I am a newbie at all this, so please bear with me. I got a new truck and installed the brake controller myself. Went this weekend to pick up our TT from getting it serviced...it was plugged in correctly and the lights worked okay, but yet the brake controller didn't come on. It is a Tekonsha Primus...and when I turn the truck on, the dot on the "screen" lights up, so I know that somewhere, somehow it is getting some juice. It just isn't doing what it is supposed to. I was just wondering if anyone here had some ideas about what I might could do to remedy this besides taking it in, which is my plan eventually, but I just wanted to make sure it wasn't some dummy mistake first! Someone else wrote in another post to please respond in kindergarten language...I need that, too! Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions!
Help with brake controller
- Thread starter loopy51
- Start date
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Did you try driving slowly (15-20 mph) and applying the trailer brakes with the brake control slider? Drive on dry pavement up to 15-20 mph, let up on accelarator and slide brake controller slide to apply trailer brakes. You should feel the trailer holding you back. If the trailer brakes lock up, you should back the off the adjustment a bit. If you don't fell any braking, you should adjust sensor to apply braking.
I have an older type of Tekonsa brake controller and it took me a bit of playing around to get it to function at about the same pace as my truck.
Jake
I have an older type of Tekonsa brake controller and it took me a bit of playing around to get it to function at about the same pace as my truck.
Jake
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
There won't be any braking at the trailer unless and until you actually apply the tow vehicle brakes, and then only in proportion to the RATE at which the tow vehicle is actually slowing down. It's an inertial controller and won't apply the trailer brakes needlessly. The exception to this is use of the Manual Slide Knob.
According to the Primus manual, the display is blank only when the trailer is NOT connected. A "c" code is displayed when you connect the trailer and then a value (e.g. 5.4) when you move the manual braking slide knob to manually activate the trailer brakes, so you should be able to tell if it is working.
If your display remains blank after connecting the trailer to the brake wiring, it would seem the controller is not detecting the trailer. I would suspect a bad ground or a bad connection somewhere in the harness. You probably need the trailer to be actually hooked to the hitch a well as plugging the wiring harness, so that the trailer and tow vehicle share a common ground.
According to the Primus manual, the display is blank only when the trailer is NOT connected. A "c" code is displayed when you connect the trailer and then a value (e.g. 5.4) when you move the manual braking slide knob to manually activate the trailer brakes, so you should be able to tell if it is working.
If your display remains blank after connecting the trailer to the brake wiring, it would seem the controller is not detecting the trailer. I would suspect a bad ground or a bad connection somewhere in the harness. You probably need the trailer to be actually hooked to the hitch a well as plugging the wiring harness, so that the trailer and tow vehicle share a common ground.
Okay...tried hooking it all up again....still nothing when I plug it in. I tried unplugging the harness and plugging it in again...when I did plug it in again, it briefly flashed the "n.c."...which represents a trailer disconnection (while the trailer was actually connected). I'm still getting the dot each time I push my brake pedal (which means the manual slide knob was applied without the trailer connected). Any other suggestions?? Thanks so much for your help already.
Tell me if you guys think this could be the problem...could I possibly have the wrong harness? I was looking on Tekonsha's site where it was explaining which wires in the harness corresponded with the wires in the brake control. It had one set listed for Dodges, and then one for newer Dodges...mine is a 2005. In the wiring for the Dodges, it had a red wire...the one for the newer one listed a green wire instead of a red one. Could my whole problem be that I just have the older harness and need to find one for the newer models? And if that is the case, do you know where I could get the newer harness...I have tried looking at several places on the internet and can't seem to find any that distinguish between the two harnesses....they just all say "Dodge Harness"...and usually the years listed are '96-'04.
Thanks again for any help. If any of you are ever in Missouri in the Truman Lake area or Pomme de Terre lake area, I'll owe you a beer!
Thanks again for any help. If any of you are ever in Missouri in the Truman Lake area or Pomme de Terre lake area, I'll owe you a beer!
Carl L
Moderator Emeritus
Just a thought.? ?I had a similar problem of no juice from controller to trailer.? It turned out that the contracts on the trailer's Bargman plug were not making contact with the pin in the trucks socket.? The problem was solved by bending the contacts inward with a screwdriver's blade.? ?Give it a try.? It is easy and cheap.? Nothing lost, if it doesn't work for you.? ?;D
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
I believe the Tekonsha instrutions refer to the two different style wiring harnesses supplied by Dodge with their trailer towing package. Did your Dodge come with this package/harness? If you do not have the towing package, you may not have the harness at all or may have a harness supplied by someone other than Dodge, in which case the Tekonsha instructions may not apply. You did not state whether your wiring harness has a green wire or a red one and which one you used for the hook-up.
But before I concluded there was a major mismatch like that, I would check all the connections from the brake controller to the trailer. The Controller appears to be working but not detecting the trailer and that suggests a problem with the wiring to the trailer or the connector itself. The pins on the connector may even be miswired - it is not at all unheard of, even from the factory. Use an electrical meter to check continuity and voltages at the connector, in both directions (to trailer and to the truck).
But before I concluded there was a major mismatch like that, I would check all the connections from the brake controller to the trailer. The Controller appears to be working but not detecting the trailer and that suggests a problem with the wiring to the trailer or the connector itself. The pins on the connector may even be miswired - it is not at all unheard of, even from the factory. Use an electrical meter to check continuity and voltages at the connector, in both directions (to trailer and to the truck).
John From Detroit
Well-known member
If worst comes to worst....... I grew up in Tekonsha
Loopy,
I f you still have doubts about your wiring harness, you can get a new one at the Dodge parts department. I know because I bought one for my 2005 Dodge and then found one in the glove compartment. They ususally supply one with each new truck.
Jake
I f you still have doubts about your wiring harness, you can get a new one at the Dodge parts department. I know because I bought one for my 2005 Dodge and then found one in the glove compartment. They ususally supply one with each new truck.
Jake
