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EchoGale View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Trailer lights plug
    Posted: 19 Aug 2020 at 1:05pm
Hi everyone...a little update here.

First, I am not in Florida right now. I made my annual summer trip home (with the pod) to Maine and just stayed here.  I'm teaching online this term and don't need to be Florida for the heat and the virus. Yay!

My SUV and the pod are at a great truck and trailer place I found not too far away.  The guy is so thorough, which I appreciate.  He had heard of computer built-in controllers and was willing to trace down the computer settings and various wires in my BMW to figure out for sure.  He determined (as many of you thought) I do not have one (I'm shocked really).  I'll be adding it by the end of the week (while also replacing the electrical plug I destroyed.)

Thanks for all the help.
Julie
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Colt View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 5:53pm
Miss Julie,

Are you still in FL?  There are 11 Gander/Campingworld stores in Florida, plus 6 BigTex Trailer dealers.  Surely one is close enough to be practical.  Anybody that sells commercial trailers, like flat-bed or horse trailers can fix it. 

A brake controller will always have an adjustment button/knob to set the trailer brakes for the trailer's weight.  Here is one from BMW.


I have a Redarc inertial controller.  It only has one 5/8" knob sticking out of the dash. 
John
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 4:23pm
+2
The only way it would have one is if you purchased it used and the previous owner added it. It does not come with one from the factory.
StephenH
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 3:44pm
+1
Mike Carter
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 3:40pm
Originally posted by EchoGale

I will. 

But I can't believe I don't have brakes. I've towed over 8k miles at this point. Up and down mountains (albeit Eastern ones), small windey roads and bumper to bumper on the NJ turnpike. I am careful about speed but I've never felt trouble stopping. Moreover, when I first got the trailer the emergency brake release had corroded and broke loose, and the brakes engaged.

But I don't mess around with safety stuff. :)

The emergency breakaway system works independently from the TV brakes so that wouldn't prove anything one way or the other. 

I'm pretty sure you don't have a brake controller either, a quick scan of the BMW forums suggests that folks are adding them after purchase. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 3:37pm
Sweet.
Mike Carter
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 3:34pm
absolutely. :)
Julie
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 3:33pm
I have faith in you. Just get it checked, we all know when our brakes are working or not working, so asking concerned me. Plus I've never seen a controller that doesn't have a manual mode, I could be in left field, but better safe than sorry.
Mike Carter
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 3:31pm
Originally posted by podwerkz

Originally posted by offgrid


Podwerks, you are right that you have to be careful when wiring up a connector. But, as long as you don't get the ground connection screwed up nothing bad will happen. 


Wrong.

The ground connection shorting to some other wire IS a bad thing that could happen. Fuses can blow, lights wont work...maybe even a scorched wiring harness or a blown computer. This is what I was referring to. 

Also, if things are not wired correctly, 12 volts from the brake light circuit, for example, might be applied directly to the brake magnets..full power to the brakes with no 'modulation'..just locked up trailer wheels the first time the brake pedal is touched.

Or, the brake circuit might end up powering the AUX connection to the trailer battery...oops...I bet the vehicle ECM wont like that...not at all, especially if the polarity got reversed.

Or, the trailer turn signals could end up reversed...maybe even cause an accident when you 'zig' and the other vehicles in that intersection expect you to 'zag'.

All I'm saying is....it HAS to be done correctly, or, NOT AT ALL. Guessing about the wire positions during replacement, and hoping it is OK, is NOT AN OPTION.
 

s
Nope, not wrong. That's why I said you have to get the ground right, so the polarity is not reversed. Nothing bad means no arcs and sparks, not that you don't have to go through and be sure everything is connected right. Of course you do. Trial an error is sometimes necessary and can be done safely as long as you get the polarity right to start with, which can be verified with a multimeter. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 3:28pm
I will. 

But I can't believe I don't have brakes. I've towed over 8k miles at this point. Up and down mountains (albeit Eastern ones), small windey roads and bumper to bumper on the NJ turnpike. I am careful about speed but I've never felt trouble stopping. Moreover, when I first got the trailer the emergency brake release had corroded and broke loose, and the brakes engaged.

But I don't mess around with safety stuff. :)
Julie
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