Brake issue

FClanton · 07-26-2012, 12:23 PM

Brake issue... I had a brake failure on my tow vehicle while towing my 2011 Cougar X-Lite 27RLS TT with my 2001 Dodge 2500 5.9 diesel with 4 speed auto. The brake light and the ABS warning light came on. My pedal was very mushy but did apply some (read very little) brake function. The trailer brakes continued to work and helped to stop the vehicle. We were on a dirt road at the time driving at around 10 MPH. When repaired the brake switch and the ABS module were basically melted per the mechanic. Following the $1,000 repair the mechanic said I needed to have the trailer brake system checked because he could find nothing wrong with the truck that would cause this. I use a quest brake controller installed by the RV dealer. Has anyone had similar issues and if so was the trailer brake system an issue? Hopefully, this is on the correct forum.

**hankpage** · 07-26-2012, 12:42 PM

I find what your mechanic said hard to believe. Since the only connection to the trucks brake system is the brake light switch. The rest is all controlled by inertia in newer controllers and time and gain in older ones. Sounds to me like the mechanic just didn't know what caused it. Now if whoever installed it left a condition for the brake switch to short.

volvosweetie · 07-26-2012, 03:28 PM

My husband who has worked on cars for 35+ years said the trailer brakes and control couldn't have caused the melt down. He said it had to be something with the truck. He said sometimes you never know what caused things to melt, he said something shorted out and became hot enough to melt the switch and abs unit.

smiller · 07-26-2012, 04:15 PM

There really should be nothing you could do electrically that would cause that kind of braking problem, there is a straight hydraulic link between the pedal and brakes and no electrical issue will change that. Maybe a stuck-on ABS pressure dump but that would be exceedingly rare, in fact not even sure if it can happen. If the pedal felt mushy then you might have had low fluid or air in the lines, or possibly you temporarily lost power assist. I don't think the mechanic's diagnosis is correct (or even makes sense) so I would have someone more competent look over the brake system, especially if you don't have a clear notion of what failed.

FClanton · 07-27-2012, 07:38 AM

Thanks for the replies. I should have mentioned in my original post that the brake fluid was full. I did not see how the trailer could affect the brake switch and abs module either but since the truck's repair there are no codes showing further failure. I was concerned about the brake controler since it is one that reputably has caused problems before although no one has seen a similar issue caused by the trailer brakes or the controller. Could a failure in the brake switch cause the abs failure possibly? When the controller was first installed the brake lights on the truck would come on and off periodically with no trailer connected with the truck parked and off. The RV installer replaced the controller in August2010 and said it could also be the brake swich causing this? I don't know if the two issues are connected or not but both involve the brake system and the brake lights never flashed previously. Thanks for your comments. Any others would be appreciated as well.

SAABDOCTOR · 07-27-2012, 10:00 AM

Did you see the abs controller after the repair?. i have been a mechanic for 42 years and i agree with volvosweetie's hubby! i have owen 2 dodge tds one a 2k the other 05. . lets go down a trouble shooting path. any wires on your brake controler melted? no then there is nothing wrong with the trailer brakes or the controller. did the repair any wires? like at the brake light switch or controller for abs? nevre seen abs controlers melt! seen lots of poor solder joints. we send the units out to a company called bba-reman out of tautan mass.the older dodges were known for rotting brake lines above the fuel tank and the rear flex line was an issue on rear wheel abs trucks only.the other thing is do you flush your brake fluid. it is hydro-scpoic. ie. it will absorbe water. so every two years you should flush your fluid. that could be why a valve may have stuck making the brakes feel musshy. the abs controler is only an electronic unit. if it realy melted and pulled a valve open and the pump ran and kept a brake applied you would have smelled the burning brake and seen the smoke from overheated pads. let me know.

FClanton · 07-27-2012, 03:30 PM

The mechanic replaced the parts. I did not see either the switch or the ABS module following the repair. I had the repairs done in Alabama and will not have my truck back until tomorrow. I will check the wires to the brake controller then. I will have to check to see if any wires had to be replaced/repaired when they replaced the parts. I will also check the brake lines. I don't know if the brake fluid has ever been flushed. I will have that done as well. When the failure occurred there was no smoke and no smell. The only warning I had was the brake going to the floor and the brake light coming on first. On subsequent stops both the brake and the abs warning lights came on. The trailer brakes continued to work and helped stop the vehicle until it was unhiched. As you might guess I am somewhat leery about towing the trailer with this truck until I can determine what caused the problem in the first place. thanks...

OhhWell · 08-02-2012, 04:21 AM

I can see an ABS module failure causeing a loss of braking power. Not all vehicles have a direct hydraulic connection between the brake pedal and the brake fluid/booster. Shoot, my truck doesn't even have a booster.

Also, if you think about it, if the ABS system couldn't drop your braking ability, it couldn't work. It alsmost sounds like it got stuck in a permanent ABS slip pulse.

I can't see any way the brake controller could have effected your truck's braking system unless whoever installed it got real creative.

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