2007 Sport Trac Trailer tow, electrical problem

[cgn9tom]

Looking for some help with my trailer tow package electrical system. I have a brake controller installed and I have pulled a trailer over the last few years with no problems. Just last week I went to pull my cargo trailer and at first the brakes worked but no lights. I pulled it around a little while thinking I had a bad ground at the hitch, but then everything quit working. I checked all of my fuses, and I also checked with a handheld voltmeter at the 4 wire and the 7 wire hookup. the 4 wire works fine, but the 7 wire shows no life at all.

I know that the trailer lighting works, because I pulled it with a different vehicle. Any suggestion. Help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Flag Gibby]

I would say to check the brake controller connection under the dash, the connector may have come loose.

 

[cgn9tom]

I checked the connection under the dash and it's fine. The lights on the brake controller are working, but I'm starting to suspect the brake controller. Not sure how possible or probable that is.

 

[Flag Gibby]

The guys over in the towing section may have an answer on what happens when a controller goes bad, but I am pretty sure that it still sends some voltage to the 7 pin trailer connector.
There was someone not too long ago that had absolutely no power to the rear connectors and it ended up being a disconnected coupler that runs behind the subwoofer in the right rear panel, but being that you have a sport trac your wiring is run different so I would backtrack the wiring from the 7 pin connector and see if you find any couplers that have come apart.

 

[cgn9tom]

OK, problem solved. There is a plug that connects the wiring harness to the back of the 7-wire receptacle at the bumper. This plug had become disconnected. This is something that will need to be checked every now and then to make sure that it hasn't come loose again. Thanks.