Light Does Not Come On when Tekonsha Pod Trailer Brake Controller is Installed on a 2010 Ford F-150

Updated 01/31/2012 | Published 01/29/2012

Products Featured in This Question

Tekonsha POD Trailer Brake Controller - 1 to 2 Axles - Time Delayed

(1323)

$56.33

Hook Probe Circuit Tester

(60)

$12.41

Question:

I installed the controller but when I turned on my truck and hit the brakes the light did not turn on on controller. As a matter of fact the light did not turn on at all even when i first plugged it in to the wiring harness where it goes. Any thoughts. I have a 2010 ford f-150 with the tow pakage

asked by: Ed

Expert Reply:

The first thing I recommend is to connect a trailer to the vehicle. The light will not come on if a trailer is not connected. If you do connect a trailer and the light does not come on it could indicate a few different issues.

First, check the black wire behind the controller for voltage. If there is no voltage going to the controller it will not turn on. You will need to check the fuses associated with the tow package to determine if something is blown or missing.

You may also have an open circuit or short to the brake line. At the 7-Way trailer connector, check for any dirt or corrosion build up on or behind the 7-Way connectors on both the truck side and trailer side. Clean them out if needed. Then, check the pins on the 7-Way truck side with a circuit tester like # PTW2993 if needed.

The pin in the 5 oclock position is the brake circuit from the brake controller. Have someone engage the manual override on the controller while you test the pin. It should only show a signal on that pin when the override is engaged. If it shows power at any other time, you know there is a short somewhere on the truck wiring.

Finally, check to make sure that the ground for the brake controller is not weak or broken because a bad or weak ground can cause the controller to not function. Also make sure the ground for the 7-Way is attached to a bare metal surface.

You will also want to check to see how the wiring adapter from the controller to the truck is wired. Though it is not likely this is the problem, we do have an FAQ that shows how the wires should appear in the wiring adapter plug. I have included a link to it for you. The F-150 is on the left.

expert reply by: Michael H