Trucks & Trailers - Problem with Dexter E/H Wiring?

I'm dealing with separate wring diagrams for the Dexter Electric/Hydraulic actuator and the Tekonsha break away switch kit. The Dexter E/H wiring instructions says that the Yellow wire from the actuator is connected to the cold side of the trailer emergency breakaway switch. What is the cold side? The diagram for the break away shows one black wire connecting to the red wire (+) of the breakaway battery errr tow charger. The other black lead from the break away switch connects to the blue lead of the brake controller. So again, which is the cold side of the break away switch?

I've gone from having the actuator running full time when plugged in to nothing now. Pulling the break away switch does nothing.

The break away switch is a simple normally open switch. The two leads on it are interchangable. One lead goes to the positive side of your break away battery, the other goes to the yellow wire of your Electric/Hydraulic actuator. When the break away pin is removed the switch closes and power is applied to the yellow wire of the actuator. Do not connect the blue wire to the breakaway switch.

All of the wiring diagrams for the break away switch show one lead connecting to the blue lead from the controller. So now you can see why I'm confused. Your description makes more sense.

I would follow the wiring diagram on page 6 of this manual
www.pjtrailers.com/downloads/Dexter_Elec_Hyd.pdf

Also note the text at the top of page 7

I would follow the wiring diagram on page 6 of this manual
www.pjtrailers.com/downloads/Dexter_Elec_Hyd.pdf

Also note the text at the top of page 7

Have that manual. It shows two leads coming from the positive side of the break away battery, one black going to black on the actuator and this also goes to the 12 volt lead from the truck. My break away battery/charger has only one lead. Also that diagram shows nothing with respect to the breakaway switch.

Hmmmm the link I sent shows on page 6 the breakaway switch connected to the yellow wire of the accutator and the orange/black wire connected to the positive side of the battery.

D-Westie, thanks for your help on this.

I went to bed worried that I fried the Dexter E/H. Woke up at first light and went through the troubleshooting steps on page 12 of the manual you posted. Cut all the wires away from the trailer plug harness and using a separate battery, confirmed that the Dexter E/H unit is working fine.:o

I'm still in a wiring quandry. Here's the wiring guide for the Tekonsha Breakaway switch:

http://www.truckspring.com/installation-instructions/Tekonsha-breakaway-kits/1028.pdf

I'm assuming the cold side of the breakaway switch is the side that normally has no power until the breakaway is pulled. Well, look at that diagram and both diagrams for wiring with charger show one side of the switch connected to the (+) side of the breakaway battery and the other side of the switch (cold side) connecting to the blue lead to the brake controller. If I also connect the yellow wire from the Dexter E/H to the cold side of the break away switch, then I've done what their manual says not to do. So you can see this is very confusing.

I'll try think this through logically and ignore the stupid wiring diagrams:

1) Blue lead from vehicle brake controller to blue lead on Dexter E/H.

2) White ground from vehicle to white ground on Dexter E/H. Do I connect the (-) lead from the breakaway battery charger to this ground??????

3) Black power lead from vehicle to black lead on Dexter E/H. Does the hot side of the breakaway switch get connected to this lead so that the breakaway battery gets charging power????????

4) Yellow lead from Dexter E/H to cold side of break away switch.

Does that make sense?

I'm taking a break (no pun intended) from this and taking off to do some work on our home in the San Bernadino Mountains (Big Bear Lake). I'll revisit this on the weekend.

Response in red below.

I'm assuming the cold side of the breakaway switch is the side that normally has no power until the breakaway is pulled. Well, look at that diagram and both diagrams for wiring with charger show one side of the switch connected to the (+) side of the breakaway battery and the other side of the switch (cold side) connecting to the blue lead to the brake controller. If I also connect the yellow wire from the Dexter E/H to the cold side of the break away switch, then I've done what their manual says not to do. So you can see this is very confusing.

I'll try think this through logically and ignore the stupid wiring diagrams:

1) Blue lead from vehicle brake controller to blue lead on Dexter E/H.
This is correct

2) White ground from vehicle to white ground on Dexter E/H. Do I connect the (-) lead from the breakaway battery charger to this ground??????
Ground conncetion should have the following; ground from tow vehicle, ground from Dexter E/H, ground from breakaway battery charger, negative from breakaway BATTERY. Connect to trailer frame also.

