Hey guys, tonight I tried to install a trailer brake controller someone gave me and lets just say it didn't go to well. First of all I already have the package where it is wired up, you just have to plug in the connector and connect the wires. Now, why can't dodge make the wires white blue red and black like ford and chevy? The trailer brake controler had the usuall black, red, white, blue set up and I had the instructions for what was what on the connector (white/red power and so on), so I hooked up the power, ground, and everything correctly and as soon as I hit the brake I heard a pop and the light would not come on the contoller. I checked all the fuses and none are blown. By now I am ready to go home and eat so I try the normal brake lights. The brake lights do not come on when the truck is not running and key is turned on is this normal? Next, the third brake light does not come on and the brake lights are delayed about a second and a half when the truck is running and you hit the brakes. Can someone please help me so that I can avoid a trip to the dealer? Sorry for such a long post. Thanks guys.

 

If you have a multimeter, you can check the wires coming from the truck. You should have one that is +12V all the time, one ground, one that is hot when the brake pedal is depressed and one that feeds to the plug at the rear of the truck. Based on the color from my 01 manual, they are:

+12V - RD/OR
Ground - BK/OR
Brake Lamp Switch Output - WT/TN
Trailer Brake Connection - LB

They might have changed. But it sounds like you might have connected the Brake Lamp Switch Output into the wrong wire on the controller that caused some bad feedback.

 

Thanks Aggie for the help. To clear up one thing, I did not mess with anything that deals with the brake lights directly, at least I don't think so. All I did was plug the blue adapter in under the dash as the dealer told everything else was already wired.

 

Did you have to wire the brake connector to the connector pigtail that Dodge provides? If so, I know there were complaints on the earlier models that the colors didn't match up on the connector pigtail to the wires on the brake controller. And if you just matched colors to connect the pigtail and controller, you'd let all the smoke out of the brake control wiring and it wouldn't work anymore.

You can check the plug under the dash to identify which pin is which, then match those up to the connections on your brake control to make sure everything is where it's supposed to be.

 

Thanks again. Yes mine was one of those with the off colors. I read the sheet they gave with it explaning what was what. Doen't really make since to me why Dodge would make different colored wires when they know what color the trailer brake wires are. The thing that gets me though is that no fuse was blown. I did blow the electric brake fuse right when I hooked it up because the wires touched but I replaced it and checked for power and all was good. Hooked up the wire and the controller worked fine for about 5 seconds until I hit the brakes. What do you mean by all the smoke out?

 

[QUOTE]What do you mean by all the smoke out?[QUOTE]

That's electrical guy talk for "you fried your brake controller", sorry.

 

Sorry...when you let the smoke out of a wire or a electronic device, it no longer works. Any good electrician will tell you that it's the magic smoke in the circuit that makes it work

Since things went bad when you hit the brakes, it just seems that the brake lamp switch output is tied to either the ground on the control causing it to see 24V, or tied to the Trailer Brake Output so it's flowing to the wrong side of the controller switch.

 

Thanks guys. Luckily I didnt "let the smoke out" and got it all worked out today. It blew fuse 24 which I never looked at. Something like CHSL, so I thought it had nothing to do with the brakes but now everything works great. Thanks again.

 

Hmmm...CHSL probably is the 3rd brake light (Center High-Mounted Stop Lamp). That must be where they are picking up the brake light signal to activate the controller.

Glad you got it all worked out.