Troubleshooting 2017 Ram 3500 and Belshe Trailer EOH Brakes Staying On and Disconnecting Trailer

Published 01/13/2023

Question:

Ive got a 2017 Dodge Ram 3500 with a Belshe trailer with electric over hydraulic brakes. Whenever we hit the brake pedal the actuator kicks on and wont release the brakes and we have to unhook the power cable going to the actuator to release them so we can keep going down the road. It doesnt do this every time and occasionally we will get the light on the dash to say trailer disconnectedinch and then you can go a few miles down the road and the light will go away. Any ideas what could cause this? Ive replaced the 7-pin connector on both the truck and trailer.

asked by: Ryan

Expert Reply:

As with any wiring issue that only occurs on occasion it sounds like you have a short in your wiring. This short could be on either your 2017 Ram 3500 or the Belshe trailer. If you tow with any other trailers but the issue is only on the Belshe trailer then your issue will most likely be found on the trailer. With the actuator staying on it is a sign the brake wire is getting power from another source when you release the brake pedal. The trailer disconnected is typically a sign of a loose connection and occurs when the brake wire does not have a grounded connection to complete the circuit. If you are using a factory controller you will want to have the programming verified on your Ram to ensure the glitch is not with the ECU. With you having both the brakes staying on and trailer disconnect issues this leads me to believe it could be with the controller.

expert reply by: Bud M