Trailer Disconnect
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Trailer Disconnect
Ive got a 16ft open trailer and a 13 Raptor. I let someone use the trailer and they had dragged the main cable that goes into your plug in and the lights stopped working and trailer brakes stopped working. Id be going down the road and the brakes would kick back on. So I went and bought an 8ft harness then 12ft of wire and rewired the trailer. I got the lights to work and now its saying that the trailer is disconnected. How can the trailer be disconnected but all the lights work? Any info is appreciated. Thank you
Logistics Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Central KY
If I'm not mistaken, the vehicle is wired so that the trailer brakes complete the circuit that tells the truck that a trailer is connected. If your wiring is damaged, or not to spec, or the trailer brakes aren't working, it may not detect that a trailer is connected.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Damon (South East Texas)
I pull a 12 ft tandem axle utility trailer that has no brakes and don't get any alerts when it is plugged in. All lights function normally, but I hadn't really noticed that it recognizes the trailer. It does, however, recognize my travel trailer with brakes.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2011
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From: Goldthwaite,Tx
A couple weeks ago I pulled my 5X8 utility trailer with my 2011 for the first time and it wasn't being recognized even though the lights all worked. When I got home I looked in the owners manual and it said only trailers with electric brakes would be recognized. My trailer doesn't have electric brakes. So maybe like WXboy said there may be some wiring damage somewhere or loose connection.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Damon (South East Texas)
I think the TBC looks for the resistance in the coils of the brake electromagnets. I have seen an issue with a instrument cluster display fault, related to the trailer brakes, on a late model GMC truck at work. A quick Google search lead me to checking the resistance at the trailer pigtail. Even placing a test light across the trailer brake feed to ground, on the 7 way truck receptacle, would make the truck "think" a trailer was connected. The issue was our plant manager's personal trailer. As when connected to our company gooseneck, all was fine. There also may have been some sort of blown fuse. He tends to have issues with his own equipment that causes these problems and then, we have to fix those caused by it when he returns to work. 
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Well what makes me think that the wiring is fine is when I hook it up to my other truck and 04 Silverado the trailer brakes work and all the lights work, so that's what makes me think theres an issue with the truck and not the trailer. Thank you for all your guys input maybe this will give you a little more info.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Central KY
In that case you should get a volt meter and start checking. Start with the fuses (the owners manual will help you locate the proper fuses to test) and then test the rear connection at the harness end and go from there.
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