pedal switch as
their initial sense, gets the controller turned on sooner than my P3

Nor can they stop the whole setup without ever developing MC PSI like
my setup can.

Again, unless they have a brake pedal switch sense like mine...but then
why touch the MC hydraulic system?

Yet again, most who complain about jerking/banging/etc to me and I've
had the chance to hands on (even a few via email instructions) find
that their braking system (not the controller) is not setup right. Mainly
their trailer braking system not up to snuff and includes electrical
harness/connector and the biggie...the magnets

I'll comment on the GMT800 receiver, but am almost positive it is the
POS receiver needing replacement with a traditional deisgn

BenK writes "Back on the Jordon...

One large factor in my decision to pass on the Jordon decades ago is
with my guess on what linear sensor they employed

Never found out, but didn't try that hard either.

From the very expensive Farand type of transducers to a linear gear
that, that wire moves that has a spur gear mounted on a potentiometer
is my guess

If a Pot, then is it precision wire or carbon. If carbon, then those
things don't last long both from wear and oxidation. A shot of contact
cleaner & lube normally solves an oxidation issue...temporally. If worn,
only a new pot will solve that

If a solid state transducer, then finding a supplier will be an issue

They may have made up their own and if me, I'd have a strip with graduated
lines that a LED shines on and a receiver reads the number of lines,
rate of change and direction of change. That would require the OEM
(Jordon) to supply a new one

The comment of 'whacking' the controller says that this most likely
if whacking does get it going for a bit"

Over thinking things.

By overthinking you PASSED up by far THE MOST RELIABLE controller HANDS DOWN. It has performed flawlessly and even has saved my bacon when a deer ran out in front of me while towing at 70 MPH!

The Jordan employs a "pot" which granted does wear out over time. But I would rather risk my life on that pot instead of faulty "firmware" which is nothing more than trickery or worse yet what happens when the third brake light fuse blows (P2, P3 and time based controllers DEPEND on the brake light switch to activate).

My one Jordan finally started giving intermittent issues after 350,000 miles of driving. This controller was transplanted from my first truck which had 150K miles when traded, the second truck now has 200K miles.

To me that is a outstanding life and chances are if I would have disconnected the cable as mentioned in the manual when not towing it would not have developed that issue for many more miles.

For the price of what I paid for the Jordan it was well worth it, you simply can not get such smooth operation with any inertia controllers, period.

My new truck has a factory built in controller, let me tell you the Jordan performs just as good as the built in. When I get a chance I WILL be repairing my Jordan since I kept the old truck as a backup vehicle.

Once you get spoiled by the best you simply do not want to downgrade with a slap it in inertia controller...

wittmeba wrote:
If smacking the controller makes a difference I would scrap the controller and find a replacement. Just seems to indicate a defective controller.

MaxBrake would be my first choice, Prodigy probably second.

Make sure the actuator line from the brake pedal arm into the controller is moving smoothy and easily.

If wiggling the connector makes a difference Id start troubleshooting the connector and wiring.

Anytime you have output to the brakes you will have a current reading on the Jordan. During tests Id suggest turning it up all the way just to be sure you get a reading.

I am simply amazed at times at the nonsense folks post.

The Jordan 2020 is simply the most elegant use of the K.I.S.S method.

It is not overly complicated, does not use a computer with faulty firmware (IE P2), does not require overly complicated "boost/no boost" or other fiddling with controls while driving. It is simply the best set it and forget it. Far smoother than any inertia based controller and the only ones that match it is a built in controller or one that taps the master cylinder.

Two things in the Jordan which can cause intermittent operation.

One is a potentiometer and the other is a leaf switch.

Either items often can be corrected.

You will find your repair answers HERE.