Troubleshooting Draw Tite Activator Brake Controller that Has Brake Light on All the Time  

Question:

Expert Reply:

If the brake light indicator of the Draw-Tite Activator Trailer Brake Controller # 5504 is on all the time that would indicate that the brake light circuit (red wire) could be shorted out to the power wire (black) of the controller and because of that it thinks the brakes are always on.

There is a possibility that the controller has shorted out though. You can test the controller to verify this.

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 part # PTW2993, you should get output to the controller side of the wire you severed. If the manual slide activates the trailer brake output wire properly, try the brake pedal. If the brake pedal activates the brake output properly also then the problem is farther back either in the vehicle wiring or on the trailer.

If either the brake pedal or the manual slide are not functioning properly you will need to test the wires going into the brake controller. Make sure you have power entering the brake controller on the black wire. On the red wire you will only want power when the brake pedal is pressed.

If there is power on the red wire before the brake pedal is pressed you have connected the red wire from the brake controller to the wrong circuit. You would then need to find the brake switch wire that has power ONLY when the brake pedal is activated.

If these connections check out and the brake controller is properly grounded then there is possibly a problem inside the brake controller.

I am including a link to a video that will show you how to test the wiring on a brake controller.

expert reply by: Jameson C

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