Troubleshooting Voyager Trailer Brake Controller Not Working when Brake Pedal is Pressed

Updated 06/01/2020 | Published 05/08/2011

Question:

original brake controller stopped working on auto, only worked on manual, cked for power, cked for signal from brake switch. had both replaced controller, new controller doing the same thing! hooked up to a different power unit trailer brakes work properly?

asked by: Dave

Expert Reply:

It is possible that either the connection to the brake switch is no longer good enough to provide an adequate signal to the brake controller and a new connection will need to be made, or there is a short or possibly a bad ground causing the problem.

You may want to also check the stoplight fuse. A blown fuse will not allow the signal to get through and the brake controller will not know you are stepping on the brakes. You can find the fuse by checking your owners manual which should have a legend of the fuse locations.

Another possibility is that the brake controller is not level. If it is not level then it will not engage the trailer brakes. Check the instructions, linked for reference, on how to level the brake controller. After making any adjustments you may need to set up the brake controller again as if it were the first time.

expert reply by: Michael H

Benjamin M.

5/20/2020

Troubleshooting Voyager Trailer Brake Controller Not Working when Brake Pedal is Pressed - this is the exact problem I am having. I checked fuse, brake controller is level. It also worked for a few trips before I noticed it not engaging with the brake pedal. It works with manual override however. Should I just replace this ? Can I send it back for a discount?

Chris R.

5/23/2020

For some reason the Voyager isn't receiving proper input from the brake light switch on your vehicle. Verify that the red wire from the Voyager is still securely attached and that there aren't any pinched or damaged wires coming out of the controller. If it worked fine before, you know you know the connections are correct - but it's possible they may have loosened a bit. Let me know what you find and we'll go from there.

Benjamin M.

5/25/2020

@ChrisR - hey Chris- as far as I can tell, there are no disconnections with the red wire.

Chris R.

5/28/2020

@BenjaminM Thanks for the info. Do you happen to have a (somewhat) older vehicle? I wonder if the brake switch might need to be replaced. Sometimes this can happen, which would definitely affect the brake controller's operation.