Any problems with Electric brakes?

[Txbred]

So I have a trailer app on my truck that runs a diagnostic of the trailer.
Today I went to my boat profile and turned on the "electric brake alert" which notifies me when there is an issue with the trailer brakes. So now all the sudden there is a connection problem with the electric brakes it says. Before I turned the"electric brake alert" on it said all connections "ok". How do I tell if the brakes are working? Any suggestions will help. Thanks.

 

[obrien19]

More than likely don't have electric brakes on the trailer. Believe all Yamaha shorelander trailers are just the normal hydraulic brakes that are activated when the tounge feels pressure against the hitch ball as the tow vehicle breaks.

 

[WV Hillbilly]

More than likely don't have electric brakes on the trailer. Believe all Yamaha shorelander trailers are just the normal hydraulic brakes that are activated when the tounge feels pressure against the hitch ball as the tow vehicle breaks.

The easy way to check to see which kind of brakes is to look for a slide joint just behind the ball on the tongue. If you see a slide joint you should also see a cap for the fluid reservoir for the brakes. Spotting these things tells you that you have hydraulic surge brakes.

Depending on the tow vehicle, there could be many reasons that you are getting an error. My GMC has the tow package and will run the lights from an app on my phone. It also “checks” systems like brakes and other comms from the trailer if equipped… how those checks are done and what it is looking for is unknown to me, although I expect it is looking at continuity of some kind. A quick look through the owners manual for the tow vehicle may give you a hint. It could be something as simple as a bad fuse in the tow vehicle.

 

[Neutron]

If it uses a flat 5 pin connector its surge brakes. If it is the round 7 pin it is electric brakes

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

My 2020 shorelander trailer has a round 7 pin style connector. This is so that the back up light wire can be hooked up to the surge brake bypass solenoid so that when you back up the trailer brakes do not engage.

@Txbred More than likely you told your vehicle to check electric brakes for your boat trailer and it doesn’t have them so it’s throwing a fault. Why did you enable this feature? Do as @WV Hillbilly suggests and verify that you have surge brakes.. in your profile shows your boat year as “other”. Once verified disable the electric brake check and move on peacefully

 

[Txbred]

More than likely don't have electric brakes on the trailer. Believe all Yamaha shorelander trailers are just the normal hydraulic brakes that are activated when the tounge feels pressure against the hitch ball as the tow vehicle breaks.

Ok thanks, I assumed they were electric brakes.

 

[Txbred]

The easy way to check to see which kind of brakes is to look for a slide joint just behind the ball on the tongue. If you see a slide joint you should also see a cap for the fluid reservoir for the brakes. Spotting these things tells you that you have hydraulic surge brakes.

Depending on the tow vehicle, there could be many reasons that you are getting an error. My GMC has the tow package and will run the lights from an app on my phone. It also “checks” systems like brakes and other comms from the trailer if equipped… how those checks are done and what it is looking for is unknown to me, although I expect it is looking at continuity of some kind. A quick look through the owners manual for the tow vehicle may give you a hint. It could be something as simple as a bad fuse in the tow vehicle.

Ok thanks, Fuse was the 1st thing I checked. Not much in the owners manual except the alert means to check electric brakes but since it does have a fill cap I am assuming they are hydraulic like you said.

 

[Txbred]

If it uses a flat 5 pin connector its surge brakes. If it is the round 7 pin it is electric brakes

Ok thanks, it is a seven pin. When I run a diagnostic the app shows a diagram of the 7 pin with the electric brake pin circled , I guess it wants me to check that.

 

[Txbred]

My 2020 shorelander trailer has a round 7 pin style connector. This is so that the back up light wire can be hooked up to the surge brake bypass solenoid so that when you back up the trailer brakes do not engage.

@Txbred More than likely you told your vehicle to check electric brakes for your boat trailer and it doesn’t have them so it’s throwing a fault. Why did you enable this feature? Do as @WV Hillbilly suggests and verify that you have surge brakes.. in your profile shows your boat year as “other”. Once verified disable the electric brake check and move on peacefully

Ok thanks, I'll change my "other" to 2022 252SE. I did notice that when I run a light test the back up lights DO NOT come on the trailer. I did verify that they are hydraulic, so Im assuming they are not electric therefor you are probaly correct that it is throwing a fault because there are no electric brakes. Lastly, I enabled this feature just to see what it would do no particular reason.

