Troubleshooting Low Brake Output Voltage

Updated 06/03/2014 | Published 06/02/2014

Question:

I have 3.33 volts at the brake when applying brake pedal have controler set to 6 volts i can hear one brake buzzing and none work even it i turn them up.. i get a short when driveing with it on and off i went through wireing no short there.. Do i start removing the drums or is there another test i can try.

asked by: Ron

Helpful Expert Reply:

First thing I would check is the blue wire that is at the rear of your vehicle for voltage when you apply the brakes and when you slide the manual override of this controller. You could also try sliding the manual override a few times and adjusting the gain knob up and down to help clear the contact points.

If all this checks out it sounds like the problem is in the trailer somewhere. I would first check all the grounds of the trailer and make sure they are making solid corrosion-free connections.

The next thing to check would be the magnets in the brake assemblies. When these wear out you can get poor brake performance.

If the magnets show abnormal wear or if you can see the windings beginning to show through the friction surface of the magnet then they will need to be replaced.

If they look good they still can be bad, to test them further check out the link I attached on troubleshooting bad brake magnets.

expert reply by: Jameson C