Should There Always Be 12 Volt Power At 7-Way on Ford Econoline Van

Updated 12/15/2011 | Published 12/14/2011

Question:

Have been experiencing a slow battery drain on a 250 econoline. I have Drawtite Activator II controller that has been on the van for several years, but as I was checking voltage at the rear of the vehicle, I have a 12 + volt reading even though the controller is not being used. Should there be voltage there when not in use?

asked by: Shawn

Expert Reply:

There should be a constant 12 volt power supply at the Black wire, but not on any of the other wires at the 7-way on your Ford 250 Econoline.

If you are getting voltage on the Blue wire, then there is a wiring problem or internal problem with the brake controller, and the brake controller may need to be replaced.

Make sure the manual slide lever is not stuck. You can check the voltage coming out of the Blue wire. If there is voltage constantly coming out of the Blue wire from the controller, the brake controller will need to be replaced.

Also, make sure the red wire is still securely attached if it was a hardwire installation. The Red wire should be connected to the wire that only has signal when the brakes are applied.

expert reply by: Reno H