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Brakes only disengage with wire disconnected

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  • Brakes only disengage with wire disconnected

    I’ve got an 06 SANTE with the RamLin trailer. For some reason, the brakes stay engaged in reverse but they disengage if I disconnect the trailer wire. Very strange.
    Any ideas?

  • #2
    Check the cable on the truck with a volt meter. Sounds to me like the brake light wire is stuck "high" which means it's always going to 12VDC instead of only going there when the brakes are applied.

    -Charles

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    • #3
      These are surge not electric brakes right?

      Unless someone has custom ordered or retrofitted the trailer with electric brakes you should have hydraulic surge brakes.On that system the fifth pin is connected to the backup lights on the car. When the vehicle goes into reverse the backup light comes on and the firth wire supplies power through this wire to a solenoid on the trailer master cylinder which either blocks brake fluid pressure from going to the calipers or on the better systems will recirculate the fluid to the master cylinder which prevents pressure build up and effectively does the same thing without the pressure build up at the master cylinder.

      From what you're describing it sounds like the solenoid isn't working correctly which would explain why they're still engage in reverse. I don't think this is a power issue as the symptom changes when you disconnect the connector which removes the power. The next part of the statement where the brakes disengage when the connector is removed has me looking at the solenoid as the source of the problem. The solenoid is the only moving part here and moving parts are the ones that typically fail. Sounds to me like the return spring in the solenoid has broken and the slug that blocks the flow is just going where it wants now.

      So with all that I'd be willing to bet a beer from my cooler it's the solenoid and I really like beer.

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      • #4
        Oh, if these are electric brakes...... disregard my previous post.

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        • #5
          They are indeed surge brakes - and I really like beer too so I'm going to go investigate that solenoid!

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