Tech Guy Questions & Answers
If you need any assistance, we will be happy to help. Please use our Customer Service or Contact Us pages. You may also call 208-455-8433 during regular business hours.
1. Where can I download the Electronic Wiring Schematics?
A. Please click on the PDF file links below. You may also download the owners manual with assembly instructions as well as the wiring diagram at Owner's Manuals:
To access the PDF files, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader software on your computer. You may obtain this software free of charge at Adobe's website (a separate window will open).
2. How do the brakes and brake/tail lights work on the ATV Wagon trailers?
A. Nearly every ATV sold today comes with a dual-element brake/tail light. When you apply the brakes on your quad, that sends a positive electronic signal from the Brake Light Switch to your rear tail/brake light telling the light to turn on the brake light on your ATV. The squeezing of the brake lever or pressing the foot brake turns on the brake light. That same positive signal (hot power source) is transmitted to our Brake Controller mounted on the ATV Wagon which engages the trailer brakes. For the trailer tail light, you simply splice a seperate wire into the tail/running light on the quad. It is very simple and easy to wire. For wiring installation, please refer to the owner's manuals for your specific trailer- follow the link on the left. To find the brake and tail light wires on your ATV, please refer to your ATV owner's manual or contact your authorized OEM ATV dealer.
3. I don't have Brake Lights and or a positive Brake Light Switch on my ATV so how do I activate the brakes/brake light on the ATV Wagon?
A. Some ATVs do not have a switch connected to the braking system which activates a hot wire which turns on the brake light, but your tow vehicle can be made to work with our trailer. The following is a list of machines that are not directly compatible with our trailers:
- Older Honda and Yamaha models
- All Bombardier/Can Am ATVs, including the John Deere Buck machines. (For additional info, please review Question & Answer # 4 below)
- Select models of the Polaris Sportsman
- All Polaris Rangers
You will need to purchase a seperate Brake/Stop Light Switch and they are available from your local dealer for hydraulic or drum brakes. You may also need to purchase a T shaped fitting to plumb into your brake line- purchase varies depending on your specific model and brake line system.. Some people refer to Hydraulic Switches as 'Banjo Bolts'. These parts are commonly sold for off-road dual sport motorcycles and cost around $15-20.
A powersport dealer should be familiar with the following parts:
- Hydraulic Brake Light Switch, PART #12-0011 from Parts Unlimited
--- 10mm dia x 1.00 mm thread pitch. Fits most Brembo brake master cylinders. Look carefully at your master cylinder for the brand name on your machine.
- Hydraulic Brake Light Switch, PART #12-0010 from Parts Unlimited
-- 10mm dia x 1.25 mm thread pitch. Fits most Nissin brake master
cylinders. Also fits most Japanese and Bombardier/Can Am ATVs.
- Universal Stop Light Switch, PART 56-4250 from Western Powersports. This part could be used for older machines that do not have hydraulic brakes.
IMPORTANT: Be sure to check with your OEM dealer to be certain the correct part will work on your machine. Your dealer can also assist you with the wire connections on the ATV in order to safely operate the ATV Wagon trailer.
4. I own a Bombardier/Can Am ATV and I am having problems wiring the brakes/brake light on the ATV Wagon?
A. We believe all models mfg. by Bombardier have a positive ground system where the brake light wire is always on or hot, (similar to Polaris Ranger). It is our understanding when the brakes are applied on these units the brake light switch connects the ground wires, which completes the circuit, hence, turning on the brake light. These ATVs have a brake light switch, but it's unique wiring can not activate the ATV Wagon Brake Controller with a hot power source.
Please note YOU CAN NOT USE the existing brake light switch that came with your Bombardier unit and YOU CAN NOT USE the existing ATV brake wiring. The Can Am / Bombardier quad can be made compatible with an ATV Wagon trailer by doing these steps*:
Purchase one of the following:
--Hydraulic Brake Light Switch, Part 710-000734 from Bombardier for the foot brake pedal. Check with your authorized Bombardier/Can Am dealer for more information and compatibility with your specific quad.
-- Hydraulic Brake Light Switch, PART #12-0010 from Parts Unlimited-- ( it appears this is the correct part for most Bombardier models, however, BEFORE ORDERING THIS PART, check with your authorized Bombardier/Can Am dealer for more information on the compatibility with your specific quad.
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Install the Hydraulic Brake Light Switch as per the instructions from the part purchased above.
For most ATV brake systems you will need to purchase and plumb in a T fitting in your hydraulic brake line. (We do not have supplier names or part numbers for the T fitting. Note: make sure your thread pitch on the T fitting matches your brake system and part above.) Your new switch should have 2 wires. One goes to a power source like the battery, the other is connected to the brown stop light wire of the ATV Wagon trailer harness. If you directly connect to the battery, be sure to wire in a 15 AMP fuse.
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On the ATV Wagon trailer harness, splice the Yellow tail light wire to the tail light of the ATV. Find the ATV tail light wire that has power when the lights are turned on the quad. This wire should be powering the tail light of the ATV.
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Connect the black and or white wires of the ATV Wagon trailer harness as described in the wiring instructions specific for your ATV Wagon trailer. Please see your ATV Wagon Owner's Manual for more information. Owner's Manuals
*Please understand, these steps are taken from customer/dealer feedback and may not be 100% accurate, but we feel there should be enough information for you to resolve the wiring issue. If you are having problems, please review the owners manual of your specific quad and or check with your authorized Bombardier/Can Am dealer for assistance.
5. How do you adjust the Brake Controller on the 1600 models?
A. ATV Wagon offers power brakes as a standard feature on the 1600 AL and the 1600 UT. Mounted within the black box of the ATV Wagon is a Brake Controller, pictured below, where you can adjust the time delay and intensity of the trailer brakes.
First, make sure power is being supplied to the brake controller by hooking up the 4-pole wire connection to the ATV and turning-on the ATV ignition. Squeeze the Manual Brake Activator and note the red lights appear by the Power Intensity Adjuster. The more lights that activate, the more stopping power you apply to the ATV Wagon brakes.
Move the Power Intensity Adjuster to the Left, towards the (+) positive symbol for more stopping power. Move the adjuster to the Right towards the (-) negative symbol for less stopping power.
The Time Delay Adjuster allows you to place a 1-3 second delay when applying the trailer brakes. Check that the switch is pushed to the back in the opposite direction of the Power On Light.
6. How do you 'manually' adjust the brakes on each brake hub/drum?
A. After reviewing answer 5 above, you may need to manually adjust the brake shoes located within the brake drum, if you still need more or less stopping power.
At the bottom, inside portion of each brake hub you will note an elongated plastic cap. Remove this cap as indicated in the photo below:
Inside the hole of the hub, you will note a silver adjuster. Insert a screwdriver into the hole, and spin the teeth down to expand or add more stopping power to each hub, as seen below. Spin the teeth up to contract or decrease the brake pads from contacting the brake drum. To clarify, the direction 'down' would be to spin the circular adjuster in a direction towards you. Imagine the adjuster like a coin rolling on a table towards you, that is the direction of 'down'.
After adjusting the brakes, check that the hubs spin freely or a partial drag of the shoes on the drum. Note: If step 5 & 6 above fails to increase your stopping power, it is possible your brake shoes are worn out. The changing of brake shoes should only be done by a certified technician.
Finally, if you need any assistance, we will be happy to help. Please use our Customer Service or Contact Us pages. You may also call 208-455-8433 during
regular business hours. performance ATV trailer |
