The warning only happens after I come to a complete stop, then disappears when I let off and/or pump the brake. It doesn't show up until I come to a complete stop again. No warning when in the process of stopping so haven't lost brakes when stopping.
I suspect it is a magnet or a bad wire inside the drum and would like to test to see which one it is without removing drums. Wondering if anyone has advice on a good/best way to do this sort of test?
Thanks in advance,
Greg
Greg & Roxane
2010 Mountaineer 347THT Toyhauler
2002 F250 7.3 SRW CC LB Tow and Camper Package
2002 Harley Road King
Easy fix for the rv shop in Stockon ca.
chevman
chevman
2019 rockwood 34 ft fifth wheel sold
2005 3500 2wd duramax CC dually
prodigy
KSH 55 inbed fuel tank
scanguage II
TD-EOC
Induction Overhaul Kit
TST tire monitors
FMCA # F479110
Most 4 wheel trailers will draw about 1 amp for each volt applied.
Monitor the current when you are stopping.
Hold it down next to wheel where brake magnet is
Then have someone apply trailer brakes via manual level on brake controller
Watch for deflection of compass needle
No deflection....magnet not energizing
Is it time for your medication or mine?
2007 DODGE 3500 QC SRW 5.9L CTD In-Bed 'quiet gen'
2007 HitchHiker II 32.5 UKTG 2000W Xantex Inverter
US NAVY------USS Decatur DDG31
I give the compass test a try first, but suspect all are working until the brake assembly on one of the wheels is torqued to engage the brake shoes against the drum. Then something gets shorted...a bare wire or a bad magnet. Then it quits when the brake is released.
The only solution may be to cut the wires on one magnet at a time until the warning doesn't pop up going down the road. Would rather find an easy way to figure it out in the driveway though.
Might be seeing a disk brake conversion in my future - sure tired of the drum brake problems.
USN Retired
2016 Tiffin Allegro 32 SA
My question involves how best to check one brake at a time without removing the drums to visually inspect magnets and wires.
chevman
I'd strongly suggest to just rewire the whole brake system. Construct the wiring into a "Star" configuration rather than the typical daisy chain. If an owner wires each brake pair of wires to a terminal strip on the tongue of the trailer, diagnosis is a snap since the pairs are right in front and easily checked with a meter for any faults. The Star configuration will also allow the most power possible to each brake.
'03 F-250 4x4 CC
'71 Starcraft Wanderstar -- The Cowboy/Hilton
1. Use Electrical Tape. I've found Tape lasts longer than ZIP ties. That' on boat trailers that get dipped in salt water. Yours'll be high and dry plus in the shade.
2. String it along the rear edge of the axle. It'll be protected from road debris, and also from pinching by bottoming or somebody jacking the axle.
If God's Your Co-Pilot Move Over, jd
2003 Jayco Escapade 31A on 2002 Ford E450 V10 4R100 218" WB
RK Hauler wrote:
Haven't tried yet, but hoping I can reproduce the overload with the trailer sitting. After stopping and sitting still I can pump the brakes all day long and no warning. Gonna take some work that's all there is to it. I'll share what I find....or hopefully find. Thanks for all the good tips.
Haven't tried yet, but hoping I can reproduce the overload with the trailer sitting. After stopping and sitting still I can pump the brakes all day long and no warning. Gonna take some work that's all there is to it. I'll share what I find....or hopefully find. Thanks for all the good tips.
Greg,
It may be that a shorting brake wire only comes in contact with a ground when the trailer is in motion and slowing due to brake deployment.
Rewiring the brake system is one of the easier wiring jobs on a trailer since nearly all of it is out in the open. You can get as obsessive as you deem fit with the process.
FWIW, I ran all the brake wiring into loom and flexible conduit since I have first hand experience with trailer wiring failures. All it takes is one small rock bouncing down the road or a wheel spitting a pebble at a wire, to part a wire. Sometimes, the wire breaks inside the jacket and is very hard to pinpoint.
Someone mentioned rewiring in a star pattern meaning that all brakes are in parallel (I think that is what you meant). This would not work well because all brakes need to be in series as they are wired from the factory. I really like the idea of rewiring the brakes on the outside of the axle housings. With terminals attached to the frame it would be really easy to diagnose which brake magnet might be causing the problem by bypassing the individual magnet.
I would really be interested to hear from anyone who has the intermittent problem and how you fixed it.
2017 RAM 1500 Quad Cab 5.7L Hemi, 8 speed 3.21
2018 Winnebago Minnie 2250DS
I figured it out by cutting the wires to one brake at a time then driving it. If the P3 still gave the overload warning when stopping I would use butt connectors to reconnect and try the next one.
I suspected which one it was based on the condition of the magnet surface of the drum when I did the brakes last summer. So got lucky and cut the right one the first time. No warnings since and I've pulled it more miles than I should say on three brakes....
