Should a Brake Controller Manual Override Lever Apply Vehicle Brake Lights

Updated 12/03/2015 | Published 12/02/2015

Question:

I installed a tekonsha voyager on my 2015 pilot supplied with your wiring harness to make the 7 pin trailer harness work. It worked well for the couple times I towed with the pilot. Today I noticed that if you push the manual slide on the brake controller the pilots brake lights come on. They did not do this before and Im wondering if its something shorted in the wiring harness I purchased from you or if its the brake controller. By harness Im talking about the plug and play that installs in the vehicles cargo area. Any suggestions?

asked by: Jarrod D

Expert Reply:

Some brake controllers can illuminate the brake lights of the vehicle when the manual override lever is applied. This is a safety feature that allows vehicles behind you to know if the vehicle and trailer are slowing down but aren't using the vehicles brakes.

What the controller will do is put voltage on the stoplight circuit wire (red) when the lever is pressed which will then tell the vehicle to apply the brake lights.

If the controller is working fine otherwise you would have nothing to worry about.

expert reply by: Jameson C