Trailer brakes disconnected

[hantzum]

I have a Cyclone 4200 that I tow with a 15 3500 Ram. I continuously get "Check trailer brake wiring" immediately followed by a message "Trailer brakes disconnected". This message often repeats itself several times on my display in my truck. During this time I have 0 trailer brakes. Manually engaging them with the controller or applying the brake does no good. Trying to stop with a 15,000+ load is almost impossible. I had the trailer checked out by a certified service center and they gave it the all good so I then focused on the truck. I had the truck in the dealership 5 times. Each time they found a different issue. Small things like a short in the fuse or the trailer brake control module wasn't responding accordingly, they replaced the 7 way connector female end as well. Well I towed my trailer with a 2017 super duty and it did the same thing only slightly different. It gave me a message that said "fault in trailer brake" then immediately disappeared. I never once lost brakes towing it with the Ford and it also seemed the trailer brakes were much more responsive with the super duty than with the Ram. This leads me to believe that there is a fault in the trailer somewhere than an issue with the truck. Its much easier to take my truck down to Chrysler and drop it off then it is to take my trailer 150 miles to have it checked. I have done it once so I'm thinking there is something they missed.
So I did process of elimination. I completely replace the 7-way connector on the trailer thinking it was a bad connection. Bought the whole new cord from a local RV shop and it still does it.
The thing is; its so inconsistent when it does it. I can hook up take it out for the weekend and drive it 300 miles round trip with 0 problems. Then I go pick it up one day and on the way home from storage or way to storage it does it. This last time it did it we were driving from west Texas to st louis a 950 mile one way trip and for 562 miles, no problems. Then it started and it did for 10 min then it stopped. Then about 30 min later off and on.
Any thoughts???? I definitely need to get this fixed. Major safety concern.

 

[danemayer]

I got that same message on our 2014 RAM 3500 console last summer. Pulled over and found that one brake assembly had melted down - either from falling apart, or from being energized continuously.

In checking the trailer, did the tech pull the hubs to inspect the brake assemblies?

Also, one or two people have reported wiring with intermittent shorts/opens. You might need some new wire.

 

[wdk450]

I have a Cyclone 4200 that I tow with a 15 3500 Ram. I continuously get "Check trailer brake wiring" immediately followed by a message "Trailer brakes disconnected". This message often repeats itself several times on my display in my truck. During this time I have 0 trailer brakes. Manually engaging them with the controller or applying the brake does no good. Trying to stop with a 15,000+ load is almost impossible. I had the trailer checked out by a certified service center and they gave it the all good so I then focused on the truck. I had the truck in the dealership 5 times. Each time they found a different issue. Small things like a short in the fuse or the trailer brake control module wasn't responding accordingly, they replaced the 7 way connector female end as well. Well I towed my trailer with a 2017 super duty and it did the same thing only slightly different. It gave me a message that said "fault in trailer brake" then immediately disappeared. I never once lost brakes towing it with the Ford and it also seemed the trailer brakes were much more responsive with the super duty than with the Ram. This leads me to believe that there is a fault in the trailer somewhere than an issue with the truck. Its much easier to take my truck down to Chrysler and drop it off then it is to take my trailer 150 miles to have it checked. I have done it once so I'm thinking there is something they missed.
So I did process of elimination. I completely replace the 7-way connector on the trailer thinking it was a bad connection. Bought the whole new cord from a local RV shop and it still does it.
The thing is; its so inconsistent when it does it. I can hook up take it out for the weekend and drive it 300 miles round trip with 0 problems. Then I go pick it up one day and on the way home from storage or way to storage it does it. This last time it did it we were driving from west Texas to st louis a 950 mile one way trip and for 562 miles, no problems. Then it started and it did for 10 min then it stopped. Then about 30 min later off and on.
Any thoughts???? I definitely need to get this fixed. Major safety concern.

Maybe you need to have an add-on controller, like a Prodigy system installed in your truck.

 

[Gary521]

Perhaps this post and your earlier post on landing gear are related to a common electrical issue

 

[Roller4tan]

Perhaps a brake wiring ground issue

 

[billk263]

I would also consider checking the wiring and all of the connections from the trailer 7 way connector all the way to the brakes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

2016 Landmark Charleston
2016 Ram 3500
Mega Cab
Dually
3:73 Axle Ratio

 

[jam20ster]

+1 on electrical issue. Could be anywhere from a bad ground on the trailer to short in the wiring. My experience with issues such as this is a major pain in the butt. I usually end up replacing complete wiring harness. In your case this might be a bit expensive.

 

[Titanguy]

Ram's are notorious for bad grounds. I would take some 12 ga. wire and run a separate ground from your trailer plug directly to the battery. If that fixes the problem, then you can take it back to Ram and have them fix it.

 

[Doublegranch]

On my last service for the 16 Ram they updated a couple of programs, one was for the brake controler. They had some complaints regarding braking issues when towing. I haven't towed since the update but you might ask your dealer if your truck needs the new update.

