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Topic: DJ's trailer brake controller wiring instructions
ChrisW
TS Supporter
Member # 1916
Member Rated:
posted 03-08-2002 08:01 AM
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I'd certainly appreciate any help with wiring a trailer brake controller.
Thanks,
- ChrisW
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Posts: 6 | From: California | Registered: Feb 2002 | IP: Logged
IZL
Moderator
Platinum TS Supporter
Member # 28
posted 02-11-2002 10:04 PM
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Jeff-
I am sure Glenn and I would be happy to add this to the "How-to" subforum especially if there were some photos to go along with it.
When you consider that these are instructions for a brake controller, where safety is seriously dependent on proper installation, complete accurate installation directions are critical.
If you or DJ want to polish it up, or need help (e.g. you have photos but need help putting it together), just ask...I'd be more than happy to help out.
Mark
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Posts: 115 | From: Phoenix, AZ | Registered: Feb 2002 | IP: Logged
userw5
Platinum TS Supporter
Member # 48
Member Rated:
posted 02-11-2002 05:02 PM
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Jackpot!!!
I was going through some old Word documents I had saved and found DJ's instructions on wiring a trailer brake controller. Here they are. Man, this was so much easier than retyping it.
Jeff
quote:
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I'll try. If the instructions below aren't detailed enough, then you're probably better off letting someone else do it.
There are three basic work areas: the rear connector, the power connections, and the controller.
First, the rear connector:
I bought a 6-pin trailer connector at AutoZone. I forget the brand and threw away the packaging. It has a mounting bracket, connector, and a short multi-wire harness. I mounted it so one end was held by one of the mounting bolts of the existing Toyota connector bracket. The steel this mounts to is pretty thick, so I didn't want to drill it.
The Toyota connector has a short harness on the back of it. It's easy to pull the wires through the side of the plastic "loom harness" and use Scotchlocks to splice into them. Toyota followed the standard color code for
tail lights, left turn, right turn, and ground -- the color code should be shown on the instructions for the add-on connector.
After mounting the bracket, connect the wires to the pins of the connector, mount the connector in the bracket, then connect the tail light, left turn, and right turn wires to the Toyota harness. Leave a service loop so nothing is under strain. Run the ground wire from the connector to the small bolt on the forward side of the trailer hitch -- you can see this easily from underneath. Don't just loop the wire around the bolt -- use a round crimp terminal. This ground carries the return current for the brakes, so you need a GOOD ground.
Now get some blue (the standard color for brakes) #12 stranded wire and run it from the center pin of the connector, along the frame rails (follow the existing harness), all the way up to the firewall. You'll pull it through the fireweall presently. Use ty-raps to tie it in place.
Wrap the back of the connector and the added-on harness with black tape, especially the spliced area of the existing harness -- you don't want any water in there.
Next, the power connections:
I bought an "in-line" fuse holder that will hold a big 20 amp fuse. Out one end is a wire that I crimped and soldered a big crimp terminal onto. This connects to the + terminal of the battery -- just take off the nut holding the other wires and add this to the stack. CAUTION -- don't put the fuse in until everything else is connected and you are ready to try it.
Out the other end is a long piece of #12 red wire. This routes over to the fender and along it to a big grommet in the left rear corner of the engine compartment. Cut a small slit in this grommet and you can pass the wire through it -- you'll pull the wire through it later.
On the left fender wall are several ground connections. Put a round crimp terminal on some #12 black wire, add it to one of these connections, and run it along the red wire and to the grommet -- you'll pull the wire through it later.
Route the blue wire you ran along the frame rails to the grommet -- you'll pull the wire through it later.
Now you have +12 volts (fused) and a ground connection for the controller. Ty-rap this stuff securely so it won't rattle.
Next, the controller installation:
On the lower edge of the dash, just to the right of the steering wheel, is a "pocket". Hold the controller up in this pocket, with its mounting bracket, so you can visualize how it will mount to the lower left dash panel and live in that pocket.
Remove the hood release by removing the two screws that hold it to the panel and working it through the hold it mounts in. Remove the four 10 mm bolts that hold the panel on and pull it straight backward -- the panel will come off. Take care that you don't scratch it or something else. Be patient with this -- you have to hold your tongue right and it comes right off.
Take the panel over to the work bench. I drilled several new holes in the mounting panel so it will mount nicely to the panel, then drilled matching holes in the panel. Use some #10 machine screws and nuts (preferably compression fit or use star washers) to mount the bracket to the panel. Use some care here -- the connector that comes out the back of the controller has to clear the panel. The controller has to mount straight ahead and level left-to-right, so you might have to use some nuts to make the bracket mount squarely.
Drill a 1/2" inch hole through the panel behind the controller bracket and pass the controller harness through it.
Now pull the red, black, and blue wires through the grommet in the firewall. It's a little hard to get to -- it's way over on the left side behind a lot of other wiring, but it's accessible.
Lay the panel in the floorboard under the dash and connect the controller harness. There are four wires required -- just follow the color code shown in the instructions for it. One goes to the red wire you pulled through the grommet and provides power. One goes to the black wire you pulled through the grommet and provides ground. One goes to the blue wire you pulled through the grommet and provides a connection to the trailer brakes at the rear connector.
The last one routes to the switch that is actuated when you step on the brakes -- this is located next to the brake pedal lever arm. I don't remember the color code on the wire and I refuse to go out in the snow and take my dash apart to find out what it is. However, it's pretty easy to identify. You can use a small test light between ground and a probe -- push the probe into the connection for each wire until the light lights up when you step on the brake but not when the brake is off. That wire is the one to splice into with a Scotchlock.
Route these connections carefully so you can put the panel back in place, they ty-rap them securely so they won't rattle. Then reassemble the lower panel and the hood release.
Finally, put the controller in its bracket, put in the fuse, and give it a test per the instructions. The whole job took me about two hours overall.
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Posts: 70 | From: Richmond, VA | Registered: Feb 2002 | IP: Logged
DJ's trailer brake controller wiring instructions
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