3) Black power lead from vehicle to black lead on Dexter E/H. Does the hot side of the breakaway switch get connected to this lead so that the breakaway battery gets charging power????????
NO. The following wires connect together;
12V feed from vehicle, Dexter E/H Black lead, 12V input to breakaway Battery CHARGER only

4) Yellow lead from Dexter E/H to cold side of break away switch.
Correct. Other lead of breakaway switch connects to + terminal of breakaway BATTERY

Output lead of breakaway battery charger connects to + terminal of breakaway BATTERY



Breakaway switch goes between the Dexter yellow lead and the + terminal of the breakaway battery.
The diagrams are confusing because the are for normal magnetic electric brakes.
E/H controllers have a seperate input for the breakaway switch.

Make sure you breakaway kit includes the breakawy battery and a charge controller in addition to the switch.

Response in red below.



Breakaway switch goes between the Dexter yellow lead and the + terminal of the breakaway battery.
The diagrams are confusing because the are for normal magnetic electric brakes.
E/H controllers have a seperate input for the breakaway switch.

Make sure you breakaway kit includes the breakawy battery and a charge controller in addition to the switch.

"12v input to breakaway charger only"

Problem is that the breakaway charger plugs onto breakaway battery and is between the breakaway battery and the breakaway switch. I'd have to install those single to double posts to enable a separate power lead coming off the battery to breakaway switch.

n3up has it right on all accounts.

n3up has it right on all accounts.

Just to confirm, then I need to connect 12v power from vehicle to + lead on battery charger AND separately connect a + lead from breakaway battery + post to breakaway switch. The other side of the breakaway switch gets the yellow lead from the Dexter E/H.

Just to confirm, then I need to connect 12v power from vehicle to + lead on battery charger AND separately connect a + lead from breakaway battery + post to breakaway switch. The other side of the breakaway switch gets the yellow lead from the Dexter E/H.

Correct.

Thank you D_Westie and N3up. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Thank you D_Westie and n3up. I'll let you know how it turns out.

A little off topic but you might appreciate me later.

You need to try and flush fluid at least yearly. My two kids are 7 and 10 and it seems they don't like using the break away to help. Wife and I are splitting up so she is not help.

I pulled plug on break away switch after removing negative wire to backup battery. I then used aligator clips with a long 12 gauge wire. dragged the clip back to the calipers. I then loosened teh bleeder and ground the clip where I was. I was able to bleed brakes by myself.

Got an update:

Wired it as described above and I think the break away switch itself is faulty. I get nothing when I pull the switch. Put a voltage meter on the incoming lead from the (+) breakaway battery post to the break away switch and I get 12.25 volts (grounded at trailer). Pull the switch and the incoming break away power lead drops to 0.5 volts. That's a lead directly from the breakaway battery with nothing in between it and ground to the trailer. If I run a lead from the (+) terminal directly to the yellow lead, the E/H pump pressures up. Battery tests at 12.30 volts direct to the terminals and 12.25 with meter on (+) post and grounded to trailer. If I pull the break away switch with meter on (+) post and ground to trailer, it read 0.5 volts.

Based on those tests, I think the break away switch is faulty. Comments and input appreciated.

Sounds like you have a short to ground between the breakaway switch and the Yellow lead of the Brake unit.

Verify the connections to the breakaway switch.
One lead of the breakaway switch should connect to the + terminal of the breakaway battery, the other lead should go to the yellow lead from the brake unit. There should be no other connections to the breakaway switch.

If you have an ohm meter or continuity tester you can check the switch.

With the breakaway switch disconnected from the other wiring, you should only have continuity between the 2 leads when the pin is removed, There should be no continuity between either lead when the pin is inserted. There should be no continuity between either lead and the metal mount of the switch at any time.

Sounds like you have a short to ground between the breakaway switch and the Yellow lead of the Brake unit.

Verify the connections to the breakaway switch.
One lead of the breakaway switch should connect to the + terminal of the breakaway battery, the other lead should go to the yellow lead from the brake unit. There should be no other connections to the breakaway switch.

This is how I have it wired. Separate lead to + terminal of the breakaway battery on one side and yellow lead from the E/H unit to the other side of the switch.

If you have an ohm meter or continuity tester you can check the switch.

With the breakaway switch disconnected from the other wiring, you should only have continuity between the 2 leads when the pin is removed, There should be no continuity between either lead when the pin is inserted. There should be no continuity between either lead and the metal mount of the switch at any time.

I have an ohm meter and will perform these tests. The switch is bolted to a metal spare tire mount which I used for mounting the entire E/H brake system just behind the trailer tongue. All grounds, that's from the E/H and the breakaway battery charger, are grounded to the trailer and to the vehicle through the trailer side plug.

OK performed the tests on the disconnected switch. With the pin inserted I get a reading of 0.6 to 0.7 ohms. With the pin pulled I get a reading of 0.00 on the multimeter.

I called Tekonsha's Technical Assistance and described the results above and they said that the switch was bad. They took down my info and will be shipping one out ASAP.