Re: [A/S] towing without brakes

["Mr. Joy H. Hansen" <joytbrew@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Just a thought about wiring?

My '69 Safari has both a "YELLOW" wire and a "RED" wire that is open to the
break away switch.   The yellow (not from age)
is a continuation of the red wire when the break away is actuated.  The red
supplies power from the A/S battery through the brake away switch and
through the yellow wire and eventually actuates the brakes.  Guess the
questions to be answered are where were the ground wire brake wire picked up
if the A/S receptacle was left out of the equation?

Personally, it only takes a few minutes to verify which pins on the
receptacle of the trailer control the brakes and which is ground.  My
experience is that the LARGE pin of the A/S receptacle is the ground pin.
As positive voltage is applied to each pin, it's simple to hear the brake
magnets operate.  IMHO, it's a critical safety aspect of towing to have the
brake away active, regardless of how short the distance to be towed.  If the
brake away wires were used to actuate the brake from the tow vehicle, it
would necessitate deactivating the brake away switch.

Anyway, it pays to be sure of wire color by reviewing the A/S service or
owner's manual before determining that a "YELLOW" wire is an aged "White"
wire!  Or was that an aged "YELLOW" wire that appears "White"?

                                              '69 Safari, Joy