Dodge Integrated Brake Controller with Trailer Disc Brakes

[gdbontly]

I did a search and found some info on Ford and Chevy issues, but anyone here have experience with Dodge's integrated brake controller with trailer disc brakes? If I activate the trailer brakes manually with the integrated controller, they work just fine. But when I press the brake pedal in the truck, I have no trailer brakes. It doesn't matter if I have the gain set at zero or 10 (max). I intend to call Dexter Axle sometime today, but wanted to check with you guys as well. Thanks!

[RustyJC]

Is the truck moving when you apply the truck's brakes via the brake pedal? I'd have to go check, but I don't think the brake controller outputs any signal to the trailer brakes if you apply the brake pedal when you're stationary.

If you find that the Dodge IBC is not compatable with your trailer braking system, I'd suggest 2 steps:

1. Your Dodge dealer will have to reprogram the truck to eliminate the integrated brake controller (IBC) from the truck's CANbus network. Otherwise, you're going to get a perpetual error message on the truck's electronic vehicle information center (EVIC) display when you attempt to wire around it.

2. I'd highly recommend the MaxBrake hydraulic over electric directly-proportional controller to replace the Dodge IBC if you find that a replacement is necessary.

Rusty

[gdbontly]

Thanks! Yes, the truck was moving when I tested the brakes. Nothing inside the cab that indicates anything is wrong, but the trailer brakes don't activate. I'll see what Dexter Axle has to say. I read that there's a "work around" for the Chevy controller; perhaps one for the Dodge as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustyJC Is the truck moving when you apply the truck's brakes via the brake pedal? I'd have to go check, but I don't think the brake controller outputs any signal to the trailer brakes if you apply the brake pedal when you're stationary. If you find that the Dodge IBC is not compatable with your trailer braking system, I'd suggest 2 steps: 1. Your Dodge dealer will have to reprogram the truck to eliminate the integrated brake controller (IBC) from the truck's CANbus network. Otherwise, you're going to get a perpetual error message on the truck's electronic vehicle information center (EVIC) display when you attempt to wire around it. 2. I'd highly recommend the MaxBrake hydraulic over electric directly-proportional controller to replace the Dodge IBC if you find that a replacement is necessary. Rusty

[RustyJC]

One of the work-arounds I've seen (don't know if it applies in this case) is to hang a couple of trailer brake magnets (magnets in series) across the brake controller signal and ground terminals of the electric-to-hydraulic trailer brake module (you could connect the series-wired magnet pair across pins 2 [brake controller output] and 1 [ground] on the trailer side of the Pollak-type 7 pin connector.) This fools the trailer brake controller into thinking that it's actuating conventional electric trailer brakes.

It'll be interesting to see what Dexter says.

Rusty

[Milkman*]

I installed one old magnet on a 2008 GMC hooked to a 07 Excel , it has worked great since.

[RustyJC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustyJC ....hang a couple of trailer brake magnets (magnets in parallel) across the brake controller signal and ground terminals of the electric-to-hydraulic trailer brake module (you could connect the parallel-wired magnet pair across pins 2 [brake controller output] and 1 [ground] on the trailer side of the Pollak-type 7 pin connector.) This fools the trailer brake controller into thinking that it's actuating conventional electric trailer brakes.

Oops - please see correction above to my previous post. Sorry, but my memory's not what it used to be.

Rusty

[gdbontly]

I called Dexter yesterday and they told me they know of no problems with the Ford or Dodge IBC, but that the Chevy controller won't work. The other forum I frequent is the Turbo Diesel Register (TRD). The guys on the TRD gave the Dodge IBC really bad press. The said I would have to have the dealer disable the IBC and then install an aftermarket unit. Most of them recommended the MaxBrake. We are currently down in Las Cruces for the week for a big Jeep event, so I'll figure out what to do when we return to Abq next week. At least I can manually activate the brakes.

[RustyJC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gdbontly The guys on the TRD gave the Dodge IBC really bad press.

I frequent the TDR as well. I believe the reviews are more mixed. Some are critical of the Dodge IBC. For others of us (myself included), it has worked acceptably to date.

If you scroll down through the EVIC (electronic vehicle information center) display, does the EVIC indicate that the trailer is connected when you're plugged in? IOW, does the vehicle's CANbus network "see" the trailer? The IBC, tow/haul mode, exhaust brake, etc. are all intertwined in the ECM and PCM (for example, the harder you brake, the higher the IBC output to the trailer brakes, the more aggressive the downshift schedule in the transmission if the exhaust brake is engaged, etc.), so if the CANbus doesn't see a trailer connected, it probably won't generate a computer-based trailer brake output on the IBC, even though you can generate one with the manual control.

Rusty

[RustyJC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustyJC If you scroll down through the EVIC (electronic vehicle information center) display, does the EVIC indicate that the trailer is connected when you're plugged in?

To amplify a bit on the above, if the CANbus sees the trailer, the EVIC trailer brake controller screen will show an outline of a trailer with no bar through it. If it doesn't see a trailer connected, the outline of the trailer will have a diagonal bar through it.

Rusty

[gdbontly]

Rusty,

I presume you have hydraulic disc brakes on your trailer. The few positive comments I read on the TRD forum were from guys with electric trailer brakes. Didn't find anyone who successfully used the IBC with trailer disc brakes.

That said, yes, the CANbus does see the trailer. The EVIC trailer brake screen shows a picture of the trailer without a bar through it. When I activate the IBC manually, the number on the display goes from 0 through 100, depending on how much I squeeze it. I can definitely feel the brakes engage. It works best if I have the IBC set around 4.0. If I set it at 10, the trailer brakes will lock up.

Pressing the brake pedal is a whole nuther story. I initially set the IBC at 6.0 (per the owner's manual). When I press the pedal, nothing happens for a couple of seconds. Then the IBC display reads 10, maybe 20 (if I press the pedal harder). Even if I set the IBC at 10 (max), it never reads more than 20 when I press the brake pedal. And I can't tell whether or not the trailer brakes are doing anything. I can't feel them at all tugging from the rear.

Glenn

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustyJC To amplify a bit on the above, if the CANbus sees the trailer, the EVIC trailer brake controller screen will show an outline of a trailer with no bar through it. If it doesn't see a trailer connected, the outline of the trailer will have a diagonal bar through it. Rusty

[whitsitt]

I recently purchased a 2011 ram 3500 to pull my Big Sky. On a trip to and from Memphis, we had to aggressively get on the brakes due to an accident. The trailer brakes DID NOT recieve enough voltage and a jacknife was underway. I was only able to straighten the rig out by manually closing the switch on the controller. The rest of the trip I selected and watched the power application on the truck display. AT NO TIME DID I EVER SEE OVER 30-40% regardless of how aggressive you get with the brakes. DODGE HAS A PROBLEM! Wish I had my 2005 Duramax back. The dealer said the computer shows everything within specs. Not much consolation for something that can get you killed. Trailer has electric brakes not hydraulic so that is not the problem. The engineers need to increase the gain sensitivity so when you select 10 on the controller thats what you have. One can always decrease down to 4 or 5 but with a 10 as the most sensitive and that only gives you about 40% thats a bad situation!