Possible Issues With Factory Brake Controller

[68PowerWagon]

I posted the below thread to an RV Forum & several on there stated Ram is known for factory brake control issues.

Long post but I want to cover everything that has been tried. Coming back from a trip the truck kept showing "brakes are disconnected". Pulled the pig tale in & out a few times thinking maybe it wasn't making a good connection. Still kept giving me problems. Thought maybe the pin for the brakes has gone bad so I ordered a new 7 pin cable for the camper. When I finally had the weekend to work on it I noticed something else while trouble shooting. When I bought the camper I installed the 7 pin plug in my truck bed. It's a plug that just splits off from the bumper plug. When I pulled that connection apart, lots of water came out! The thing was full! Blew all that out & of coarse there was some corrosion. Cleaned it all up with a wire brush & contact cleaner. Got both ends looking good & added a little bit of dielectric grease put it back together & taped the crap out of hoping it would prevent future water invasion. Check the trailer brakes & all was good. Thought since I had already bought the trailer pig tale I might as well replace the old one while I'm at it. Installed that & brakes still working properly. Did some other small projects to the camper & then went to take it back to the storage lot. On the way home same crap! Intermittent brakes. Went ahead & parked it at the storage lot & then tore back into my truck later that week. Everything seemed fine with the plug but I thought maybe I just didn't get the brake pin cleaned up enough & it still wasn't making good contact. So I took a radical approach & connected a wire to the blue brake wire on both sides of the plug. If that was in fact the issue I would be by passing the bad connection. Went to hook up for our next trip & was still getting intermittent brakes. During my trouble shooting I did a continuity test on the fuse for the brakes. It read fine but as a hail mary I purchased a new one anyway. For the first 25 miles of our 3 hour trip the truck dash was still showing the brake connection going on & off. And during that time, there was no correlation when hitting bumps in the road, & the time the brakes would come on or off. Here is the weird part, after that first bit of the trip the brakes started working all of the time. On the way home from our trip, same thing. For the first 10-15 miles the brakes were intermittent but then stayed on the entire time after. I know electrical issue can sometimes drive you nuts & I am there! I am out of ideas. Anyone know what is going on here?

 

[2003F350]

I really don't know what to tell you, that seems really weird that after some time it finally just...works.

But I do know, and the thing that made me hesitate on my Power Wagon, was that Dodge and Ram have, for a long time, been plagued with electrical issues (my wife had an '03 2500, where the fix for several electrical issues was to put a Ford computer in it - not kidding, that's what the dealer we went to did).

I'm beginning to think, though, that it's not just Ram having issues with trailer plugs, because I have been seeing a lot of it on the Ford forums as well (wife still drives one). It might actually be issues with whoever is supplying the plugs - there's only so many manufacturers out there.

 

[Brian2081]

I will through in my .02$, I had a problem with my trailer lights not working. found a chaffed through wire where it wraps around the left front cab mount. Also the main connector for the rear half of the wiring harness is located there as well. if you try and take it apart be careful, good chance you will break off the lock ears.

 

[csuder99]

Brake controllers typically detect the presence of electric brakes by measuring resistance across the brake electro-magnets to ground. Check the trailer wiring, not uncommon to see simple wire nuts on the brake wiring. Also make sure the ground wiring on the trailer side is correct, otherwise the ground connection runs through the trailer hitch causing intermittent function of brakes and lights.

 

[turkeybird56]

OK, here is "my" experience on this. On MY 19, when I was pulling a stock trailer where I use a 7 pin adapter into 4/5 pin, one I have used for a long time with both the RAM and wife's 2010 F150 with the 5.4 Triton. I started getting the intermittent brakes and disconnected trailer warning while driving. Here was the problem: The adapter was old and was a little bit worn from a lot of pulling and plugging in and un plugging. I bought a Brand New 7 Pin adapter and wala, no issues, worked like a charm. Some PPL even put a bungee cord where connected to help with the pulling and slack. I also put a new cover on my electric brake box, since a "hossie" had chewed it years ago and my battery sensor and charge lights did not work (gone/scrapped lol). I also verified all of the grounds on the trailer and the electric brake box and made sure they were all good to go.

ADDED: Another thing: The MY 19's and newer are real picky ref initial plugging in. I have found that if I plug in the trailer connection, apparently it surges and blows the 20 amp cartridge fuse in the fuse box under the hood sometimes. SO, I learned to make sure truck is off, and no lights on, and no doors open, before I plug trailer into truck. It may just be my truck, or maybe trailer, but wanted to share just in case. ALSO it helps to carry a couple extra 20 Blue Cartridge fuses because if U have never looked in the fuse box, separate 20 fuses controls lights: ie., one for left side running, 1 right side running, 1 for brakes/turn signals and 1 for reverse, if yer trailer has reverse. I pull a Stock trailer, no reverse but I do have electric brakes.

Just wanted to post all above just in case someone not familiar.

 

[GTyankee]

I would be asking a friend that also tows, to tow your trailer out on the highway a ways, with you riding along.

That would either exclude the trailer or your vehicle as the problem

What will it cost you ? a BBQ & beverages ?

You should also buy a trailer simulator to plug into your trucks trailer wiring

 

[68PowerWagon]

Thanks for all of the replies! Hopefully I get the opportunity to dig into this weekend. I hate trying to trouble shoot electrical. It can do some really weird stuff!

 

[mwtrees]

I am having the trailer not connected with my 2014 2500. This trailer has been towed behind 2 other Ram's that we have but have separate modules (older trucks) and no problem with the brakes at all. Checked F11 fuse, all is well there. It is as if the trailer is not hooked up. Replace module??

 

[68PowerWagon]

Mine slowly worked itself out. I have taken 3 different trips here over the last 6 weeks & everything has worked as it should.