Troubleshooting Brakes that Wont Work After Reinstalling the Breakaway Pin
Updated 12/15/2025 | Published 11/01/2024
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Question:
Trailer breakaway pin come out, I put pin back in the breakaway box. But now I have no trailer breaks.why is that???
asked by: Richard
Expert Reply:
Hey Richard! It sounds like when the pin got pulled it fried your brake controller. Not sure which one you have but this is common amongst older controllers. Newer ones like the Tekonsha P2 item # 90885 and P3 item # 90195 don't allow the breakaway to back feed into the controller.
Depending on which brake controller you have, it's likely that back feed from the locked up brakes caused some internal damage, which would explain why they aren't activating.
Additionally, proportional brake controllers won't activate the brakes unless the vehicle is moving, so if you're testing while parked, the controller will not send the signal back to activate the brakes. You'll need to use the manual override.
You'll need to test the blue wire on your brake controller to confirm this is what has happened. I've attached a helpful article below that explains the testing process.
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Hopkins Replacement Break-Away Switch, 7" Lead Wires
- Accessories and Parts
- Trailer Breakaway Kit
- Switches
- Hopkins
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Jerred H.
12/15/2025
Hey Richard, what ended up happening after you tested the blue wire on your brake controller? Knowing whether that confirmed the issue could help others who run into the same problem.