Electric trailer brake diagnosis

[@scottc3165]

Great tip on the magnet wear. I have one side that has completely worn down and never gave it a second thought until you mentioned it. Thank you!

[@davidbrown473]

Outstanding video, as a dealership technician it is the info I needed to assist my customers with trailer problems, and not just stop with "it's not the truck ".

[@farmboyfixes]

I'm glad to hear this helps your customers.

[@donsscooters]

Back to your problem of unequal braking. These brakes will need adjusting every year to get them working with the same pressure. E trailer has good short videos on this. Thanks for the great video and keeping it to the point without making a TV show out if it. DS

[@ajcaiati]

Thank you for your efforts and video. Very informative and descriptions are perfect! Very well put together, and I can learn from anyone. I've been playing with drum brakes since 1971, yes been around a while. But! I am brand new to the electric brakes, and never had any apart before. I am adding brakes to my 3500 lb single axle trailer. Not that I couldn't figure it out, I enjoy going over the work that's ahead of me. For me this is an excellent refresher course, and thank you very much.

[@farmboyfixes]

Good luck with your brake job.

[@jamiesomma2566]

Great video, very helpful!

[@scottrogers3128]

Great video. I'm about to tackle the brakes on an old stock trailer. I think I know enough now to get it done

[@farmboyfixes]

good job doing it yourself.

[@davidarnds3831]

Great explanation. Thank You !

[@robertd9850]

Love that the illustration for the 4 and 7 pin connectors looks nicely computer generated but the Like and Subscribe sign is just, well, homemade!

[@farmboyfixes]

Thanks Rob. lol

[@mashed-out]

You must also unhook the wires, isolate each coil, to check resistance

[@Patrick_Cashman]

Great video. Well done.

[@joehead1294]

Nice meter. Wish I could afford one. I'm going to give this tip. When working on trailer electrical, ONLY connect the electrical. In other words, don't hitch it up. No mechanical connection to tow vehicle. This will help with diagnostics, particularly on the ground side where most problems occur.

[@farmboyfixes]

I bought that Fluke meter when I was in technology College back in 1992.

[@Mike-wh9dq]

For a more affordable very high quality meter buy the "IDEAL" brand. They've been around for decades and only serve the electrical world for decades. A lot of electrical supply dealers have it as well. Order from Lowes the "IDEAL" brand model 61-357 (currently the best model from IDEAL). You'll have to order it from Lowes because Lowes does yet stock it in store but do have the older versions in store so you could at least see the brand. Specs are same as Fluke and they come with a Certicate of Calibration. Their clamp meters are fantastic as well.

[@larryfine4498]

Great tutorial on the trailer brakes. I've got one locking on a dual axle trailer. Everything mechanical seems fine. I suspect an electrical issue on that wheel.

[@farmboyfixes]

hope you get it.

[@kevinbock6096]

I missed how you determined if the truck activated the brakes? Where do you get the specs for the amps & ohms?

[@scottcoffelt329]

Use a stick or cheater bar to hold brake pedal between seat. Slide seat as needed

[@mystic24100]

I have a 7,000 lb two axle trailer. Both axles have brakes and I can’t hookup both axles to my brake controller, only one. Is that because of my ( cheap) brake controller? Very good video.

[@farmboyfixes]

Some break controllers will have a switch for one, two, or three axle, or its a cheap one.

[@nicksalter2200]

Great video

[@greghill1106]

No description of what to plug into on multimeter.

[@torogi2]

is it really working on the actual scenario? it must be actually running and apply brakes if it really brakes?

[@paulgoogle]

I have a question on a electric trailer brake system 2013 F350 how does the tbc know if it’s a single ( two brake ) or double (4 brake ) trailer connected If I remove the magnets on one axle a message comes up trailer disconnected I’m curious how the truck knows if it’s a double or single axle trailer connected

[@farmboyfixes]

I had an 1980 after market trailer controller that had a switch for 2. 4, 6. Newer controllers and factory one's, setting the gain up will send more power. Your gain setting for a two axle will be lower than the gain of a six axle

[@kiffinbrown9299]

nice video I'm getting a weaker amperage at the brakes when using the brake pedal as opposed to the the controller switch even with different vehicles ...... any thoughts

[@cruze1953]

if you measure the current to ALL of the magnets at the same time and get 12 amps then you do not have to check the individual magnets. If you pull the pin on the break-away switch and use a DC ampclamp you can easily measure the current. Even better is to connect 12 volts to the brake circuit and grnd circuit at the 7-pin plug and measure for 12 amps (tandem axle trailer). THIS tests the grnd circuit to the trailer frame AND the ground and power thru the 7-pin cord itself. It kills 4 birds with one stone!!

[@cruze1953]

You can also check the current to the trailer brakes using the manual application on the brake controller. Max application = 12 amps. You can measure the current on the brake wire at the 7-pin junction box on the trailer a-frame or fifth wheel equivalent. Note that this tests the integrity of the ground circuit on both truck and trailer! Saves you a lot of unnecessary testing.

[@HayabusaRydr]

@ 9:10 if you didn't disconnect the wiring between the two magnets, you are measuring resistance of both magnets at same time.

[@farmboyfixes]

I had them isolated from each other. it's tough to show everything.

[@HeinerStorchennest1]

Now, I understand how electric trailer-brakes work. Thanks a lot. Are trailers fitted with its own batt - in any case of electric brakes? Or is the vehicle batt sufficient? How is this setup used as a parking brake? Will the magnet drain the batt in a few days? And by the way: Wouldn't you mind letting us know the brand/ model and size of the rims? They look like Mangels. You can buy look-alikes, unbranded and no "official" marks on them for identification, hardly some printed size figures ( f.e. 61/2 x16 ET 8) .

