An All-Inclusive Guide on Electric Brakes Installation for Trailer Lovers

Those who need the quality braking for their beloved trailers and caravans know the importance of Electric brakes. There is no need to give the introduction of the same once again. Before you go for the Electric brakes installation in Perth, you must know their working procedure along with their benefits.

Also, there is another point to be considered when you are off-road. Suppose your trailer brakes stopped working during an outing trip, then your day will be a dull one. Do you know what to do when the electric trailer brakes stop working?

This is the reason you need to know the critical issues and their checking processes in this regard. Eventually, you will be able to understand the significance of Electric brakes installation in the most appropriate way.

What are Electric Brakes & How do they work?

An electric brake controller is a device great for activating the brakes on a trailer or a caravan. When you press the brake pedal in the tow vehicle, the caravan electric brakes controller will start sending a signal to the trailer, and the brakes are applied effectively. Electric brakes for caravan towing have been an advantageous safety feature. Very often, Caravans and trailers weigh more than a tonne- we all know that. As the car’s brakes are designed to stop the car itself, adding extra weight can overload the total system and cause the brake system to fail.

To avoid that, many caravans and trailers come with standard braking systems of their own. In that space, an electric brake controller comes as an affordable and reliable solution for activating those brakes distantly. Without the need for connection with your tow vehicle’s hydraulic system, electric brakes will give you the advantage of safely stopping and controlling your trailer from the driver’s seat.

What are the benefits of Electric Brakes Installation?

These are the most popular benefits of having Electric Brakes Installation. When you remain off the road, they will help you have a more enjoyable driving experience.

(i) Waterproof and shockproof

(ii) Stored settings allow for multi-user accessibility

(iii) Smooth adjustably proportional braking

(iv) Preset braking options

(v) Easily connects to existing trailer circuits

(vi) Durable encased electronics

(vii) Plug and Play: short time installation time

Critical Trailer Problems for improper Electric brakes installation

These are the most common problems that come with the Trailer and Caravans. Read them and understand them well to keep your assets in check.

(A). Feeble or No-Braking issues: As seen through the cases of many users in Australia, one of the most common issues is feeble or non-existent braking power. This can be caused by a variety of factors. These could be worn brake shoes, a faulty brake controller, a wiring connection or other electrical damage problems.

(B). Intermittent Braking issues: Sometimes, you may experience that, your braking fails to work smoothly and consistently. If your trailer brakes work inconsistently, there could be loose wiring connections or a failing brake controller. In many cases, it has been found that the corroded brake components are the reason behind this.

(C). Locked Brakes issues: Locked Brakes issues can also be the villain here. Sometimes, many trailer users have seen that their trailer wheels are locking up without prior signs. This can be caused by over-adjusted brake shoes or a stuck brake magnet. A malfunctioning brake controller could be another type of reason behind such issues in general.

(D). Uneven Braking issues: Uneven Braking issues can create more Trailer Problems. When a trailer's brakes operate with more intensity on one side it can cause pulling of the trailer on one side only. This is likely to occur over and over again because the brake shoes wear unevenly or the brake gets disconnected on the vehicle on one side.

What if the electric trailer brakes stopped working?

If you are experiencing issues with your trailer brakes, it's important to identify the root cause. There are several potential reasons why the brakes on your trailer may not be functioning properly, so let's begin by checking some of the simpler components.

(1). Proper Addressing: At the very beginning, inspect the vehicle and trailer connectors for signs of corrosion. Corrosion can lead to a short circuit inside the connector, particularly affecting the brake feed circuit and ground at the bottom of the connector. Moisture tends to impact these parts fast. Electrical leads and connectors, if not sufficiently protected and maintained, can become susceptible to severe corrosion. This leads to more short circuits, causing costlier downtimes and even irreparable damage many times. Properly addressing condensation, corrosion and humidity is, therefore, very important in this regard.

(2). Check ground wiring, connectors and magnet: Next, you need to examine the ground wire on the vehicle and trailer connectors. A poor ground connection can prevent the trailer brakes from operating in the right manner. Trailer brake magnets and the brake controller need to be checked also. If you see that the ground wire is touching the Blue (brake wire) this could happen inside the 7-pin plug. Any one of the brake magnets might have been grounded. Just you need to unplug one by one to see if the fault goes away. If the fault occurs only when the brake away switch is activated but not when the tow vehicle brakes are applied, then the fault might be with the brake away switches, it could have gone shorted to the ground.

(3). Check Brake controller wiring: Subsequently, inspect the brake controller wiring. Just cut the blue brake output wire, leaving enough room to splice it back together after testing, and activate the manual slide. Using a circuit tester, verify that there is output to the trailer brakes (blue wire). If the manual slide activates the trailer brake output wire correctly, test the brake pedal. If the brake pedal activates the brake output properly, the issue likely lies further back in the vehicle wiring or on the trailer.

(4). Check the Brake pedal and manual slide: Finally, if all those above-mentioned troubleshooting measures fail to identify the problem, you should inspect the brake pedal and the manual slide. If either of the brake pedals and the manual slide are not functioning correctly, you will need to test the wires going into the brake controller. Ensure that there is power entering the brake controller on the black wire and the red wire only when the brake pedal is pressed. If these wires test correctly and there is no output, your brake controller most likely needs to be replaced.

The Conclusion: A Solution for You

For more than 10 years ACE OFF-GRID electrics have been fulfilling their client's outback requirements like efficient and reliable braking. At this point, if you need an advanced quality Electric brake installation, you should not stay away from their popular service assigned for trailer lovers like you. They are very reliable with a wide range of other necessary services. Contact them soon and meet their professional Auto electrician in Perth to match your expectations.