Troubleshooting Brake Controller Output on a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500

Updated 01/28/2019 | Published 01/25/2019

Products Featured in This Question

Hook Probe Circuit Tester

(66)

$14.40

10 Gauge Wire - Blue Primary - Per Foot

(108)

$1.61

Tekonsha Plug-In Wiring Adapter for Electric Brake Controllers - Dodge

(967)

$20.69

Deka Heat Shrink Butt Connector - 12-10 Gauge - Nylon Insulation - Yellow - Qty 5

(1152)

$8.16

Question:

My trailer breaks arent working and my trailer break controller isnt either and Ik the problem is in the truck 2004 Dodge ram 2500 because I tried another truck and breaks would work fine.

asked by: Raul M

Expert Reply:

Since you have narrowed the problem to your truck that does help the troubleshooting process a bit. What you want to do from here is determine if your brake controller is bad or if it's simply a wiring problem.

To find out if the controller is bad just use a circuit tester like part # PTW2993 and test the wires going into the brake controller. One of them will be for ground so you won't see any power, one should receive power only when your brake pedal is pressed, one will be power output to the 7-Way on your 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 for the trailer brakes (use the manual override to test for power on this wire), and the last one will have constant 12V power.

If you find that you have constant power and one wire that gets hot when the brake pedal is pressed but you aren't seeing power on one of the 2 remaining wires when the manual override is used then your controller is bad and it needs to be replaced. In this case I recommend replacing it with the Prodigy P3 # 90195 as it is easy to use and features an LCD screen that makes it easy to operate. If you have a factory 4-Way or 7-Way the you just need the adapter # 3020-P for the P3. Otherwise if your pickup didn't come with a factory 4-Way or 7-Way you will need to hardwire the brake controller.

Should you find that your brake controller is receiving constant 12V power, power when you press the brake pedal, and is sending out power when you use the manual override then this means you have a break somewhere in the circuit between your controller and the 7-Way on your pickup. Trace the wire from your controller to your 7-Way making sure to check for places where the wire is bent or exposed and replace as necessary with 10 Gauge Wire # 10-1-1 and butt connectors # DW05745-5.

If you are still having issues after this then it would be good to get your pickup in to a shop so they can physically inspect it.