Table of Contents
Do electric brake controllers go bad?
Use a circuit tester, and check the red wire that exits the rear of the controller. This wire should only go hot when the brake pedal is pressed. If this checks out ok, then the controller is bad and must be replaced. The P2 is a proportional controller for safer, more predictable braking.
What is the best brake controller for a caravan?
Elecbrakes is the best brake controller for travel trailers, caravans and campers due to a number of revolutionary design features. One of the most innovative of these features is its wireless connection to the in car controller.
How does the Draw-Tite Activator work?
The Draw-Tite Activator # 5504 is a time-delayed controller. You use the output control to set how much power the brake controller puts out. It does not matter how hard you push the brakes on the truck, it will always send the amount of power to the trailer brakes that you set it to put out.
What does OL mean on Draw-Tite brake controller?
If the display on your Draw-Tite Activator Brake Controller, part # 5504, shows the letters OL,or Overload Code, that is an indication that there is a short in the Blue wire circuit. The Blue wire supplies power from the controller back to the trailer connector and to the brakes.
How do you test an electric brake controller?
Testing the brake controller is fairly easy. Sever the blue brake output wire near the brake controller leaving enough room to reconnect it and then apply the manual slide. Using a circuit tester like the Quickee Tester, part # 3808, you should get output to the controller side of the wire you severed.
How do you test a factory brake controller?
Press down on the brake pedal while watching the brake controller. The display on the controller should light up and hold a relatively steady reading, which should not vary by more than 1/10 of a volt up and down. It may be necessary to turn the ignition key to the “On” position for this step.
What is a good brake controller?
Editor’s Pick: CURT Echo Electric Trailer Brake Controller. Best for Serious Towers: Tekonsha P3. Best on a Budget: Reese Towpower. CURT Venturer Electric Trailer Brake Controller (51110) Tekonsha Primus IQ. Draw-Tite I-Stop IQ. Reese TowPower Brakeman. Hopkins INSIGHT.
Are all brake controllers the same?
Trailer brake controllers vary in the number of brakes they can power and other types of functionalities. But to simplify the conversation, there really are just two main types of brake controllers to choose from: time-delayed (or stable state) brake controllers and proportional ones.
Can you tow a caravan without electric brakes?
By law, all vehicles towing more than gross 750kg are required to have trailer brakes installed and considering that most caravans exceed this limit you are legally supposed to have them. Trailers that are also over 2000 kg must have electric brakes.
Who makes Draw-Tite hitches?
Draw-Tite is owned by parent company Horizon Global; their hitches are manufactured in Mexico.
What is a Draw-Tite gain sync?
Helpful Expert Reply: Setting the sync on a Draw-Tite Brake Controller allows you to set the amount of power the brake controller will put out. If you are on the highway under normal conditions you may want to set it higher so that if needed the trailer will brake more aggressively.
How do you reset a trailer brake controller?
To reset the Pilot brake controller part # 80550 all you have to do is unplug the connector behind it for a few minutes. Doing that will return it back to the factory presets.
How does a brake controller know if a trailer is connected?
Aftermarket brake controllers send a small amount of voltage along the brake output wire, if a trailer is connected, the magnets in the brake assemblies will create a power draw. This power draw tells the controller that a trailer is connected.
What does sh mean on trailer brakes?
SH indicates a short on the brake output circuit somewhere. One magnet with a bad connection will cause it.
How many volts should a brake controller put out?
Expert Reply: Your brake controller should be getting 12 volts of power going into the brake controller. The wire that feeds power to the brake controller is the Black wire.
Does a brake controller need to be level?
Expert Reply: Electric proportional brake controllers are required to be manually leveled by hand according to the parameters outlined in the installation instructions. Not all brake controllers have the same mounting range so you need to make sure you follow the instructions.
Why is my brake controller not working?
Brake controller loses connection to battery ground. Ground wire was not connected to negative battery terminal, ground area does not have solid connection to ground. Ground connection to negative battery terminal is loose. Ground wire has been damaged and exposed wiring is touching a metal area.
What is a Redarc brake controller?
The REDARC range of electric trailer brake controllers provides an easy to operate method of controlling electric brakes on a trailer, camper-trailer, boat trailer or caravan. Your trailer behaves exactly as you expect it to whenever you apply the vehicle brakes.
How do I know if my electric brakes are working?
The thing is, it’s not always easy to tell which (if any) trailer brakes are working just by pressing the pedal during a test drive. Instead, you’ll want to look for a slide bar on your brake controller. It should go from 0 to 10 or will have an indicator light.
What are the different types of brake controllers?
There are a different types of brake controllers that are currently or previously on the market. Air-actuated electric brake controller. Hydraulic actuated electric controller. Pedal-mounted pressure pad proportional controller. Proportional brake controller. Surge brake. Time-delayed brake controller.
Which tekonsha brake controller is best?
Our pick for the best trailer brake controller is the Tekonsha P3 Electronic Brake Control. It smoothly applies the brakes, controls up to four axles, and has an LCD display and one-button boost switch. It is also quick and easy to adjust, mounts at any angle, and auto adjusts to any angle.
Which axle should trailer brakes be on?
Typically trailers will carry more of their weight on the front of the trailer, so you would want to put the brakes on the front axle as it will most likely carry more weight while braking. Also, when braking, weight will shift forward from the inertia of the stop, so that would put more weight on the front axle.
