Trailer brakes acting up. Problem solved!

[thecatsandi]

Ok I finally got my brakes back to normal!

Did Airstream's reapir to my trailer cause the problem. Yes and no.
Did they pay for the solution, yes mostly. They will pay for it alll when i am done.

The problem was when I applied the brakes in the TV I got full braking on the trailer. It turns out this is appropriate behavior for a confused Acti-brake.

The problem was manifested when Airstream removed the Acti-brake from the trailer to replace the "battery box" which was damaged in the accident. This resets the memory in the Acti-brake. The unit needs to be re-synced with the tow vehicle so it knows what a maximum braking signal is so it can accurately measure a signal and apply the proportional braking force.

This was done when I bought the trailer but I did not know it was done or how to do it. I also did this without knowing it with my new truck by following Ford's instructions for setting the gain on the Tow Command.

The proceedure is as follows:

Disconnect the trailer battery(s) for a few minutes. Less than a minute is needed to clear the Acti-brake but just be sure.

reconnect the battery(s).
start the Tow vehicle and connect it to the trailer.
Set the controller to maximum gain.
manually activate the controller to maximum output. hold it there for about 10 seconds.
now cycle the manual lever a few times and listen for the acti-brake to cycle.

Set you gain back to "normal". For me on my Tow Command this is 6.0
Yeah I re-installed the tow command for two reasons. I was getting better braking at the low speeds than with the Prodigy and I just had to shut up the truck. SOme other computer in the truck was missing it.

Once I convience Sanders that the trailer was the problem and I was not leaving until it was fixed, Mark starting researching. Active finally provided the clue and info. The wiring was checked. No fluid on the pads. Oh did you re-sync the Actuator? Huh? That was the clue.

I remember reading about this somewhere but that info did not stick in my mind...... It does now!

[2airishuman]

well that is good news and thanks for sharing...

didn't someone suggest you needed to start over with the set up

and resync the system in your other thread?

cheers
2air'

[thecatsandi]

Maybe but I don't remember it. since it was working before....

[sequoiacoast]

When you're synching the AB and the TV, do you also scroll the sync (while pressing the manual lever)?

Is pressing the manual lever all the way and scrolling through the output, or "gain", the same as 'cycling the manual lever'?

And, finally, do you need to do this each time you hook up, or only when you've disconnected the brake-away (coach) battery?

Thanks!!!!

[2airishuman]

the syncronizing step is only used/necessart after the loss of power IN the trailer....

dead coach batteries or disconnected coach batteries.

it is not affected by the brakeaway switch or the 7 pin connection...

i suppose if one pulled the brakeaway pin and left it out, that could drain the coach batteries...

on the FORD controller in this thread, gain is set to '10'

and then the manual lever is held 'full on' for 10 seconds...

that's it.

cycling the manual lever (sliding it on/off) has nothing to do with the sync process.

it IS a way to tell if the actibrake is activating, that's all, using the brake pedal does this also

next the boost/gain is set to the 'best level' (5.5-7.5 for most) to acheive trail/truck braking as a unit.

my understanding sq'coast is that you don't have the ford controller, but a prodigy?

please check with the brake controller manufacturer for their syn process...

i think leo posted the info in another thread for the prodigy...

regardless, an UN sync'd system usually results in TOO MUCH braking force from the trailer discs.

my understanding is you had little or NO brake force...

cheers
2air'