Troubleshooting a Tekonsha Brake Controller That is Hot to the Touch  

Question:

Expert Reply:

The most likely culprit here is a short somewhere along the way. The first and easiest thing to check would be corrosion on the trailer plugs. Even slight greenish or whitish discoloration can indicate corrosion.

The next one I would check would be the ground wire. You will want to be sure that the ground is connected to something metal that is clean of corrosion and paint.

If those do not fix the issue you can also test the trailer wiring by itself by disconnecting the trailer plug from the truck. Apply 12V power from the truck battery (or from a spare) to each circuit on the trailer, one at a time, to make sure every one functions. If not, trace the wiring for each circuit and look for cracked or worn insulation, especially around points where the wire has to bend and where it touches the trailer frame.

If that checks out you can check the wires at the brake controller. Sever the blue brake output wire near the brake controller leaving enough room to reconnect it and then apply the manual slide. Using a circuit tester like part # PTW2993, you should get output to the controller side of the wire you severed. If the manual slide activates the trailer brake output wire properly, try the brake pedal. If the brake pedal activates the brake output properly then your issue isn't at the controller.

If either the brake pedal or the manual slide are not functioning properly you will need to test the wires going into the brake controller. Make sure you have power entering the brake controller on the black wire. On the red wire you will only want power when the brake pedal is pressed.

If there is power on the red wire before the brake pedal is pressed you have connected the red wire from the brake controller to the wrong circuit. You would then need to find the brake switch wire that has power only when the brake pedal is activated.

expert reply by: Scott S

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