Correct Voltage Reading from Tekonsha Trailer Breakaway Battery

Question

Question:

What should the tested voltage be at the battery box with battery disconnected? I am currently only getting 2 volts. There is corrosion on the circuit board.

asked by: Marc

0

Expert Reply:

A standard trailer breakaway switch like # 3802348 does not have a circuit board but a unit like the Tekonsha Trailer BreakAway Kit # PS50-85-320 does have circuit board for its battery tester. If this circuit board is corroded, you need to replace the breakaway system since a voltage reading of 2V indicates the built-in battery charger is not functioning.

A healthy and fully charged breakaway battery should give you a voltage reading of at least 12V.

Your existing battery may still be okay once re-charged but I still recommend installing a completely new breakaway for safety. You can see all of our kits on the linked page.

expert reply by: Adam R

0

Answer 1

First you will want to check the wiring of the Hopking Breakaway #20099. If the black wire from the breakaway box is not receiving 12 volts from the 7-way on your tow vehicle it will charge the battery. You will want to use a circuit tester like part…

view full answer...

Answer 2

Actually, the P3 now has the upgraded axis accelerometer like the P2. The Tekonsha P3 Trailer Brake Controller #90195, will work with both electric over hydraulic brakes on the trailer as well as electric brakes. It has a menu option on the display…

view full answer...

Answer 3

The red wire is the turn signal wire and will be run to the green wire of your harness if its the right turn signal side, and the black wire will run to the brown wire of your harness. The yellow wire from your harness will run to the left turn…

view full answer...

Answer 4

The P3 brake controller, #90195, will go into a sort of sleep mode after it detects no movement for 15 minutes. While it is on it does not draw very much power. What you can do to make sure it goes to sleep is exit the truck after turning it off,…

view full answer...

Answer 5

Tekonsha Prodigy P2 trailer brake controller, #90885, connects to a fused power source directly to the battery and not an ignition source. This means the controller draws power even with the key off. However, it goes into a kind of sleep mode after…

view full answer...

Answer 6

The Prodigy brake controllers like the P2 part #90885 and the P3 part #90195 are widely considered to be the most reliable around and ironically the Hopkins are considered by many to be the worst. So the fact your Hopkins is working more reliably is…

view full answer...

Answer 7

The best way to power the interior lights in your trailer is with its own independent battery. You will not want to use the breakaway battery. The breakaway battery is only designed to operate the breakaway and will drain extremely quickly,…

view full answer...

Answer 8

You are correct in your description of how to wire in a new auxiliary battery in your enclosed trailer. You will take the 7-Way's 12V power feed and route this to the positive terminal on the auxiliary battery, and you will ground the second…

view full answer...

Answer 9

Since you found low voltage when testing the right side signal light pin on the vehicle connector, you have at least isolated the issue to the truck. If all the wires appear to be in good condition, then the issue is likely either a weak ground like…

view full answer...

Answer 10

The 12 volt lights that you plan to install will need to be grounded in order to function. You can do this by attaching the ground wire of the lights to the frame of the trailer or you can run them back to the negative post of the battery. Either way…

view full answer...

Answer 11

You should be getting 12 volts on the running light circuit when the running lights are turned on. If not, the problem is either in the connector or upstream from there. The first thing you should check is the trailer connector on your towing…

view full answer...

Answer 12

I recommend a 12 volt car battery rather than a breakaway battery because you may end up needing the larger battery down the road. What you will do is attach a battery box (see link for options) to the trailer frame. From the trailer side 7-Way…

view full answer...

Correct Voltage Reading from Tekonsha Trailer Breakaway Battery

Product Page this Question was Asked From

Featured Help Information

Miscellaneous Media

Continue Researching