trailer brake controller warning

[wroughtn_harv]

When I built the new truck I put on a new Tekonsa Sentinel brake controller.

It puked. I've noticed that sometimes with a trailer on the gain lights wouldn't work. But the brakes were working. And sometimes the monitor light wouldn't come on like it used to when I hit the truck brakes without a trailer in tow.

A bud called me on the cell the other day to tell me I didn't have a brake light one on the truck or trailer when I'd came to the last stop. I started checking. I narrowed it down to the brake controller. No brake lights, smack controller, brake lights, good old southern engineering in action alive and well. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I replaced it today.

The reason I posted this is because my bud where I got the new one told me it's happening a lot, brake controller failures.

 

[Inspector507]

harv,
Ya got me wondering on that controller. On mine (another brand) the brake light signal is what triggers the controller to work. If the controller puked, how could that cause the truck's brake lights to not work?

Jerry

 

[wroughtn_harv]

My truck is a 2003. I don't have many fuses. It's almost all circuit breakers. I can hear the circuit breaker click when I hit the brakes (made it easier to trouble shoot). Evidently there was an intermittent short in the controller that involved the ground and the lead from the brake light switch. That's all I can figure.

 

[Inspector507]

Yeah that would certainly do it /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[RobertN]

Thanks for the info! I have that same controller. It has worked well so far, but I will keep an eye on it now...