Troubleshooting Intermittent Brake Controller Short While Travelling

Published 06/16/2016

Question:

I have a brand new 32foot gooseneck flatbed car hauler, and the brakes have an intermittent short circuit. My toe vehicle is a Dodge Ram with factory brake controller. Sometimes the short comes in and out with bumps/ vibration and sometimes on smooth surfaces. I have 3 other trailers that dont do this so it doesnt seem like my truck wiring. What would be a good starting point on troubleshooting this? Thank you.

asked by: Matt V

Helpful Expert Reply:

Intermittent shorts can be sometimes hard to find, but typically are due to a exposed wire on the shorting circuit that is in an area that allows some movement. Start at the connector for your trailer and work your way back to the assemblies looking for any cut or exposed wire and fix as needed.

Where the wire goes from the frame of the trailer to the axle will be a good place to check as well as there is some movement there to allow the suspension to work.

I attached a help article on trailer wiring for you to check out as well.

expert reply by: Jameson C