? Not feeling trailer brake from brake pedal.

[Whatcolortochoose]

I cant feel my trailer brakes engaging when using the brake pedal even with gain at 10. I can be braking on the highway but dont feel the trailer helping until I squeeze the override switch( and if the gain is at 10 it will lock up with a full squeeze)

NOTE: I had the trailer brake recall done last year.

I am struggling how to diagnose at home since the brake controller doesnt engage until the vehicle is going 11mph.

I took it to the dealership for the airbag recall and had them test the trailer brakes they say its fine. And the Ford brake control is just that smooth ( I am struggling to beleive even with gain at 10)

There could be an issue with the trailer but why would it respond to the override and not the pedal?

Thos is my first truck and trailer with trailer brakes

It is a relatively light trailer(~1500lbs)and doesn't 'need' brakes but it has them and they do help.

Any ideas how to diagnose the trailer side of things?

Or is the integrated controller that smooth?

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[mav_kev]

In my experience, you shouldn't have the gain set so high to feel the brakes anyway. The truck should still be doing most of the braking, so if your trailer brakes are operating strongly enough to affect the truck, they're cranked up too high. You don't want the tail wagging the dog, so to speak.

Additionally, the trailer brakes on a 1500lb trailer are likely not that strong, but naturally you would feel them if they were completely locked. Sounds like they're working to me, but I'm just a guy on the internet.

 

[Tremor guy]

Are you loaded or empty. Loaded the trailer shouldn’t stop the truck to me the 11 mph is great if you are turning to get gas at a gas station you don’t want the trailer brakes dragging while turning I’ve towed car trailers for years

 

[iWayner]

I don't "feel" the trailer brakes engaging on our trailer, but I know they are working. (Stopping distance, lack of truck push, etc.) Maybe they are working but you just can't feel them. When the local shop tested the brakes, was the trailer attached?

 

[Whatcolortochoose]

Are you loaded or empty. Loaded the trailer shouldn’t stop the truck to me the 11 mph is great if you are turning to get gas at a gas station you don’t want the trailer brakes dragging while turning I’ve towed car trailers for years

It is loaded, its just a small teardrop camper.

That makes sense why it has the low speed cutoff. I just mentioned it because it makes it difficult to properly diagnose at home since the truck needs to be in motion to check if they engage from the brake pedal. I would need to get the truck up on 4 jack-stands.

 

[Whatcolortochoose]

I don't "feel" the trailer brakes engaging on our trailer, but I know they are working. (Stopping distance, lack of truck push, etc.) Maybe they are working but you just can't feel them. When the local shop tested the brakes, was the trailer attached?

Correct I only feel them if i squeeze the override (no matter how high the gain). The trailer was not attached when they tested. I guess they have equipment to simulate an attached trailer and read outputs.

I suppose I could find a clear stretch of road in the country and do stop tests with and without the trailer plugged in.

So far the consensus seems that intergrate trailer brakes are really smooth.

 

[Optimus]

Are the trailer drums adjusted correctly? If there’s too much play, they won’t engage, or be super weak.

 

[Whatcolortochoose]

Are the trailer drums adjusted correctly? If there’s too much play, they won’t engage, or be super weak.

I have not visually inspected the drums, but since the override switch does engage the brakes I dont think thats the issue.

 

[Optimus]

I have not visually inspected the drums, but since the override switch does engage the brakes I dont think thats the issue.

Ok—can you get them to fully lock up?

 

[Whatcolortochoose]

Ok—can you get them to fully lock up?

Yes, but only the override

 

[Johnkn]

I question whether the trailer brake recall was done correctly (or a fuse issue)..

And you should absolutely be able to feel a difference in the truck when stopping when the trailer brakes are working. Set the gain as low as possible (or unplug the trailer connector) and do a moderate stop from 40-50, then set the gain up and do a similar stop. The difference should be clear. If the gain is way too high, you'll feel little difference because the trailer tires are skidding.

From Etrailer.com https://www.etrailer.com/question-169132.html#:~:text=This is a fairly common,the controller to work again.


Why Would Trailer Brakes Only Work With Manual Override Lever and Not Brake Pedal
Question:
Brakes work manually but not with pedal. It is a brake force control and a 2009 chevy silverado 1500 4x4
asked by: Carl
Expert Reply:
Sounds like your brake controller will apply your trailer brakes if you apply the manual override lever but not when you press the brake pedal. This is a fairly common problem and the solution is the red wire of the brake controller.

Make sure it is connected to a circuit that only sees voltage when the brakes are applied and none when released. Most likely the connection is the issue and just reconnecting the circuit will cause the controller to work again.

It also is very likely it's the CHMSL fuse being blown on your truck.
expert reply by: Jameson C


.

 

[Optimus]

Then yes, the trailer side of things appears to be working if you can get them to skid. At 1500 pounds, that’s very light for using brakes, but you should definitely be able to feel them helping, and if cranked too high, hear/feel the trailer tires skidding. I have not towed with our Mav (and it’s only a Hybrid anyway!), but I use a completely different truck with a nice Tekonsha Prodigy P3 that I use with a few different trailers. From your overall description, it sounds like the issue is on the truck’s side, unfortunately, and I recall seeing similar previous threads of the same topic.

 

[Whatcolortochoose]

I question whether the trailer brake recall was done correctly (or a fuse issue)..

And you should absolutely be able to feel a difference in the truck when stopping when the trailer brakes are working. Set the gain as low as possible (or unplug the trailer connector) and do a moderate stop from 40-50, then set the gain up and do a similar stop. The difference should be clear. If the gain is way too high, you'll feel little difference because the trailer tires are skidding.

From Etrailer.com https://www.etrailer.com/question-169132.html#:~:text=This is a fairly common,the controller to work again.


Why Would Trailer Brakes Only Work With Manual Override Lever and Not Brake Pedal
Question:
Brakes work manually but not with pedal. It is a brake force control and a 2009 chevy silverado 1500 4x4
asked by: Carl
Expert Reply:
Sounds like your brake controller will apply your trailer brakes if you apply the manual override lever but not when you press the brake pedal. This is a fairly common problem and the solution is the red wire of the brake controller.

Make sure it is connected to a circuit that only sees voltage when the brakes are applied and none when released. Most likely the connection is the issue and just reconnecting the circuit will cause the controller to work again.

It also is very likely it's the CHMSL fuse being blown on your truck.
expert reply by: Jameson C


.

Its just the dealership says everything is properly I will find out what testing they did and do more of my own once I pick it up today. It sucks because its been a 2 month process to get the truck into service.

 

[Whatcolortochoose]

Its just the dealership says everything is properly I will find out what testing they did and do more of my own once I pick it up today. It sucks because its been a 2 month process to get the truck into service.

And they are going to charge me a diagnostic fee since they didnt find anything.

 

[Rockingchair]

I have a 2016 F150 with factory brake controller. The engagement of the trailer brakes is so smooth that you do not think the brakes are working until you find yourself in a panic stop situation. You still don't feel the jerk the old fashion controllers give you but you realize that if the trailer brakes were NOT working you would not have stopped so quickly. They wont lock unless its too light of a load for the gain and your on dirt.

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