Troubleshooting Draw Tite Activator that Shows Intermittent Connection

Updated 04/16/2019 | Published 04/15/2019

Question:

OK last week the controller worked fine, gave me the readout and applied brakes. This past weekend i went to hit the brakes and only a dot came up. No trailer brakes, all the trailer lights work fine. This morning I went in there to hit the brakes and it gave me a read out perfectly fine. lifted off the brakes and applied the brakes again and only got a dot after that. Controller going bad? all the wires appear fine.

asked by: Doug B

Expert Reply:

The single dot on your Draw Tite Activator # 5504 indicates that the controller has power but is not sensing a trailer connected. If this is happening with a trailer connected and it's intermittent that is almost always related to corrosion built up on the trailer connectors. Take some sandpaper to the pins on the connector in the 5:00 position and the connection should be improved to the point the issue will go away.

expert reply by: Jameson C