2018 Ford F150 With Factory Brake Controller Has Weak Signal When Brakes Are Applied

Updated 07/01/2024 | Published 06/23/2024

Question:

I have a 2018 Ford F150 4WD with the factory tow package and brake controller. While it originally worked fine it now seems to have a very weak signal when I apply the brakes. Only one or two bars light up on bar graph display. The manual override control will give more than enough braking and light up five or more bars. The shop says everything checks out on the trailer. Does the trailer use the same connection to the brakes for both situations or could it still be an electrical connection issue? Thanks in advance, Rick

asked by: Rick

Expert Reply:

Hello Rick. The brake controller uses just one wire to send braking signal to your trailer. So, if the manual override is working fine, I do not suspect an electrical issue. It sounds like the gain setting on your brake controller got turned down somehow. Can you try adjusting the gain setting and changing it to a higher level? Do this and you should see stronger braking like you do with the manual override.

expert reply by: Jesse M

Rick

7/1/2024

Thanks. I tried setting it to a higher gain but this sets both the manual and the pedal. I am going to try setting brake effort to medium or high but I thought I already had. Thanks for the reply.

Jesse M.

7/1/2024

@Rick Gotcha. We don't deal with the OEM controllers a lot- mainly aftermarket. It sounds an awful lot like a gain setting but if not, it could be an internal issue with the controller since it worked for a while then stopped all of a sudden. This is not a common issue that we have heard of though. Honestly, a Ford dealership is who I would contact to troubleshoot their OEM controller.

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