7 pin problem

[frank_a]

Got a question for you folks. I got my wife's Escape wired and ready to roll. The only thing I hired out was hooking up the brake wire, and at the time, my 7 pin tester showed the brake line worked. When I got home from the garage that did the work, we hooked the Escape to the ParkLiner and it showed it worked.

My wife went through a car wash after this was done, and got a message on her Escape info panel that said something like "loose trailer wire." I didn't think anything of it until we just tried hooking her car to the egg. The controller could not find brakes, so we unhooked everything and tested it with my 7 pin tester. The lights flash both turn signals and headlights till I hit the brakes, then the brakes and headlights work and the turns stop flashing.

I'm at a loss.

My F-150 tests our fine. Any ideas?

Thanks for any ideas and/or help!

Frank

[Dennis Clinton]

It's amazing the damage the high pressure water can do at a car wash. I bet water got into the 7 pin receiver under the Escape. You may want to pull it apart to let the water drain(unless it's a sealed unit). I have even had the seal on the windshield separate at a carwash.

[frank_a]

Well, we pulled it apart. No water, and no indication of water damage of any kind. We'll hook the battery back up in a bit and see if re-booting helps!

Thanks,

Frank

[frank_a]

Re-booting the car did not help. I have power at my circuit breakers, all the wiring behind my controller is fine, the only thing I did not look at yesterday or this morning is the actual brake line connection. It's hard to believe it's something inside the car if the problem occurred right out of a car wash, but I'll check that tonight. This thing is driving me buggy!

I have a replacement 7 pin plug with the 4 pole that hooks to the factory harness (same as what I have installed). I would just need to cut the black and blue wires on the "old" one and re-attach them to the "new" one. I hate to do that, but after so much screwing around with the old one, maybe that's what I should do?

Thanks for any other suggestions, ideas, and/or help!

Frank

[Dennis Clinton]

I just reread your original post. Were you testing the signals with the emergency flasher switch? When you hit the brakes, individual turn signals should flash, and the opposite one will show the brake light. Did your tester show any signal for the blue brake light wire when you tested it?(not the brake light wire, but the wire to the brakes themselves). Have someone manually turn on your brake controller while you test the line. If you still have no power to the brakes(or your tester), then work backwards as the line goes back to the cab of the car and the controller. It may have been run wrong and got pinched-happens often. Good luck.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by Dennis Clinton

I just reread your original post. Were you testing the signals with the emergency flasher switch? When you hit the brakes, individual turn signals should flash, and the opposite one will show the brake light. Did your tester show any signal for the blue brake light wire when you tested it?(not the brake light wire, but the wire to the brakes themselves). Have someone manually turn on your brake controller while you test the line. If you still have no power to the brakes(or your tester), then work backwards as the line goes back to the cab of the car and the controller. It may have been run wrong and got pinched-happens often. Good luck.

No Dennis. We got those flashing lights just plugging the tester in and not even doing anything with the car.

On the other questions, it will have to wait till I get home. At the end of the day yesterday, the brake controller was continuously flashing a red message about the brake line not being connected, so I unplugged it and removed it from the car so it wouldn't bug Gail.

I do not usually have problems with 12V stuff. This one is obviously beyond me.

Thanks for the suggestions. More later.

Frank

[stevebaz]

Find where the brake light converter is installed. And check the ground connection to that unit. Also check each plug connection where it is attached to the cars wiring harness.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by stevebaz

Find where the brake light converter is installed. And check the ground connection to that unit. Also check each plug connection where it is attached to the cars wiring harness.

Thanks Steve. Already checked all the connections on the plug, and behind the controller, except the brake wire connection on top of the pedal. Will do that, and check the ground tonight. Ground looks good and clean, but will remove, sand and re-tighten.

Frank