issue with factory style trailer brake (admittedly, yes its from amazon). when hooked to my enclosed, i can have someone pinch the trailer brake controller and hear the trailer brakes working. however, nothing when they hit the brake pedal. to troubleshoot this, we hooked it to his 22' F150 platinum - trailer brakes are activated by both the controller, and the pedal.

question to the forum think tank - is this just an issue because i went cheap and bought what i thought was a fine factory style brake controller? or do we think its something else?

i've read that i need part JL3Z-19H332-AA - which happens to be around 250 from the factory.

i went with this amazon part (putting it here so no one else wastes money) -
thoughts? i feel like my testing methodology is sound. we know it the trailer brakes on the trailer work with a known working truck. seems to be isolated to mine. i'm just wondering if i've got something else wrong, or if i need to just pony up and buy the OEM ford part.

 

i konw forscan changes have to be made when adding it - is it possible one of those changes effects the output when using the brake pedal? I think I'd double check that first and then blame the knockoff controller

 

Brother, get rid of that brake controller.
Bought one OE style knock off on ebay, it killed my agm battery. Tested this via amp draw test, sure enough, brake controller. Ended up spending more replacing the battery, should have just started with OE.
Buy once, cry once.
But to test your theory, youd have to find identical truck and try it there. I still say, return this if you can and get OE. You will be replacing this down the road.

 

i thought that, but the TBC i have (****ty amazon one) worked...for a month or two. i went through the forscan deal, activated the two line items needed, etc.

 

yeah...i'm thinking its the ****ty controller. i just ordered an OEM one, hoping that fixes it.
i prob should have started with OEM too, but alas - savings.

 

There have been a lot of reports here about the aftermarket knock off ones having issues.

I added the oem one without issues.

 

If the trailer brake controller says "FoMoCo" it can still be a knock-off?

 

Yes, the knock-offs say FoMoCo and come in an OEM looking package. I heeded the warnings about the Chinese knock-offs, ordered mine from TASCA and it has worked flawlessly for years. The real one doesn't cost that much or that much more, and is way too important of a safety item, considering the long time reported issues with the knock-offs.

 

Yep. I bought a knockoff and a factory one. Both say FoMoCo but in different script. If I remember correctly, the knockoff one had a FoMoCo sticker on the outside of the bag, but you could obviously tell the holographic symbol was sent through a copier.

 

Damn!
At least if it was quality fake stuff…

Not interested in fake electronics, other things maybe ok, but not this.