Troubleshooting Trailer Brakes that Lock Up with no Electric Brake Controller Installed

Updated 02/14/2017 | Published 02/12/2017

Question:

So I bought a food trailer...16 ft united. Has a 7 pin connector plug...So does my 2013 Dodge Durango...Great...I hook up and take off...But wheels dont turn on trailer....I remove my vehicle and the guy hooks up his suburban and its fine...Pulls it to my house and drops it off...What could it be...I know I have to buy a brake controller...But can I not pull it at all without one ?

asked by: James E

Expert Reply:

You have a short somewhere on the brake output wire going back to the 7-way trailer connector on your 2013 Dodge Durango. I would start at the 7-way and inspect the connector and the brake wire. The brake connects to the pin in a 5 O'clock position when looking into the connector.

If you find the problem on the trailer connector harness before it plugs into the truck's wiring you can either fix the wire or replace the harness with # HM40975-11933. If it's deeper into the truck or you can't find it you might be better off having a certified mechanic do the work.

Once you have the problem solved and are looking at a brake controller I suggest the Prodigy P2 # 90885. It's one of our best selling controllers because of how well it works and how easy it is to use. Since your Durango has the factory 7-way you will also have the brake controller connector under the dash so installing the P2 just uses # TK93VR.

expert reply by: Charles S