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06 Continental ..My trailer has disk brakes and is a surge type. What does the blue wire do. Where does it get hooked up. Its not electronic brakes that require a unit under the dash like big travel trailer. Thanks, WHALER78
Re: Boat trailer wiring with surge brakes, whats the blue wire for ?
That is exactly what the blue wire is for. You can test it by reading it when the back up lights come on..should be 12v...One side of that solenoid is grounded, usually by the mounting bolts..the blue wire connection is so the solenoid wont let fluid past it when backing..not a problem on a flat or descending grade, but almost impossible on anything uphill.
All of the connections and layout can be viewed once that cover is removed..
Re: Boat trailer wiring with surge brakes, whats the blue wire for ?
For a good reference and summary of trailer wiring conventions for 4-position flat, 5-position flat, and 7-position round trailer-vehicle wiring, see my article at
If you have surge brakes, there is no proportional control of the brakes by electrical means. However, some boat trailer brake systems are rigged to defeat the surge brake actuator by use of an electric solenoid valve which is rigged to spoil the brake pressure. This is typically rigged so as to spoil the brake actuator when the tow vehicle goes into reverse, and usually takes its signal from the tow vehicle's back up lamp circuit. This allows the trailer to be backed up, even though the surge actuator is trying to apply brake action.
