NHTSA Complaint #10823635 — 2014 RAM 2500

MY 8,000LB TRAILER WILL NOT SLOW DOWN EVEN AFTER ADJUSTING AND CHECKING ALL 4 ELECTRIC BRAKES. F-150 HOOKED UP TO SAME TRAILER IN SAME CONDITION WILL STOP THE TRAILER VERY FAST. MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE. SEE BELOW: CONTINENTAL MAKES THE ITBM FOR CHRYSLER TO CHRYSLER'S REQUIREMENTS. ITBM WAS REDESIGNED FOR MY13 AND WAS USED IN 2013 AND 2014 PRODUCTION WHICH HAD A NEWLY DESIGNED ELECTRICAL ARCHITECTURE INTRODUCED FOR THE 2013 MODEL YEAR. THE NEW ARCHITECTURE CHANGED THE TRADITIONAL BRAKE SWITCH SIGNAL AND MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR AFTER MARKET TRAILER BRAKE SOLUTIONS UNTIL THE AFTER MARKET DEVELOPED AN INTERFACE CABLE. CHRYSLER AGAIN CHANGED THE BRAKE SIGNAL BACK TO TRADITIONAL SIGNALING BUT FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON (AND ALSO UNDOCUMENTED), DESIGNED A 70% MAXIMUM OUTPUT FROM THE ITBM AT SPEEDS BELOW 30MPH. WHAT MAKES THIS MOVE MORE MYSTERIOUS IS THE MANUAL SLIDE ON THE ITBM, TYPICALLY USED TO SET THE GAIN OF THE ITBM'S OUTPUT, WILL NOT PUT OUT MAXIMUM BRAKING, BUT IS ALSO LIMITED TO THE 70% RULE MAKING SETTING YOUR GAIN IMPOSSIBLE AS INSTRUCTED BY THE OWNERS' MANUAL. WE ARE ALL WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN FROM CHRYSLER, ALL THAT IS NEEDED IS A SOFTWARE UPDATE. I WAS TOLD BY CHRYSLER, IF A CHANGE WAS MADE, IT WOULD BE INTRODUCED IN THE NEXT RAM HD REFRESH NOW SCHEDULED FOR 2019. THAT WAS BEFORE MORE NOISE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. DEPENDING ON WHAT VOLTAGE YOUR TRAILER'S BRAKES REQUIRE FOR FORCEFUL STOPPING DETERMINES IF YOU WILL SEE THE 70% RULE ISSUE. FOR EXAMPLE, MY MONTANA NEEDS 10.5 VOLTS FOR A FORCEFUL STOP, I'M OUT OF LUCK. MY UTILITY TRAILER ONLY NEED 6 VOLTS, NO PROBLEM, JUST DIFFICULT SETTING THE GAIN.