[@farmboyfixes]

A trailer is fitted with its own 12 volt battery. It gets a charge from a properly wire plug from your vehicle. So, if the trailer breaks away from the vehicle, it will pull the brake-away switch and activate the brakes.

[@HeinerStorchennest1]

@@farmboyfixes Ah. Thanks for the explanation. So, the electric brake also works as parking brake?

[@farmboyfixes]

@@HeinerStorchennest1 It is not a parking brake. Once the little 12 volt battery goes low on charge, the brakes will release. This is only for an emergency if the trailer breaks away form the tow vehicle. Only air operated brakes are engaged when low on air or no air, and need air pressure to disenage them.

[@HeinerStorchennest1]

@@farmboyfixes Thanks for the quick response and the information. So, do electric braked trailers have a hand/ lever ( cable/rod) operated parking brake?

[@farmboyfixes]

@@HeinerStorchennest1 Trailers with electric brakes and now brakes ( single axle trailer with a 3500 pound rating or less) have no level. Always use trailer blocks in front and behind the wheel to secure it from moving.

[@culbyj3665]

Good video Reminds me of My fathers old wells cargo 4 place sled trailer let alone the Horse trailers. Can ya do one on the hydraulic psi ones that I beleive ran on inertia of the pulling vehicle??

[@farmboyfixes]

Thank you. Unfortunately, I have no access to a hydraulic/inertia. I believe the U-haul trailers are that way.

[@culbyj3665]

@@farmboyfixes ya wanna hear my story how a uhaul trailer that couldve sent me off a bridge? way to young to know better when I picked it up but didnt realize to check it. they didnt torque the ball on a hitch for a receiver was the first incident and then a tire blow out in the middle of I40 at 3 am. came to realize tires were dry rotted and 15 years old but the dot stamp was worn off. fuck UHAUL.. rough trip between texas to pa. I think having a 3/4 ton truck is what saved me . The chains held when it came off the ball and GOOD Truck drivers behind me knew what was happenning and slowed down traffic coming down the hill. THe brakes an e BRAKES of the HYdraulics failed when needed. I had a Magnett brake Controller but the trailer didnt so it was all inertie. Excuse the brevity of this message

[@farmboyfixes]

@@culbyj3665 Wow, that would have filled my pants.

[@cowboy41231]

Very nicely done. My only question is: did you connect the magnet wires when testing for amps? If you’re concern is one side grabbing more than the other- id like to think the amp test should be done while under load (ie: in this case just spinning the wheel “assembled” THEN noting the amp readout)?

[@farmboyfixes]

You could be right. I did contact the magnet supplier, and he said there is a 5% tolerance in them. Meaning, magnets are not exactly the same. So, hence, I feel one grabbing first.

[@cowboy41231]

@@farmboyfixes 5% tolerance in the resistance values? I have a 32ft oil-bathed Rockwell axle flatbed that I NEED to tackle with monster electric drums . Appreciated your vid, would love to see the values underload

[@Herbeez]

Is the emergency pull cable powered by the battery or do you need to have the pigtail plugged in to the vehicle in order to test it? This is in reference to a travel trailer. Thanks

[@farmboyfixes]

A properly wired emergency cable will be off the trailer brake battery. That way if it every comes un hitched from your tow vehicle, it will engage your trailer brakes. It should not be pigtailed to your tow vehicle wiring.

[@Laura-lr3sz]

@@farmboyfixes Any chance you could provide more detail here? Two wires coming from breakaway, one goes directly to positive of battery and one to negative?

[@farmboyfixes]

@@Laura-lr3sz One wire is coming from the little battery 12volt positive, the other wire is pigtailed into the wires that supply postive voltage to the brakes. Basiclly, when that break away is pulled, 12 volt passes through it to the brakes.

[@BigDonk420]

Dumb question but did you end up just re-using the old seal and stuff ?

[@farmboyfixes]

Yes, re-use, the trailer is only 3 years old. But, I was carefull to remove it and reinstall it.

[@BigDonk420]

Ahh nice , thanks for the reply had to do some trouble shooting on a trailer today and I’m not very familiar with electric brakes and this cleared some things up ! Supper funny thing is I’m in Edmonton alberta !

[@allanhewick168]

Most of that right wheel was in the dark.

[@OP-nf9bx]

Once I ground one of the two hanging from the hub my brakes stop working, if I put power through to the power wire of the hub my ground wire also has power can anyone pls help

[@farmboyfixes]

You have a short somewhere. Disconnect each hub to isolate which one is the problem.

[@OP-nf9bx]

It was a ground issue, thank you sir

[@pdloder]

But you haven't resolved the issue. I suspect it was adjustment needed.

[@mylesm7947]

Better light plz

[@lostinmyspace4910]

I have a utility trailer similar to yours. Everything works fine except the brakes. When I go slowly backwards, the left wheel locks up, then releases w/o foot on brake. It drags the gravel, so I know something is catching it to lock it up. Then a moment later, it releases, then catches again for a second or two then releases w/o touching the brake. Why is that happening? THUMBS UP!!!

[@farmboyfixes]

first thing to do is confirm wires are not shorting out to ground. no broken wires. next would be to take apart the drum and clean it and use a good brake grease on all wear surfaces.

[@benbelman6984]

Still never explained the reason why one side was grabbing more than the other.

[@markw2266]

Most likely it wasn't adjusted properly. That's always a go to with electric brakes. I run the adjusters in until the brakes grab and then back them off until the wheel turns freely. I have a issue with my brakes not working at the moment but I think its electrical. Good real world tutorial.

[@nicksalter2200]

Get yourself a DeWalt impact 1/2 just let me boss used it took those lug nuts off like butter don't need air