Troubleshooting Brake Controller that is Blowing Vehicle Fuse

Published 07/03/2015

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Question:

i have the wires hooked up as per every drawing or installation utube or link i look at,, still blowing, my truck is new so theres no corrosion or damaged wires, is it possible my agility control just may be bad? seems like a direct short,

asked by: Rudy

Expert Reply:

Brake controllers can go bad, and honestly Hopkins controllers are more prone to shorting out than other controllers on the market. You can easily test the controller to determine if the problem you are having is with the wiring or the controller.

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.

For a replacement brake controller I would recommend the Prodigy P2 Brake Controller part # 90885. This is our best selling brake controller because of how well it works and how easy it is to setup. This is a proportional brake controller that senses the amount of braking the tow vehicle is applying and applies a proportionate amount to the trailer brakes.