Troubleshooting Brakes Not Working On 30ft Gooseneck Trailer

Updated 06/17/2019 | Published 06/14/2019

Question:

I have a 2000 dodge ram 3500 six speed manual transmission, I know the brake controller in the truck works because I have pulled other trailers and the brakes worked fine. The 30foot flatbed trailer I have the brakes dont work but all of the lights work. We have taken the wood flooring out of it and I have inspected the wiring and it all appears to be ok, but we have no idea of why the brakes wont work. It has a hopkins towing solutions break-away system on the trailer.

asked by: Kim H

Expert Reply:

Your first step is to check the connector of the trailer for corrosion if the trailer plug pins circuits are corroded it can cause two circuit to bridge together which would cause the brakes to stop working. If you check the connector for corrosion and it looks okay. Since you have already visually inspected the trailer wiring, you should test the brake output circuit of your trailer's 7-way plug.

You can test the brake output by using a spare 12V car battery to test the trailer brakes. Ground the trailer's main ground to the negative side of the battery and use a jumper wire from the positive post to touch the brake output wire to see if the brakes activate.

If they do not activate, you want to trace the brake output wire and check it for frayed or damaged wire. It is a good idea to make sure the grounds on the braking assemblies are grounded to a clean bare metal surface of the frame. If the grounds are okay on the brake assemblies themselves, the trailer connector probably needs to be replaced.

expert reply by: Heather A