Troubleshooting Trailer Breakaway Battery Kit Not Wired Correctly

Updated 05/12/2023 | Published 05/11/2023

Question:

Not about the indicated part number. 22’ cargo trailer. Since the day I got it, electric brakes haven’t worked. All of the trailer lights work as they’re supposed to and all of the wiring under the trailer appears intact. The truck doesn’t recognize the trailer for the integrated brake controller. Found the breakaway battery was completely dead and found the ground wire for the breakaway switch was pinched by the manufacturer. New switch, new battery and now instead of check trailer wiring warning message, my truck displays service trailer brake system, the brakes are locked up on the trailer and the integrated brake controller doesn’t recognize the trailer is attached. In the pic, yellow wire nut is blue from breakaway switch to black on battery charger. Left red wire nut is all the grounds. Center red wire nut is all the whites and right red wire nut is brake signal wire from truck with blue to trailer brakes and blue from battery charger. 2022 American Hauler hooked up to a 2016 Silverado 1500. I’d greatly appreciate any help!! Thank you!

asked by: Dan

Expert Reply:

Thank you for all of the details!

From what I'm seeing I don't think you have the breakaway switch connected properly. You want the blue wire from the breakaway switch to be connected to the trailer brake wire and then the black wire to be connected to the blue (or output to trailer brakes) wire from your breakaway battery.

I've attached a wiring diagram of the Hopkins Engager Push-To-Test Trailer Breakaway Kit w/ Built-In Charger # 20099 for you to check out. Wire colors can vary sometimes between applications so make sure you are connecting the functions instead of just looking at wire colors. Since your trailer brakes are fully engaged it sounds like you have them connected straight to 12V power.

expert reply by: Jon G