Intergrated brake controller - Montana Owners Club

wward208 · 10-17-2010, 06:56 AM

Just recently traded for a 2010 Dodge 3500 with factory brake controller. First time I towed my 2010 model 3150 I started getting warning light and chime and a SC code displayed on controller. (short to ground). This never happens when brakes are applied and trailer brakes always operate normal. Camper had previously been towed with 2004 Dodge with Tekonsha Prodigy controller with no problems. I have replaced the seven pin plug on trailer and inspected all wiring which is accessible on camper. Any ideas anyone? Thanks. I might add this happens every time I tow camper.

Jolu · 10-17-2010, 11:05 AM

This might not be the case but I wonder if there might be a short in the wiring to the brakes themselves or the wiring that goes into the axle tube. This is just my thought. There have been postings about the wiring in the axle tube shorting out. This is probably not brand or model specific.
Joe

Art-n-Marge · 10-17-2010, 11:31 AM

When I bought my Monty I had an '04 Ford with a Prodigy brake controller. Since I was waiting for the rig to show up, and it exceeded the tow rating, I upgraded the Ford to '06 with an integrated controller (Ford's controller is OEMed from Prodigy). After over 1,000 miles on the new truck, we took our trade-in travel trailer on its last voyage before trading it in. During the trip, I got errors to similar of what you describe but after we were near our destination about 400 miles away. I did not see anything obvious, and on the return trip we took it easy on the way home (still having this problem).

Then we took the trailer to the dealer picked up the new Monty and took it on a couple of trips (300 miles and 500 miles) within the first two weeks of ownership and this combination had NO issues.

When we traded in the trailer we had mentioned to the dealer that the trailer brakes were suspect and that the older Prodigy did not detect a problem but seemed to work okay. After our trip we called the dealer and told them that the new truck and the new controller worked great with the new Monty. It did need higher setting for the controller (the old 9K trailer was at 6.0, the new 13.5K Monty needs 9.5-10.0 on the settings), but I have had no issues until recently towing the Monty in the rain gave me a trailer fault even though the trailer brakes still worked. I haven't seen that issue either.

The point of all this is I wouldn't blame the new controller. But it does sound like yours is a more definitive issue that needs to be checked, especially since past posts have found issues like this with the trailer side of the wiring. In my case, I traded the trailer away and the dealer knowingly inherited the problem and in the second case, rain/wet might have been a factor that only occurred one time and not since. When you find and fix your issue, we'd appreciate a report back on the results.

thor · 10-19-2010, 06:20 PM

i was thinking maybe the connecter between the truck and trailer maybe alittle corrided.try putting electrical lube in both ends of the connecters then plug them together and give it a try .it wont hurt anything and might solve the problem. just a thought

sreigle · 10-21-2010, 03:34 PM

Most (but not all) of the time these problems have come up in this forum the problem was discovered to be with the trailer wiring. Usually somewhere along the length of wiring it had rubbed off the insulation, allowing it to short. Sometimes it was inside the hub itself. Occasionally it was in the wiring inside the axle tube. Other times it was along the wiring running along the frame. I'd start looking anywhere the wiring can touch another part.

Then I'd start looking elsewhere.

TAKPAK · 10-22-2010, 06:04 AM

I was going to post under "new topic" but since this has been brought up, I will put my experience here........

Recently, we were out camping at Ft. Stevens on the Oregon coast. Getting ready to leave, got the 5'er all hooked up, ready to go. Remembered I hadn't checked the "break-away" system in a while, so decided to do that. Pulled pin, checked brakes, they were locked up, all was good.....or so I thought. Re-installed the breakaway pin, and the brakes released. We're ready to go. Started out, and as I always do, I test the trailer brakes manually with the control. GASP, no trailer brakes. Absolutely nothing. I did notice that the DIC had the message "check/service brake controller system" on it. Out to check the plug, it was OK. Check the breakaway pin, it was OK. Removed plug, re-plugged in, still nothing. Could NOT get the brakes to work. About this time, I'm mentioning to the DW that she might have to ride in the back of the rig, and if we got into an emergency, PULL THE PIN. I told her to dress warm....can you guess where THAT idea went????

Anyway, as a last resort, I pulled the trailer plug, and shut off the truck. Waited a bit, then plugged the plug back in, and started the truck back up. Lo and behold, I had brakes again.

Synopsis of event......when I pulled the breakaway pin and activated the emergency brakes on the trailer, that system utilizes the battery that is in the trailer to set the brakes. Since I had the 7 pin plug already connected to the truck (had not done that during breakaway tests before) it appears that the trailer battery "backfed" into the truck's brake control system, and "upset it's operation" characteristics. It's default was to just "shut down" operation. By removing the plug, shutting the truck off, and then restarting it and plugging back in, it "cleared" it's memory, and everything was fine after that. Had brakes alll the way home, and felt much safer. Plus, DW did NOT have to ride in the back!!!

Lesson learned, at least on Chevy/GMC's with integrated brake controller...when you test the emergency break-away system, do NOT have the 7 pin plug connected! It will cause the truck's system to go into "failure mode", but at least, for me anyway, shutting the truck off and restarting, reset the system.

Lesson learned!

mlh · 10-22-2010, 09:31 AM

Thanks Terry
Lynwood

sreigle · 10-22-2010, 10:23 AM

Really good information, thanks for posting it. Anyone know if this is also a problem with the Ford and Dodge builtin controllers and with aftermarket controllers like my Tekonsha P3? I guess I could test it myself.

By the way, if you don't mind starting a new topic, I think more people would see it and this kind of information is invaluable. Thanks.

thor · 10-22-2010, 04:15 PM

there is only one way to find out.try it and let us now lol

wward208 · 10-24-2010, 05:20 AM

Thanks for all the input on my problem with brake controller. I have made me a tester for system consisting of seven pin plug, 2 short lengths of wire, and one used brake magnet. With this plugged into truck it thinks it has a trailer connected. Everything about the controller, including truck display, operates as if camper was connected to truck. Have driven truck for several days with no fault code set. Today I will cut wires to one axle and pull camper and if no code set I will do next axle. Thanks again.

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