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Trailer brake problem.

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Old Apr 19, 2007 | 10:27 AM
  #1  
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Trailer brake problem.

I have Prodigy brake controller, when connected to my skid steer trailer I get error codes "oL" when truck brakes are applied and "SH" when they are not. Sometimes I get the "nc" not connected when it is. The error codes appear to be overload or ground related, the trailer manufacturer says it grounds through the truck. The brakes/controller works fine with the other trailers and worked last year with this one.
Any help?
 
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Old Apr 19, 2007 | 12:16 PM
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Check your trailers ground wire (should be white) coming from the plug and make sure that it is grounded at the other end to the frame of the trailer and also that it is a clean and solid connection. Some people will tell you that the trailer will ground through the coupler to the truck and that the wire is not necessary but that is not a good enough ground. If it's not that, I would start checking the trailer brakes themselves for poor connections or bad magnets maybe.
 
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Old Apr 19, 2007 | 05:57 PM
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wiingnut
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Johnnys right with his info. First thing I would check would be ground and make sure it is clean
 
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Old Apr 19, 2007 | 06:01 PM
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Thanks for the info, the ground is what I figured too. Unfortunately I cannot get to the ground it is behind a panel that they welded a brace in front of.
 
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Old Apr 19, 2007 | 06:58 PM
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Originally Posted by bkvanbek
Thanks for the info, the ground is what I figured too. Unfortunately I cannot get to the ground it is behind a panel that they welded a brace in front of.
The ground "connection point" is burried? Splice a new ground wire in to a new ground point.
 
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Old Apr 19, 2007 | 07:06 PM
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Great idea, I can get to the battery, I could ground there! I should probably call the trailer manufacturer, just to make sure it is okay since it has a circuit board and the ground has a breaker.
 
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Old Apr 19, 2007 | 08:50 PM
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Take a jumper cable, clamp it to your truck frame at a good ground and your trailer frame at a good ground and repeat the test. If this works, you need to dig out and clean the ground connections.

Also, please do not drive around with the jumper cable set up as a ground. That is something a Chevy truck owner would do.
 
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Old Apr 20, 2007 | 06:04 PM
  #8  
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I figured out the brakes work if only the electrical is connected, as soon as I hitch-up the trailer the brakes don't work. When I have only the electrical connected and I use a jumper to ground the trailer to the truck, I get a small spark and the brakes don't work.
I am going to take it to the manufacturer to fix. Thanks for your help.
 
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