My problem was really repeatable - it would do it every time I stopped unless it was a really slow light stop. What I believe is happening is the magnet surface in the drum is badly grooved. When stopping the magnet (which is also probably badly worn) is pulled into the groove, rocks a bit, and shorts itself in the groove. When you let off the brake it moves out of the groove and no more short. Not sure if that makes sense.
Regardless...just delivered today - a brand new disc brake kit I'm about to install. Pricey but looking forward to better stopping and easier to maintain brakes.
Good luck with yours.
Ken
Bigbird65 wrote:
Someone mentioned rewiring in a star pattern meaning that all brakes are in parallel (I think that is what you meant). This would not work well because all brakes need to be in series as they are wired from the factory.
Trailer brakes are always wired in parallel, never in series.Someone mentioned rewiring in a star pattern meaning that all brakes are in parallel (I think that is what you meant). This would not work well because all brakes need to be in series as they are wired from the factory.
![[image]](https://www.etrailer.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/pics/f/a/faq043_ww_500.jpg)
![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile")
2001 F150 SuperCrew
2006 Keystone Springdale 249FWBHLS
675w Solar pictures back up
Ken
Glue 10 on the inside of each frame rail. Wait a day to cure. Run dual FOURTEEN GAUGE trailer brake duplex down each frame rail.
End of that problem forever.
Disc brakes are electric over hydraulic. 3x the cost of electrics, but I haven't heard from anyone who has them that says they aren't worth it. Lots of info and sources on the internet.
This afternoon I made a sketch of my proposed rewire. Should get on it pretty soon.
Ken
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* This post was edited 07/06/17 07:22pm by Bigbird65 *
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![[image]](http://i.imgur.com/2IsObqXl.jpg)
Bigbird65 wrote:
The wiring has been completed. No telling how long I have been running with only 75% braking. I found that on the right front one of the magnet wires was out of the original factory crimped connection. Before I started, measuring with my Fluke meter, the brakes measured 1.5 ohms at the trailer connector. After the rewire the measurement is 1.1 ohms. It will now be really easy to isolate a magnet. Hope to take it out for a spin tomorrow to see if I helped the overload alarm.
The wiring has been completed. No telling how long I have been running with only 75% braking. I found that on the right front one of the magnet wires was out of the original factory crimped connection. Before I started, measuring with my Fluke meter, the brakes measured 1.5 ohms at the trailer connector. After the rewire the measurement is 1.1 ohms. It will now be really easy to isolate a magnet. Hope to take it out for a spin tomorrow to see if I helped the overload alarm.
Two things.
First you need to replace the wire nuts with waterproof crimps.
Wire nuts will allow the connections to corrode and will not be able to handle the vibration they will be exposed to.
Second the P3 has a diagonistic feature that will give the current drawn by the brakes.
I have found the current will be very close to 1 amp per volt applied.
This correlates close to the resistance you measured.
I check the voltage applied and current drawn before every trip with the manual lever on my P3.
2007 Expedition EL 4x4 Tow pkg
1981 Palomino Pony, the PopUp = PUCampin! (Sold)
2006 Pioneer 180CK = (No more PUcampin!)">
Me"> DW"> and the 3 in 3 ">
DD"> 2006, DS "> 2007, DD "> 2008
RCMAN46 wrote:
Two things.
First you need to replace the wire nuts with waterproof crimps.
Wire nuts will allow the connections to corrode and will not be able to handle the vibration they will be exposed to.
Second the P3 has a diagonistic feature that will give the current drawn by the brakes.
I have found the current will be very close to 1 amp per volt applied.
This correlates close to the resistance you measured.
I check the voltage applied and current drawn before every trip with the manual lever on my P3.
Two things.
First you need to replace the wire nuts with waterproof crimps.
Wire nuts will allow the connections to corrode and will not be able to handle the vibration they will be exposed to.
Second the P3 has a diagonistic feature that will give the current drawn by the brakes.
I have found the current will be very close to 1 amp per volt applied.
This correlates close to the resistance you measured.
I check the voltage applied and current drawn before every trip with the manual lever on my P3.
I felt sure that this comment about the wire nuts would come up. I have used wire nuts like these on trailers for years and have not come across a corrosion problem. However, I will keep a close eye on them. I do use the P3 diagnostic information. FYI, here is the reading that I got on each magnet measured with a Fluke 79 meter on the 40 ohm scale. LF 3.4 ohm, LR 3.9 ohm, RF 3.5 ohm, and RR 3.3 ohm. Thanks for the reply.
* This post was edited 07/07/17 02:51pm by Bigbird65 *
PUCampin wrote:
In my case, my OL, Short, Not Connected, error codes were caused by the wires inside the drums being too long. In 2 of the 4 wheels, the drum rubbed through and the wire made intermittent contact with the rotating drum causing all kinds of issues. If you have not removed your drums and checked this, do so.
