Troubleshooting Curt Echo Brake Controller that Locks Up When Brakes are Pressed

Updated 10/14/2019 | Published 10/13/2019

Question:

I purchased a Curt Echo brake controller about 2 months ago. I used it 3 times and worked flawlessly. I used it this weekend and when I would touch my brakes instead of gradually coming on as usual they were coming on all at once. I tried lowering the output and sensitivity. Still doing it. Any suggestions?

asked by: James L

Expert Reply:

Does the controller show that it's applying the full braking pressure or does it show the standard ramp up of pressure but you still experience lock up? If the controller isn't showing the full power I'd suspect you have a short between one of the stop/turn circuits and the brake output circuit most likely on the trailer side of the wiring.

This is a fairly common problem with trailer wiring and it's usually due to cut or exposed wiring between the two circuit shorting out. Since the left turn/stop circuit is right next to the brake output circuit this is typically the short issue. I attached a picture that shows a diagram for a 7-way for you to check out. You can test this easily by putting on the blinker to see if the brakes lock up in unison with the blinker.

expert reply by: Jameson C