Prepare for the Automotive Service Technician Period 1 exam. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question has hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

The design of electric trailer brakes ensures both the trailer and tow vehicle stop.

Electric trailer brakes are activated by a brake controller in the tow vehicle, sending current to the trailer’s brake assemblies to slow the trailer wheels. This sharing of braking effort helps keep the trailer from pushing hard on the hitch and can improve overall stopping stability and distance for the combination. But the tow vehicle relies on its own braking system to stop, not the trailer brakes. If the trailer brakes fail or are not properly adjusted, the tow vehicle can still stop on its own (or not, if its own brakes fail), and if the tow vehicle’s brakes fail, the trailer brakes won’t stop the tow vehicle. So the statement isn’t correct; it’s false.

Electric trailer brakes are activated by a brake controller in the tow vehicle, sending current to the trailer’s brake assemblies to slow the trailer wheels. This sharing of braking effort helps keep the trailer from pushing hard on the hitch and can improve overall stopping stability and distance for the combination. But the tow vehicle relies on its own braking system to stop, not the trailer brakes. If the trailer brakes fail or are not properly adjusted, the tow vehicle can still stop on its own (or not, if its own brakes fail), and if the tow vehicle’s brakes fail, the trailer brakes won’t stop the tow vehicle. So the statement isn’t correct; it’s false.