Troubleshooting Brake Controller that Intermittently Turns Off and On

Published 06/19/2014

Question:

confused: pulling my 36ft wheel from West Virginia to Nebraska. Stopped in Indy for the night pulled out in the morning no problem. Stopped in James port ,Mo. Hooked everything up. pulled out made it a 1/2 mile and trailer started rocking causing the truck to rock back and forth. trailer brakes would come on...off..on..off. Stopped reconnected again same thing. So I disconnected controller for fuse box so at least I would have lights did not work. Disconnected from truck and drove home with no lights or brakes. Not a good idea but had no choice no dealers around. Help please. Reese 83500 controller.

asked by: Jim N

Expert Reply:

If the controller is turning itself on and off randomly, then the problem is the brake switch circuit of the brake controller wiring. It must be shorting out to a 12 volt power source intermittently and that is causing the controller to come on and off like it is. Inspect the wiring of the controller to make sure there are no exposed wires.

If the 12 volt circuit is only getting power when the brakes are applied (you can test this with a circuit tester like part # 3808) then the problem is internal of the controller and it needs to be replaced.

For a brake controller I would recommend the Prodigy P2 Brake Controller part # 90885. This is our best selling brake controller because of how well it works and how easy it is to setup.

I attached an FAQ article on troubleshooting brake controller installs for you to check out as well.

expert reply by: Jameson C