Brake Controller/Trailer Brakes UPDATE Question

[BFL13]

(Update question 19 March)

I am trouble-shooting a problem and I am stuck on where to test next. All help welcome!

Have Tekonsha controller and Dexter trailer brakes 2003 era.

Lately, the manual slider on the controller does nothing for braking with no truck braking, although the light goes from green to orange as it slides across as usual. It used to make the trailer brakes come on and you could do the rest of the setting up for the controller.

Towing seems ok where the truck-trailer seems to stop as usual, even down-hill, but I cannot tell if it is all truck or not.

With the truck and trailer parked, 7-pin connected, all the Tekonsha setting up procedures seem to happen ok. got the orange light vs red just right, same as usual.

While parked, 7-pin connected, truck brakes on with bricks on pedal, the trailer brake lights are on ok. (The other 7-pin lights etc all work too)

While like that with the truck pedal down some with bricks, I scraped some of the blue trailer cord wire under the kingpin to see some copper and got 8 volts between that and kingpin ground.

(I think I read that you should get increasing voltage there as the truck brake pedal goes down, but have not tested that)

To see if the trailer brakes work at all, I disconnected the 7-pin and yanked the breakaway pin out. Got 12 amps showing on the Trimetric, correct amps for these brakes according to Dexter manual, and also the truck pulling a little proved the trailer brakes are locked. Then when breakaway pin replaced, truck pulled trailer easy, amps nil. So the brakes can work.

How can I find out while parked if the brake controller is doing anything to brake the trailer instead of it maybe being all truck?

Is it possible the controller can work but the slider bar doesn't do anything even though the lamp goes from green to orange as the slider goes across?

Thanks.

[sh410]

I recommend the Prodigy P2 and then keep your existing controller as a spare.

IMHO, the prodigy wil provide smoother braking with less adjusting than a time based controller.

Not a big fan of shopping for price for a safety item. 🙂

[BFL13]

ScottG wrote:
The brakes will work surprisingly well if covered by grease. They may also run hot if contaminated.
BTW, did you read my previous post regarding the Voyager?

Did some more trouble shooting, eventually found that the voltage on the blue wire only went from 0-5 volts with the gain at usual setting.

That voltage should go to 12v, which it did when I turned the gain to max. Now I get braking again just right, but with gain at max.

It was mentioned there is a part in the Voyager that weakens over time. Is this my situation? If it weakens more I can't turn up the gain more.

I am thinking I ought to have a "spare" handy in case the Voyager quits entirely while we are on a trip and it is not so easy to get one right away. There is a sale on locally for a controller that I would like some opinions on please:

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/en/Brake-Controllers/Brake-Force-Time-Based-LED-4-Brake-Controller/8...

http://www.etrailer.com/faq-brakecontroller.aspx

[Terryallan]

You have to remember, You have a enertia activated brake controller. It will not apply hardly any power to the TT brakes unless the TV, and TT are MOVING. To test the controller, and your brakes. Hookup, and drive up to 25, or 30 MPH. Push the manual arm on the controller all the way to the stop, With out pressing the TV brake pedal. If it, and the brakes are working. You will feel the brakes on the trailer come on. How hard the come on will depend on how you have adjusted the controller.

The Voyager has an actual Pendulum inside the controller that swings forward during braking. The harder you stop the farther / faster the pendulum swings, and the more power is sent to the trailer brakes. No swing, no power sent.

The Prodigy on the other hand has a accelerometer / (sort of electric pendulum) that activates the trailer brakes

[BFL13]

Yes, thanks. I could try the brakes with a wheel jacked up-- that is worth a try. I do know you have to be moving for the inertia sensor to operate, but AFAIK the manual slider should still make the brakes work.

I did notice this at first while moving and the manual slider did nothing, where it used to stop the truck and trailer with no truck brake on. Using the truck brakes stops everything just fine so I don't know if the trailer brakes work or not. I would have thought the truck would have a hard time stopping with no trailer brakes, but maybe not!

With the 5er it may not show where with a TT it might jack-knife? Yipes.

[NEOK]

Not sure if this is pertinent to your issue but I have Dexter brakes on my boat trailer and I use the factory 2009 GMC brake controller. When I tried to test the brakes with the trailer jacked up nothing was happening. The Dexter dealer told me the brakes will not engage unless I am going over 5 mph. They work fine when I am towing or if I jack the trailer up and spin the wheel manually.

[BFL13]

ScottG wrote:
The brakes will work surprisingly well if covered by grease. They may also run hot if contaminated.
BTW, did you read my previous post regarding the Voyager?

Yes I have the Voyager, but if I am getting the correct voltage as far as the blue wire in the trailer's cord and am getting humming on the wheels, does that not indicate the controller is working?

I might have a problem between the magnets and the shoes actually doing anything? If I can show the electric side is ok, then I will have to go and get the hubs pulled and all that. I see the Dexter manual has a trouble shooting guide that kind of takes you there if the electric tests prove out. But I had hoped my breakaway test eliminated that as an issue. No?

[ScottG]

The brakes will work surprisingly well if covered by grease. They may also run hot if contaminated.
BTW, did you read my previous post regarding the Voyager?

[BFL13]

Ok thanks, now I do remember years ago I used to hear them sort of clashing when I was backing in a spot and had the window open. Not sure when I last ever heard that loud clashing.

Just now, tried it while parked 7-pin connected, and son in truck, brake pedal down, beside the trailer wheels you can hear a loud humming noise, noise same from each of four wheels.

No brake pedal down, but controller slider over, same humming from each trailer wheel.

I would suspect no braking in spite of the humming (say grease on brakes or whatever) if the trailer brakes had not locked up on the breakaway braking test mentioned. Is that valid?

Mex, I don't know if it matters if the trailer brakes light up or not as such, but the controller works from the truck brake pedal switch that makes those lights work.

[ScottG]

Is that a Tekonsha "Voyager"? I had two of those that just got weaker with age. When I opened the last one up I found that they were using a component (op amp) that's rated for 1.5 AMPS - way too puny.
Replaced it with a Prodigy and all is well.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Hmm, when I used to manually engage my TT brakes then try to move forward, the resistance was unmistakeable. Period. On a really stubborn job in order to save time sometimes I connected a 12 volt source at the trailer brakes and worked backward to the tow vehicle.

And here I always thought trailer brake lights were part of the automotive brake light system because of turn signals and none of that had anything to do whatsoever with the trailer electric brakes or wiring or connector pin.

[Francesca_Knowl]

If I step on the brake pedal or slide the manual knob when the tug's ignition is off, I can HEAR the trailer brakes energizing. So long as my window's open, of course.