Trailer brake not working

[chrisp993]

This tells me there is a grounding issue.

Just trying to understand this - is your thinking that hitching up provides a common ground path from the trailer frame through the hitch ball to the truck frame? And that the only way that a 7 pin connection wouldn't provide the same thing would be if the 7 pin ground connection was faulty?

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[diesel97]

So this issue just got a little more interesting.

My RV battery is currently disconnected. When disconnected:

My old Silverado would power the jack on my RV when I connected the 7-pin, but I wasn't hitched.

The F-150 will not power my jack until I hitch up. This tells me there is a grounding issue.

Thoughts?

I mentioned this 2 pages ago, between LED and old school trailer lighting the truck is confused. I wonder if running a ground jumper(from truck to the trailer) would straighten this finicky bitch out LOL

 

[rpeterslll]

After experiencing the trailer brake failure several times this summer, I just took two separate trips about 70 miles each and I had no problems. The dealer tested it with no issues found and added the conductor grease to the leads and this is all. Brakes worked fine on both to and return trips. Someone mentioned that ambient temperature could be causing an issue by increasing resistance, and it was 75 out each way on the working trips where before I was traveling with failures, it was over 80 degree ambient temperature . I really don’t know why it’s working now, but just wanted to share the environment at which it started working with.

 

[turbopilot]

After experiencing the trailer brake failure several times this summer, I just took two separate trips about 70 miles each and I had no problems. The dealer tested it with no issues found and added the conductor grease to the leads and this is all. Brakes worked fine on both to and return trips. Someone mentioned that ambient temperature could be causing an issue by increasing resistance, and it was 75 out each way on the working trips where before I was traveling with failures, it was over 80 degree ambient temperature . I really don’t know why it’s working now, but just wanted to share the environment at which it started working with.

I have been following this thread. Given the safety implications of random trailer brake failure has anyone bought and used a separate trailer brake controller pending Ford's resolution of this problem? If so what make and model controller is recommended?

 

[Notallthosewhowanderarelo]

I monkeyed with the sockets on the RV 7-Pin connector. Towing the RV today, we'll see if it made any difference. My problem definitely seems to be related to that connector.

 

[Skier167]

I experienced the same problem with the trailer brake today. FWIW I installed a new electric over hydraulic actuator on my trailer which came with a brand new connector. Had no issues bleeding the brakes when I installed it. Took the trailer out today to burnish the new pads I installed and no trailer brake control. I ended up pulling over and pulling both fuses to check to see if they were the issue. They were good and I reinstalled them and the brake controller worked after that. During the process I never disconnected the trailer from the truck.

 

[Notallthosewhowanderarelo]

So one thing I have found which really is upsetting, is that the default trailer when you first plug in does not include brakes or 12V output.

Numerous times now I have been wondering why I didn't have power being supplied to the trailer only to find the truck sync screen showing the select a trailer buttons. After I select the trailer I immediately get 12V and Brakes.

I am going to try to see if you can change that default trailer setting.

 

[wmwalker]

I've resolved the issue.

We traded in our F150 and purchased a RAM 2500, 6.7L Cummins. As full-timers, I'm very sad to lose the 7.2KW generator. But we felt that our lives were a tad more important than convenience. Aside from an amazing towing experience and actually being able to stop, the RAM is also far less annoying than the F150's constant dings, bells and voice paragraphs. We do not regret the decision one bit.

 

[rpeterslll]

Why bother announcing it unless you’re looking for attention. This is not helpful for anyone here.

 

[Ed21]

Spun the wheel of brakes again today. Second trip out with our new travel trailer and they were fine traveling to our destination (only 1 1/2 hr. away). Not so on the way home. No brakes after getting on the highway. Got false passenger rear trailer light out alert while using right turn signal and also during braking and no trailer brakes. Pulled off and powered down truck. Tried headlight trick...nope. Tried power down, disconnect and reconnect 7 pin several times....nope. Then about half way home by some Devine intervention they seemed to be working. It's pretty disheartening having a truck like this that's like a spin of the roulette wheel to see where the marble will fall. Brakes or no brakes.

 

[Tambow]

We are on an 8 week trip towing the airstream and so have had lots of time to think about our shared problem. And while I still don’t know why the brakes randomly stop working, I have found a way to fix it that has worked three or four times now. When I find my brakes have stopped I pull over and turn off and lock the truck and completely walk away from the truck. I don’t want the truck to even recognize the key so I walk pretty far. We usually give it 5 or 10 minutes. It seems to reboot the truck somehow the brakes work again. Like I said this has worked several times now. I’m heading to a dealer in Iowa City tomorrow to see if they can tell me more.

 

[turbopilot]

We are on an 8 week trip towing the airstream and so have had lots of time to think about our shared problem.

I have been following this thread trying to make sense of all the scenarios where trailer brakes fail. I have yet to find a detailed source outlining how the F-150 trailer brake controller senses that brakes are connected and what the parameters are for the controller to drop control when it thinks the brakes are disconnected.

I found one source describing brake controllers sensing brakes that says:

"When a trailer with electric brakes is connected to a vehicle that has a brake controller that brake controller is sensing the draw of the brake magnets by sending back a small amount of voltage on the blue wire."

Many of the reports I have seen in this thread describe disconnection of the brake controller after initially working for a period of time. Several have posted that stopping for a few minutes then restarting the truck brings back the brake controller.

So I wonder if the heat generated in the brakes and brake magnets rolling down the road is changing what ever "small amount of voltage on the blue wire" is being sensed by the controller to a level just outside the current firmware tolerance of the brake controller and that is leading to the brake controller dropping the connection.

Has anyone ever checked the brake magnet specifications both cold and hot as outlined in this E-Trailer page?

 

[travisN000]

I have had my 2021 powerboost for a few weeks and towed my camp trailer a few times with it. The first time I could not get the trailer brakes to work at all, and found this forum. I cleaned the trailer contacts and added dielectric grease to the brake and ground pins on the 7-pin, and towed it 3.5 hours each way for recent trip over mountain passes without any problems.

Hopefully it continues to work. Having said that, my wife's ram 1500 with the 5.7 hemi, similar rear end gearing, and longer bed does seem to tow it better (the longer wheel base handles wind and downhills better), and get slightly better fuel economy while towing. I am still undecided, but the Ram will likely remain the primary tow vehicle when the power boost is not needed.

 

[minirx7]

Spoke to my dealer after my first oil change. cannot believe i put on over 8,000kms in 1.5 months on my truck (5000kms as towing my 30' 7000lb jayco).. They have no clue what i am talking about.

 

[JnDArchie]

Nothing more to add other than me too. Lost brake control on the way home. Tested it several times on the trip because I have been following this thread. Trailer screen says it is connected but when I squeeze the brake control it says no trailer connected.

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