Breakaway switch problem

SilverToy · 03-27-2006, 10:01 AM

Hi all -

Had a problem with the PO mounted breakaway switch - cable wore through from dragging on the pavement. Don't ask me how!

Anyway....

Got new switch. Mounted it as old one was mounted. Went to rewire it as originial. Looked odd.

Got the manual out and... sure enough. Not according to the book.

3 wires out of the frame. Blue/ blue/ red. According to the book the 1st blue comes from the brakes, the 2nd blue is from the 7-way plug, and the red is hot from the battery.

Well, one of my blue wires is 'hot' when the trailer is NOT hooked up. The red is hot too. On my trailer the 'hot' blue and the other blue are hooked to the breakaway switch. The red is capped.

??????

Well, gurus....?

Axel

**jcanavera** · 03-27-2006, 01:00 PM

Axel, this isn't the answer to your question but, assuming your switch isn't terribly old, you can replace the cable and the pin. It's just a matter of Id'ing the make of your breakaway switch. I had an SOB where the cable got damaged and a local dealer sold a nice packaged cable which came preconnected to the proper pin for the switch.

Jack

nickcrowhurst · 03-27-2006, 01:34 PM

Silver Toy, that seems OK to me. The breakaway switch is "ON" when the pin is pulled. The always live blue wire goes to one side of the breakaway switch, and the normally dead blue wire goes to the other side of the breakaway switch. When the pin is pulled, current flows down the second blue wire, and this acivates the electric brakes. Try it out with one side of the trailer jacked up, and check that the brakes work when the pin is pulled. Only leave the pin out for a few seconds, so as not to overheat the magnets and spindles. Electric brakes do not lock the wheels until they have been turned a few degrees, unlike hydraulic brakes.The live red wire could be used as power for the front electric jack, or any other light or other device the previous owner may have fitted, and later removed. That's just a guess.
Nick

nickcrowhurst · 03-27-2006, 02:22 PM

Silver Toy, to clarify one point, the normally dead live wire will fork at one point, hidden in the trailer, one leg going to the electric brakes, and the other leg going via the 7-way to the tow vehicle brake controller.
Nick.

SilverToy · 03-27-2006, 02:26 PM

Hello all -

Jack - yes, I knew that. I actually did just buy the pin/cable combo ( only one they had - $11) but alas it was the wrong one. Returned the pin/cable and get the entire switch (new Teconsha(sp?) - $6!!!!!!) and proceeded to wire up as previous switch.

Nick - Thanks for the reply. Just didn't look right so I dug out the manual. The Manual says that there are 3 wires. 2 blue on one side of BA switch / 1 red on other side. Red is hot, the 1 blue goes to the brakes, the other blue is only to be hot when connected to the TV/ brake controller - according to the manual AS sent with the trailer.

The way it sits now, there is one blue (brake) on one side of BA switch, one HOT blue (with NO TV connected) on other side, and a capped hot red.

Any AS electrical wizards out there that can cypher this one out for me?

A local NM WBCCI friend is coming tomorrow to look it all over - he is a master electrician and general AS wizard. Hope he can help me get SilverToy straightened out again.

nickcrowhurst · 03-27-2006, 03:56 PM

Axel, some time in the past 14 years, I suspect there was an intermittent failure on the live red wire. On my trailer, one of these wires became faulty inside the frame box section, so I just capped it off, and ran new wires outside the frame, and passed them up through the belly pan beside the 7-way loom, en route to the fuse box behind the couch. I suspect something similar happened with your trailer. That's my best guess.
Nick