 

[mlpeloquin]

I had only one time the wonderful message on my GMC no trailer breaks connected while trying to stop and I had no trailer breaks. Thankfully I had enough space and the GMC brakes did a good job with a very heavy push on the peddle. I found no problem except the continued no trailer breaks warning. After plugging and unplugging the trailer connector, and checking the wires, I really looked at the connector contacts. They had a heavy dark oxide coating on them. Sprayed a contact cleaner on them and waited an hour before looking at them again. It cleaned them up. Plugged the connector back in and everything has been fine since.

 

[Crumgater]

This happened to us with our 2008 F350.

After lots of head scratching (and searches on the Ford Truck Forum), we started to notice that, if it's raining out, no problems.
If it's dry... wire fault on trailer and/or trailer disconnected. We never actually lost braking ability, though, that we know of.
(we're in Seattle, so, it took a while to notice the correlation)

We narrowed ours down to when it started... corresponding to when we put spongy shelf-liner between the hitch and the hitch-rails (which made a HUGE difference in the amount of 'clunking' noises coming from the hitch during starts & stops).

The liner ended up insulating the truck from the trailer, electrically.

Apparently, the Ford trailer plug ground wire is notorious for being undersized (I had not heard Dodge also had that issue). The frame-to-frame connection along the hitch is the major ground return line for any control signals sent to the trailer. If that connection is removed, the circuit cannot complete at higher amps - such as that used for braking on the larger trailers.

We took out one of the liner squares, and that fixed the problem. We also were able to remove 95% of the errors using a jumper cable between the truck and the trailer (frame in the bed to frame in the hitch-box). It's a quick thing to try, and see if that's the same issue you're working with.

-Tina

 

[TomMar]

Ok I'll throw in my 2 cents. I had that problem with my F250 and the BH, then my F350 with the BH and with both trucks the problem was intermittent and the 7 pin plug was standard bumper mount. Experimenting I found the plug/cable was flexing (even when locked under the lock tab) enough to cause the problem. I took a bungee cord and ran it from the bumper hitch across to the 7 pin, made 1 wrap and continued to the hitch frame. The 7 pin was secure and the problem disappeared. With my present truck the 7 pin is in the bed and there is not any flex so no bungee..Good Luck.

 

[Bones]

I hope I'm not too late to help you out here. I would take a bet that your wires inside the axle tubes have started to melt down. When they rub on the inside of the axle they short to ground and give the truck no resistance. The truck needs to see resistance to know your brakes are there. You are going to have to check the magnets and wires for a short to ground and more than likely you will be replacing the axle wires for the brakes. I had the very same issue you are experiencing and it is extremely frustrating. No one seems to be able to get it fixed. If this is your problem then it will fix it. Here are a few pictures.



You will have to cut all the wires to your brakes at the axle location. Cut the magnets free and ohm them. Then check the wire going through the axle and if you get a tone they are shorted. Also make sure you ohm to ground as well. You could also have busted magnets too so go ahead and check them as well.

 

[pegmikef]

Ok I'll throw in my 2 cents. I had that problem with my F250 and the BH, then my F350 with the BH and with both trucks the problem was intermittent and the 7 pin plug was standard bumper mount. Experimenting I found the plug/cable was flexing (even when locked under the lock tab) enough to cause the problem. I took a bungee cord and ran it from the bumper hitch across to the 7 pin, made 1 wrap and continued to the hitch frame. The 7 pin was secure and the problem disappeared. With my present truck the 7 pin is in the bed and there is not any flex so no bungee..Good Luck.

I had the same problem with my F350 and it too was sporadic, It turned out to be that the in bed socket holes were apparently a little worn (just enough so contact would periodically be lost and restored). I started using contact cleaner and a piece of duct tape to hold the connector in place. No more problem. Last year I had to replace the truck bed (don't ask) and the new one had a new socket and the problem disappeared.

 

[abitacyclone]

Mine is doing exactly the same thing, 2012 Ram 3500, 09 Cyclone 3950. I've had both in the shop, truck IBC was throwing a code, replaced by dealer, not throwing a code anymore. trailer checked out fine. Any suggestions? It will go for hours without issues, then go stupid. The warning comes in and clears almost immediately.

 

[wdk450]

Mine is doing exactly the same thing, 2012 Ram 3500, 09 Cyclone 3950. I've had both in the shop, truck IBC was throwing a code, replaced by dealer, not throwing a code anymore. trailer checked out fine. Any suggestions? It will go for hours without issues, then go stupid. The warning comes in and clears almost immediately.

My big suggestion for ANY electrical contact issues in the rig (including intermittent switches and relays) is Caig Cramolyn DeOxIt contact restorer/cleaner. This is available on Amazon and other internet sales sources. This recommendation comes from my career experience as a hospital biomedical electronics technician. This is a terrific first step, but good grounding, contact adjustment (bending) and cable movement isolation are also effective next steps.