I have 2017 North Trail 22rBK & am towing it with a 2014 Ram 1500. Hooked up to go for a trip Friday & the error message "check trailer brake wiring" came up. Thought maybe it was a fuse in the truck, but those look OK. Also cleaned up the plug & receptacle & still not connecting. trying to find out if this is an easy fix or if I need to get it in for service. Any help appreciated. Thanks.
Check trailer brake wiriing message
- Thread starter Budman
- Start date
RoadJunkie
Well-known member
Does your truck have an option for either Electric or Electric over Hydraulic? Perhaps that setting was changed? Typically, the truck "looks" for a load on the controller, so perhaps one, or more, brake wires has become loose, corroded connection, or disconnected.
danemayer
Well-known member
It may be a problem with one of the brake assemblies.
Try a pull test where you manually activate the brakes at full power while trying to pull forward. You can also try pulling the emergency breakaway cable to test brake operation, but don't leave it unplugged for more than a minute.
Make sure you have stopping power.
If all looks good, you might try towing nearby on roads with light traffic. Check the wheel hubs after a mile or two to see if a wheel is getting hot. That would indicate that the brake is engaged continuously.
Try a pull test where you manually activate the brakes at full power while trying to pull forward. You can also try pulling the emergency breakaway cable to test brake operation, but don't leave it unplugged for more than a minute.
Make sure you have stopping power.
If all looks good, you might try towing nearby on roads with light traffic. Check the wheel hubs after a mile or two to see if a wheel is getting hot. That would indicate that the brake is engaged continuously.
Lou_and_Bette
Well-known member
I had a similar problem with my 08 F450...couldn't seem to find reason for intermittent "trailer disconnected" message. Then, during routine service, tech noticed my "cyclops" stop light, (the extra one on back of cab) was out and he couldn't find wiring problem. When I related trailer wiring problem it gave him the needed info to find it was a relay (not fuse) that was not functioning correctly. He changed that relay and all was well. So, have someone stand behind truck and see if your brake light is working.
Cyclops light is working. Thanks for helping out.
- - - Updated - - -
Brakes are locking up when pulling forward & reverse. For some reason our emergency brakeaway cable completely broke off. Not sure how that happens. Could that be the reason brakes are locked up?
when the cable broke did it the plunger pin pull out of the breakaway switch. If so then yes your brakes would be locked up. Also this very hard on your brake assemblies because your magnet would be engaged against the drums. so if plunger pin is pulled then re install ASAP
MountainDon
Active Member
Hello Budman,
I recently got this warning on my GMC console - when my battery was dying. After I replaced the battery, the message went away.
Don
I recently got this warning on my GMC console - when my battery was dying. After I replaced the battery, the message went away.
Don
Dennyha
Well-known member
This happened to me last week, an hour away from Goshen. I have a 2014 Ram 3500. I was thinking I had a problem with the truck. When the installer showed up Tuesday to do my disc brake upgrade, I explained the situation to him. He was confidant the problem was with a wire near the drum brakes. Sure enough, when he pulled the drum brakes, there was a wire by one of the magnets that was frayed down to a few strands. After the brakes were fully installed, no more “check trailer brake wiring” messages.
farside291
Well-known member
I got the same message on my 2016 Ram when the plug came loose at the Pigtail under the bumper.
Dennyha
Well-known member
When this happened to me last week, I checked on RamForumz, and learned that the RAM truck sends a 50mV signal down the brake wire, and if it doesn't see the continuity/response that it expects, it responds with the "Check Trailer Brake Wiring" message. This could be due to a mis-wired plug, a frayed wire at the magnet, etc.