I also disabled this feature and it said "connections ok".
I'm not sure if it's just me over thinking it but the trailer makes alot of creeking and cracking backing up so I was thinking maybe there's some resistance in the brakes, or maybe not.

 

[haknslash]

Do Shorelandr trailers come with backup lights these days? I don’t think I’ve seen them with anything other than red lens housings. I think you may be overthinking things. Those trailer will creak, moan and make noises. I know my Shorelandr trailer was considerably louder than the Boatmate trailer I have now. If you have everything plugged in the trailer harness and you’re able to back-up then everything is working because if you didn’t have the blue wire to energize the brake then you would not be able to back-up unless you manually used the keyhole on the side of the trailer tongue to “lock out” the brakes.

 

[Txbred]

Do Shorelandr trailers come with backup lights these days? I don’t think I’ve seen them with anything other than red lens housings. I think you may be overthinking things. Those trailer will creak, moan and make noises. I know my Shorelandr trailer was considerably louder than the Boatmate trailer I have now. If you have everything plugged in the trailer harness and you’re able to back-up then everything is working because if you didn’t have the blue wire to energize the brake then you would not be able to back-up unless you manually used the keyhole on the side of the trailer tongue to “lock out” the brakes.

Lol, you are correct. I just checked and there aren't any white lens, so that makes sense. Thanks for the input .

 

[Wayloncle]

My new trailer has electric over hydraulic brakes, when connected to our 2021 Tahoe it always says wiring is disconnected not long after connecting and testing the lights. I ordered some resistors to install in the trailer brake lights, because the trailer doesn’t pull enough of a draw for the computer to sense that it is still connected.

 

[motomandan]

If it uses a flat 5 pin connector its surge brakes. If it is the round 7 pin it is electric brakes

Not always!

 

[Txbred]

My new trailer has electric over hydraulic brakes, when connected to our 2021 Tahoe it always says wiring is disconnected not long after connecting and testing the lights. I ordered some resistors to install in the trailer brake lights, because the trailer doesn’t pull enough of a draw for the computer to sense that it is still connected.

What make and model is your trailer? I have a 2022 shorelander dual axel.

 

[Txbred]

If it uses a flat 5 pin connector its surge brakes. If it is the round 7 pin it is electric brakes

Ok so I'm confused.I have a 7pin but I'm being told that they are hydraulic not electric, from a number of members here. Can anyone clarify?

 

[Txbred]

Not always!

I'm told I have hydraulic brakes with a7pin

 

[Neutron]

They must have changed to the round connector cause vehicles either have a flat 4 pin or round 7 pin or both. Just makes more sense.

 

[Txbred]

They must have changed to the round connector cause vehicles either have a flat 4 pin or round 7 pin or both. Just makes more sense.

My truck has both, trailer has only the round.

 

[2kwik4u]

My truck has both, trailer has only the round.

Right.....Most vehicles have just a 4 pin, or a 4pin AND 7pin. I'm not sure I've ever seen a vehicle with a 5pin.

Now....If Yamaha used a 5 pin it would require an adapter from the 7-pin to a 5-pin. You can't adapt from a 4-pin to a 5-pin and have it work.

SO....Looks like Yamaha did the smart thing and just started putting 7pin connectors on the trailer so that customers don't have to buy the adapter anymore, and it's likely a low or zero cost change on their end.

HOWEVER......it has the side effect of confusion that we're seeing here, since most 7-pin connectors are found on vehicles with fully electric, not surge style brakes.

99% certain you've got surge brakes, a 7 pin connector, and no reverse lights on the trailer.

 

[haknslash]

My Boatmate trailer came with a 7 pin round and has hydraulic brakes. It can be optioned with electric brakes so I assume they use the same 7 pin for part redundancy and ease of manufacturing. I can’t remember what my Shorelandr trailer came wired as for my AR192 but I know I cut it to splice in a 7 pin round connector so I wouldn't have to use an adapter.