Troubleshooting a Curt Captivator 4 Brake Controller OC Error Code and Flickering Taillights

Published 03/07/2014

Question:

The captivator 4 is giving an oc code and while the truck is not running it causes the tail lights to flicker wildly. If I unplug the captivator harness it stops?

asked by: Dan

Expert Reply:

We don't carry the Captivator 4 brake controller. But it sounds like the problem is either the wiring for the brake controller or the controller itself is bad and needs to be replaced.

You will need to use a circuit tester like our part # 3808 and test the four wires going into the brake controller.

The black wire should see 12 volts all the time.
The red wire should only see 12 volts when the brakes are applied. This circuit seems to be the most likely culprit.
The blue wire is the wire that carries the output voltage to the brakes of your trailer. This should only have voltage when the manual override of your brake controller is applied. Or if a trailer is connected and the brake pedal is depressed you should see voltage slowly ramp up.
The white wire is a ground wire and should be run to the negative side of your vehicle battery.

If the wiring check out then the problem is that the brake controller has shorted out and needs to be replaced. Most likely a short on the brake output circuit caused this.

I attached an FAQ on troubleshooting brake controller installs for you to check out also.

expert reply by: Jameson C