Electric Reverse Lockout On Boat Trailer Surge Coupler is Not Working

Updated 07/30/2014 | Published 07/27/2014

Question:

NEW WOULDNT WORK CORRECTLY. THE PROBLEM IS STOPPING ON A GRADE AND BACKING UP / HAVE SINCE REPLACED SOLINOID AND BLEED BRAKES BY A DEALER BUT PROBLEM STILL EXIST?? iTS MY UDERSTANDING THAT WHEN I REVERSE THE DISC BRAKES ARE RELEASED ??

asked by: DON M

Expert Reply:

On a trailer that has a surge coupler, if the trailer does not have a manual or electric reverse lockout or free-backing brakes then the brakes will engage when backing up.

Free-backing brakes are only available in drum brake applications. So you would have to have a coupler that has either a manual or electric reverse lockout feature. It sounds like you have an electric lockout.

An electric lockout will be at the back of the master cylinder. It will be grounded to the trailer frame and have another wire that goes to the trailer connector. The vehicle side connector will have to have a functioning reverse light circuit in its trailer connector to activate the solenoid when the vehicle is put in reverse.

It could be that there is either a bad ground or the reverse light circuit, center pin on a 7-Way or the pin furthest from the ground pin on a 5-Way flat, is not active.

expert reply by: Michael H