In my case, my OL, Short, Not Connected, error codes were caused by the wires inside the drums being too long. In 2 of the 4 wheels, the drum rubbed through and the wire made intermittent contact with the rotating drum causing all kinds of issues. If you have not removed your drums and checked this, do so.
I have had the drums off several times and never found the wires to be too long. They feed through an insulator on the brake back plate. There may be potential for the wires to short to the back plate or the brake shoe lever arm. Anyway I can easily, after rewiring, take a brake magnet out of service for testing purposes if I am still having overload issues.
On our fiver, I struggled with uneven braking. With decent trailer brake sensitivity set, the left front tire would consistently lock up followed by the left rear. I don't thing the right ones ever locked up.
I pulled all the factory wiring (connected with scotchlocks, if I recall) out & replaced it with highly flexible rubber sheathed extension cord cable. I ran 10 gauge to a point near the axles, 2 EQUAL lengths of 12 gauge to the center of the axles. At that point, I ran EQUAL lengths of 14 gauge to each brake.
All connections were soldered & weather shielded; the cord was attached to the tops of the axles with a spot of adhesive and electrical tape. No connectors were used except the crappy 7 pin on the pin box.
It worked very well. I never had lockup issues; all 4 wheels braked at the same rate. It became a pleasure to tow ... then I traded it in on our first Class C. I hope the future owners enjoyed it as well as we did!
'16 Forest River Sunseeker 2250SLEC Chevrolet 6.0L
Previously:
'00 Four Winds 26Q Class C (Ford E350 V10)
'96 Kit Sportsmaster 212f Fifth Wheel/'93 GMC Sierra K2500
'91 SunLite poptop truck camper
and the first: a Wildernest flip-top canopy.
BruceMc wrote:
Looking good!
On our fiver, I struggled with uneven braking. With decent trailer brake sensitivity set, the left front tire would consistently lock up followed by the left rear. I don't thing the right ones ever locked up.
I pulled all the factory wiring (connected with scotchlocks, if I recall) out & replaced it with highly flexible rubber sheathed extension cord cable. I ran 10 gauge to a point near the axles, 2 EQUAL lengths of 12 gauge to the center of the axles. At that point, I ran EQUAL lengths of 14 gauge to each brake.
All connections were soldered & weather shielded; the cord was attached to the tops of the axles with a spot of adhesive and electrical tape. No connectors were used except the crappy 7 pin on the pin box.
It worked very well. I never had lockup issues; all 4 wheels braked at the same rate. It became a pleasure to tow ... then I traded it in on our first Class C. I hope the future owners enjoyed it as well as we did!
Looking good!
On our fiver, I struggled with uneven braking. With decent trailer brake sensitivity set, the left front tire would consistently lock up followed by the left rear. I don't thing the right ones ever locked up.
I pulled all the factory wiring (connected with scotchlocks, if I recall) out & replaced it with highly flexible rubber sheathed extension cord cable. I ran 10 gauge to a point near the axles, 2 EQUAL lengths of 12 gauge to the center of the axles. At that point, I ran EQUAL lengths of 14 gauge to each brake.
All connections were soldered & weather shielded; the cord was attached to the tops of the axles with a spot of adhesive and electrical tape. No connectors were used except the crappy 7 pin on the pin box.
It worked very well. I never had lockup issues; all 4 wheels braked at the same rate. It became a pleasure to tow ... then I traded it in on our first Class C. I hope the future owners enjoyed it as well as we did!
Bruce, very glad to hear that your rewiring job was so successful. If I should have any corrosion problems then I will go the solder route that you did. I think the only thing that will cause my intermittent overload will have to do with the magnets because everything else is clear.
One puck was worn completely through to the windings and the other one was not far behind. I replaced the pucks and shoes, then repacked the wheel bearings & installed new seals. What a difference! I'll never run a medium trailer w/o brakes again. We also have a couple light trailers w/o brakes & we do fine with those.
At least turn them up to avoid trapping water.
I would zip-tie around the axle before those stickers are in the wind.
time2roll wrote:
You can get waterproof wire nuts in the landscape department.
At least turn them up to avoid trapping water.
I would zip-tie around the axle before those stickers are in the wind.
You can get waterproof wire nuts in the landscape department.
At least turn them up to avoid trapping water.
I would zip-tie around the axle before those stickers are in the wind.
Since I posted the photos I had the same idea as you and turned the wire nuts up. Before I put the square zip-tie anchors on the axle housings I cleaned each spot with alcohol. I then ran a bead of Goop around each anchor. I feel certain they won't come off.
![[image]](http://i.imgur.com/2qaf2abl.jpg)
![[image]](http://i.imgur.com/XuQREwbl.jpg)