Troubleshooting Install of Curt Breakaway Kit on Trailer Where Brake Lock Up

Updated 09/18/2020 | Published 09/16/2020

Question:

Once again, I have the new Curt wiring diagram for my 52042 breakaway kit.First diagram was old,incorrect. So I wired it as it shows and the breakaway battery sets the brakes. Truck is not connected. Brake control output from the 6 pin connector is BLACK, diagram curt shows its blue.Curt shows all blue connected together, breakaway switch blue,brake controlhere blk and breakaway battery blue.I assume all its doesnt show it goes to trailer brakes. It shows breakaway sw. black connected to battery red ,also shows and says to connect 12v aux to the SAME battery red.White is ground. As I said connecting it this way SETS THE BRAKES.The battery is setting the brakes. Disconnecting the battery blue releases the brakes.This Curt diagram does NOT SHOW the output from the truck,6pin connector,black wire going to the trailer brakes ANYWHERE.NOW what I really need is a DIAGRAM showing the integration of the TRAILER BRAKES going back through the 6 pin connector and HOW the breakaway battery box fit in. I have already wired it so it all worked.BUT I could not see how the breakaway box battery got charged from its integral charger.That is why I requested a new diagram. The breakawy sw. powers the brakes when the truck is out of the circuit.that is simple to do.Why we are connecting the RED BATTERY BOX TO AUX AND TO BREAKAWAY BLACK IS A MYSTERY. Diagram shows this,text says to do it. In any case wiring as it shows doesnt WORK.

asked by: William K

Expert Reply:

Since your trailer doesn't use standard colors for it's wiring for lighting and braking you are going to have to wire in the breakaway kit # C52042 by function instead of by color. I won't be able to tell you which color is which on your trailer as you'll have to determine that by either tracing the wiring or using a jumper wire from a car battery to first determine all of the functions.

So the red wire of the # C52042 needs to connect to the 12 volt accessory circuit of your trailer wiring. The blue wire of the battery box needs to tap into the circuit that carries voltage to the trailer brakes. The blue wire of the breakaway switch also needs to tap into this circuit. The black wire of the switch needs to also tap into the 12 volt accessory circuit.

Since you said you have a 6-way I am not totally surprised the wiring colors are non-standard as the 6-way wiring seems to be even more random than 7-way and there are also more than one way the 6-way connectors get configured which adds to this.

expert reply by: Jameson C