Question concerning factory brake controller, NOT installed at the factory.

[mr. cob]

Howdy All,

When I bought my Rubi JT, it did NOT have the factory brake controller installed, part of the deal I made was that the price included the installation of the factory brake controller. The dealer I bought from contracts with an outside source to install many or most of the factory options, this is a legitimate shop well known for it's great work.

Long story short, I go to hook up my small tandem axle trailer but before I do an actual tow I put the trailer up on jacks wheels off the ground so I could adjust the brake shoes while plugged into the truck to test the controller. With the trailer wheels off the ground, push the brake pedal or push the button on center of controller and if spinning the wheels by hand they will stop.

Thinking all is well I drop the trailer on the ground and go for a test tow so I can adjust the dial on the controller to set the amount of braking that is applied to the trailer. That didn't go well at all, even with the brake controller set on "10" I had virtual NO TRAILER BRAKING. Would not drag the tires on gravel, didn't apply enough braking to be any use while towing. Again leaving the trailer hooked up and plugged into the truck, jack the trailer tires off the ground, spin tires by hand push brake pedal or the controller button and the wheels stop.

Can anyone offer any clue as to what the heck is going on? Thanks for any suggestion or advise you may have.

Dave

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[Snake Eyes]

pull out dash part and check to make sure wiring is correct. Trace and test. Voltmeter etc. Trouble shoot wire connections first in case something is loose or incorrectly wired by mistake. Great shops can still make mistakes

 

[kevman65]

Or, take it back to dealer UNDER WARRANTY and let them have the headache.

 

[Mball488]

So this kind of thing happened to me. I installed it myself and everything looked like it was going to work (lights and everything). I went to tow a trailer that had a 7pin and operational brakes and even when the lights lit up nothing was happening. Someone told me that it had to be "turned on" either by the Dealership or via a Tazer. I have a Tazer and low and behold there is a setting to turn on the brake controller. I don't know if this is in every case, but that fixed my issue. Like someone said, check all wiring and make sure connections are seated properly.

 

[CFLgladiator]

So this kind of thing happened to me. I installed it myself and everything looked like it was going to work (lights and everything). I went to tow a trailer that had a 7pin and operational brakes and even when the lights lit up nothing was happening. Someone told me that it had to be "turned on" either by the Dealership or via a Tazer. I have a Tazer and low and behold there is a setting to turn on the brake controller. I don't know if this is in every case, but that fixed my issue. Like someone said, check all wiring and make sure connections are seated properly.

Damn that's news to me. I'll have to check for the setting. I haven't had a chance to test my controller after installing it. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Or, take it back to dealer UNDER WARRANTY and let them have the headache.

Good thing you dont have an RV

 

[ShadowsPapa]

So this kind of thing happened to me. I installed it myself and everything looked like it was going to work (lights and everything). I went to tow a trailer that had a 7pin and operational brakes and even when the lights lit up nothing was happening. Someone told me that it had to be "turned on" either by the Dealership or via a Tazer. I have a Tazer and low and behold there is a setting to turn on the brake controller. I don't know if this is in every case, but that fixed my issue. Like someone said, check all wiring and make sure connections are seated properly.

NOTHING has to be turned on or enabled. Install it and use it. IT's that simple.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Damn that's news to me. I'll have to check for the setting. I haven't had a chance to test my controller after installing it. Thanks for the heads up.

There isn't a setting because these aren't integrated. They are stand-alone like any other brake controller. There are settings in the truck's system but they aren't used on the Gladiator. Some of those settings carry over from RAM and other vehicles.
I've installed them on 2 Gladiators now - nothing to enable. Dozens of people here have installed them, nothing to enable. They are quite literally plug and play.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

pull out dash part and check to make sure wiring is correct. Trace and test. Voltmeter etc. Trouble shoot wire connections first in case something is loose or incorrectly wired by mistake. Great shops can still make mistakes

No need to pull out the dash - the only connections are to the left of your left foot. The dash has no connections hidden.

There's a harness from the controller "box" to the truck's pigtail, and then the wire from the knob/dial/control goes to that box - but they are both connected where you can see or feel them.

 

[CFLgladiator]

There isn't a setting because these aren't integrated. They are stand-alone like any other brake controller. There are settings in the truck's system but they aren't used on the Gladiator. Some of those settings carry over from RAM and other vehicles.
I've installed them on 2 Gladiators now - nothing to enable. Dozens of people here have installed them, nothing to enable. They are quite literally plug and play.

Thanks for the update.

To the op, I would troubleshoot the trailer with another truck first before trying anything else on your truck.

 

[Mball488]

NOTHING has to be turned on or enabled. Install it and use it. IT's that simple.

Enable/disable trailer tow setting made mine work.

 

[Mball488]

No need to pull out the dash - the only connections are to the left of your left foot. The dash has no connections hidden.

There's a harness from the controller "box" to the truck's pigtail, and then the wire from the knob/dial/control goes to that box - but they are both connected where you can see or feel them.

 

[Mball488]

Maybe it’s a hit or miss after install. At least on my 2020 JTR this was the fix for me.

 

[mr. cob]

Howdy All,

Thanks for the suggestions. “I” am a self confessed computer and All things electrical IDIOT. For decades I have paid others to work on any thing electrical about all I good for in when it comes to such things is starting fires.

That said I think I have eleminated the Jeep from the problem. Using my multi meter when pushing the button on the brake controller at setting number 1, I get 2.2 volts at the truck end of the 7 pin connector. At setting number 10, I get 14.3 volts

So I am thinking the brake controller is wired and working properly.

How to test the trailer pig tail is way beyond my meager ability or imagination.

Dave

 

[Marlinvx]

I had a problem like that once on a new trailer. Dumbasses wired the brakes on the trailer in series instead of parallel.

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