Kenworth Wiring for Brake Controllers

[Sandboxgirl]

We have a 2006 KW 800B and 1995 KW T40 needing wiring color or diagram for electric brake controller for trailers.

Any help is greatly appreciated. KW will not assist.

 

[DMiller]

Going to have be a Genuine You built it affair. Will need to feed a Brake Light output off the controller to the Trailer Side Brake Lamps terminal in the cab. Next up need a Brake lamp input from the truck Brake circuit and a Ign ON or Accessory Hot Power from a Fused source as a Fuse Block. Not that hard once look at the systems.

 

[Sandboxgirl]

Thank you so much for your rapid response! I very much appreciate the help. Dealerships just would not cooperate and we bought 3 Peterbilts from another that will not give the schematic

 

[DMiller]

Should have received one with the truck when bought. Used to be a auto hand off years ago. Air or Juice brakes?

 

[Sandboxgirl]

Agreed.

Electric.

Thanks again.

 

[DMiller]

On the Truck, NOT electric, Juice or Air?

 

[Sandboxgirl]

I’m sorry. Air

 

[DMiller]

Brake light switches should be either on the Tractor Protection Valve or Firewall(Can be Inside or Outside), Will have Brake Lamp ON from the Controller, Output Power to the Brakes circuit(Not thru the Standard Seven Way Cord Connector) and then the Power to the controller from a Accessory Fuse in the block. Should be Optional points for Accessories in the Fuse Block or Breaker panel. A Electric Brake Trailer will generally have a 6 wire small Dia Plug or a Seven Wire Flat Pin plug, will most likely have to add a Separate Cord just for this type trailer. They have their OWN wiring Code and is NOT the same as a Standard Seven Way.

7 Way Diagram - AJ's Truck & Trailer Center (ajtnt.com)

Six Pin is more convoluted

Standard seven pin DOT
Semi Trailer Light Function Locations on Heavy Duty 7-Way Pin Connection | etrailer.com

 

[Coaldust]

Another good resource for this information is the PACCAR body builder guides that KW & Pete publish for all the models. The information you seek is in section 6, Electrical.

You can download them for free from Kenworth.com. Here is a link.

https://www.kenworth.com/media/4311/t170-270-370-hybrid_bodybuildermanual.pdf

Good resource for hard to locate info. For example, try to find ride height specs for a T800. Look all over ECAT / E -Portal, can’t find it. It’s in the body builder guide. And it’s free. No dealer runaround.

 

[DMiller]

I guess I confused the guy!!

 

[DB2]

Girl DMiller lol

Welcome to the forum Sandbox Girl.

 

[Spud_Monkey]

Better hope those are Dexter axles on those electric brakes, if not TOSS THEM!!!

 

[Truck Shop]

Yeah nothing like a good thread on brake controllers. I always like the idea trucks that have air brakes can only tow trailers that have air brakes. Electric brakes are for boat trailers
behind a pickup. JMO Because your gambling on a wire and no help from trailer on a grade when
that connection goes haywire.

 

[Spud_Monkey]

Yeah nothing like a good thread on brake controllers. I always like the idea trucks that have air brakes can only tow trailers that have air brakes. Electric brakes are for boat trailers
behind a pickup. JMO Because your gambling on a wire and no help from trailer on a grade when
that connection goes haywire.

It's also cheaper for air brakes than electric brakes when they go. I'm living the nightmare right now with only one direction and that is forward with no way of stopping just as electric brakes when they go. Was supposed to have left out yesterday won't be going for another week or two, two of the electric brake magnets are no good.

 

[suladas]

Yeah nothing like a good thread on brake controllers. I always like the idea trucks that have air brakes can only tow trailers that have air brakes. Electric brakes are for boat trailers
behind a pickup. JMO Because your gambling on a wire and no help from trailer on a grade when
that connection goes haywire.

Air is better for sure but not possible in all circumstances. My big tag is on air, but I also like the flexibility to pull my small trailer with CTL or mini hoe on it and it has electric brakes because I normally pull it with pickup, I don't want to be dragging around a 40' trailer for a little machine. The trailer brakes failing doesn't concern me, in fact it would be a fair better situation then failing behind the pickup. The only time i've ever had trailer brakes fail is pulling someone else's trailer that isn't maintained, never lost trailer brakes pulling my own, if the trailer is looked after it's not something that will happen often, if ever.

 

[DMiller]

Spud, one consideration IF you keep the trailer, swap to Dexter Air Brake Axles, as another gross failure and time falls onto the equipment you have replace and upgrade to a air system with maxi chambers and all. Actually simpler to set up than would think.

 

[DMiller]

Girl DMiller lol

Welcome to the forum Sandbox Girl.

Sorry bout that
Many times just reply to post not paying good attention

 

[DB2]

No sorries allowed. I was merely teasing. Don’t want to dissuade anyone from ever replying.

 

[skyking1]

@Truck Shop
I don't want a big electric brake trailer, and I also don't see my~14K loaded electric brake trailer beating up my 25K empty dump truck too much if the wire breaks.
I have towed a 20K with backhoe behind a single axle dump, and the equation is flipped there. I didn't care for that so much.

 

[Truck Shop]

My point about electric brakes is such-Years back about as big a trailer you would find with electric brakes was a 8,000 lb car trailer. But because pickups with diesel engines just kept
getting more and more and more and more and more horse power/torque ratings the towing gvw just kept climbing with it. And pretty soon the tough burly guy wearing a hard hat in
GM, Ford and lets not forget Gut's Glory Ram commercials were just towing up a storm with a 35' goose neck on TV. So it lended the thinking of {I can tow a D7 around with my
big nosed peanut pickup on nothing but juice and electric brakes}. Hence the many discussions on this and many other forums about overloaded pickup/trailer combinations and not
enough brakes.

Electric brakes have no emergency capabilities or park brake lockup capabilities. What is the common questions asked on HEF? Electrical problems then it's Hydraulic problems.
Corrosion and lack of maintenance are the biggest concerns when it comes to electrical components. Now couple that with brakes on a low slung trailer that very few are going to look
at or crawl under {50%} are too fat to get under. About the only time anyone looks at anything is if they happen to notice a tire is flat a marker doesn't work or there is a hole in
the decking. I have had no less than 8 goose necks of all different GVW's in the shop for inspections in the last 1.5 years {I still do outside DOT inspections} Not a one of them
had properly/good mechanical condition working brakes, All had at least one corner that was not operational due to electrical problems. four needed the brakes rebuilt, three had worn
out suspension, and five had structural cracks in frame and necks. But getting back to my reference above {one wire, one wire only} .

As everyone says your mileage may very.