Hi im looking for some help i have an 04 silverado 2500 i recently bought a trailer with trailor brakes when i went to pick it up when i started truck brakes ingaged on trailer we checked tab to be sure its right one for trailer brakes. and it is. but when you start truck it has power all the time instead of when you hit breaks. and no my postive tab is hot all the time as well but the brake shoudnt be. anyone know why. and yes with a brake assist on or off or unplugged its still hot back there any help were to look thanks tommy

 

If you have electric brakes on your truck then you should have some kind of controller. Find the controller and see what it is putting out. And if I remember right (It has been a long time since I have messed with electric brakes) the electric brakes have the voltage vary. That is how they work, so you should have a light on them when they are on (engaged) and not when they are not (disengaged). But you will have to have a volt meter to see how much they are applying to the trailer.

So basically it is how your truck is wired. The 04's didn't come with a factory brake switch that I know of, so whoever put your brake controller in is who you would have to ask. We would have no idea of how exactly your truck is set-up, so we would only be able to talk generally. Trace your wiring back and test as you go to see where it takes you. Your truck may not have a controller for trailer brakes, but may be set-up to dis-engage an automatic trailer park-brake. Some new boat trailers have that so that it doesn't roll away accedentally. Some have it like that so they have power in the trailer for lights. So there are many reasons to have it set-up that way.

Take a look at your set-up and get back to us.