btoops

I just installed a PACBRAKE on my 2003, Dodge, 3500. To say the least I am excited. I wonder if anyone may be able to shed some light on a few things. First, when I have the dash switch in the off position and the truck is cold I will hear the brake engage and release three times shortly after start up. When the PACBRAKE is turned on this does not happen. Do you know if this is normal?

Next; sometimes after engaging the brake the on/off switch LED turns to red for a brief period of time. As you may know the brake does not engage during this time. This has happened when my vehicle speeds are above thirty plus MPH. However it has not occurred when I am driving on the highway. Does anyone know what causes the red to activate after using the brake? Is this because the air tank is low on air or something?

Any thoughts would be helpful.

C Schomer

The controls on my manual are simple. I have a switch on the stick and the wire also goes thru the ECM. Not much to go wrong. A failing apps made the brake erratic and the new apps fixed it. Is yours an auto? Craig

btoops

I have an auto

C Schomer

I know nothing about the auto PRXB controls but I'm wondering what's inside that switch with the led pilot light and how the light works. Does it have a third wire to the switch? On mine, when the stick switch is off, the circuit is definitely open and there's no way the brake can come on. There's no pilot light, so when the contacts are open, it's infinite resistance. I only have 1 wire that goes thru the ecm and the stick sw. and both have to be closed to complete the ground circuit to the brake relay. You have a pcm and I don't know how that connects to your controls. I'd try a plain on/off sw. first, just to be eliminate the possibility of a bad switch. Craig

j_martin

PacBrake telephone support is supurb. Why don't you try it.

If a PacBrake isn't exercised regularly, it'll tend to stick. Us old timers have to remember that and run it every couple of weeks, even in flatland where it's not needed. If I were to design an electronic control, I'd have it flip the flapper a couple of times when nothing else is happening, so I'd be willing to bet the 3 engage bit is perfectly normal.

Red lights usually mean something is wrong. I'd call support and get a read on it.

ubet

Had a prxb in a manual 04 I loved it used it all the time. It sounds like you are talking about the cold start function. They are designed so when the truck is below a certain temp, you can turn the brake on and it warms the truck up quick, but it shouldn't do that unless you have it switched on.

Busboy

I installed one on my 2001 manual trans, there are two methods of installation, one uses the ECM to control the brake and there is a 3 second delay, the other method uses a separate switch on the accelerator pedal so the brake comes on instantly when the pedal reaches idle, this switch does not come in the kit and must be ordered separately. On my truck with the key on the red light in the dash switch was on when the switch was on whether the compressor was running or not, switch off light out. If you have a remote switch like on the gear lever of a manual that cuts power to the solenoid that powers the brake so the compressor could still run with the remote switch off. I initially wired a remote but it was defective and they were out of stock so I removed it and just had the dash switch but sold the truck before I had the time to get another remote switch.