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JL - Trailer Brake Controller

taz223

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Has anyone who does not have the factory tow package installed an electric trailer brake controller yet? I've installed the MOPAR 7-way harness, which provides the blue wire for the feed for the trailer brakes, and I'm aware that the red and black wires for the brake controller will go to the hot & ground on the battery, however, I'm unable to find a trigger/feed wire for the actual brake controller itself. On my JK, it was a brown/white wire (4 wires running to brake pedal switch). On my JL, there are only 3 wires running to the brake pedal switch, and none of them have 12 volts going to them, regardless of whether the brake pedal is pressed or not.

Anyone have any ideas?
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taz223

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To clarify, my JL does NOT have the factory plug under the dash that has been posted about here.
 
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taz223

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RockinMarine

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I have the factory tow package, and would like to know if there is a connector under the dash for a brake controller. I have a popup camper thats under 2500lbs. But still has electric brakes.
 

JASPER

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UNDER DRIVER LEFT SIDE PANEL.
 

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mergedown

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Has anyone who does not have the factory tow package installed an electric trailer brake controller yet? I've installed the MOPAR 7-way harness, which provides the blue wire for the feed for the trailer brakes, and I'm aware that the red and black wires for the brake controller will go to the hot & ground on the battery, however, I'm unable to find a trigger/feed wire for the actual brake controller itself. On my JK, it was a brown/white wire (4 wires running to brake pedal switch). On my JL, there are only 3 wires running to the brake pedal switch, and none of them have 12 volts going to them, regardless of whether the brake pedal is pressed or not.

Anyone have any ideas?
Any luck? I’m in the same boat as I self installed my harness and hitch and have the blue wire to nowhere. Would like to brake controller but I’m not sure how to make it work.
 

Godzilla

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For RockinMarine - I have factory tow and just installed the Tekonsha P3 using a jeep Cherokee pigtail to wire it in. Got both off Amazon. wintergalley posted this setup somewhere on the forum with the links. If you can't find it, PM me and I'll dig out the links. It works perfectly but yesterday I noticed, on two separate engine starts, that I got a dash error light that the autostart disabled and the traction con tool light came on. I don't know is its related to the controller hookup. I have to drive with trailer in 2 weekends on a fairly long trip so I should know if its a problem by the end of that trip.
 

mergedown

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Ok, so thanks to The Jeep Informer on YouTube (highly recommended), I finally have an understanding of the situation that those of us that did not get the tow package are in.

It has been confirmed that we do NOT have the harness for powering and communicating with a brake controller. The blue wire from the harness should do the trick for communicating, and you just need to run power and ground to the controller.

This may be obvious to some, but new to me, and I couldn’t find a clear answer.
 

bobzdar

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Ok, so thanks to The Jeep Informer on YouTube (highly recommended), I finally have an understanding of the situation that those of us that did not get the tow package are in.

It has been confirmed that we do NOT have the harness for powering and communicating with a brake controller. The blue wire from the harness should do the trick for communicating, and you just need to run power and ground to the controller.

This may be obvious to some, but new to me, and I couldn’t find a clear answer.
Hmm, brake controller generally has 4 wires, power, ground, brake in (triggered off of vehicle brakes) and brake out (engages the trailer brakes). Blue wire is usually the trailer brake wire, do you have to splice into the brake switch for the brake in feed or is there a lead built into the harness?

My curiosity is purely academic as I have the full tow package, but it may help somebody else.
 

mergedown

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Hmm, brake controller generally has 4 wires, power, ground, brake in (triggered off of vehicle brakes) and brake out (engages the trailer brakes). Blue wire is usually the trailer brake wire, do you have to splice into the brake switch for the brake in feed or is there a lead built into the harness?

My curiosity is purely academic as I have the full tow package, but it may help somebody else.
Harness comes with the blue wire and enough to run for the module in the rear to the passenger footwell. I know I’ll need to supply power and ground, but not sure where to connect the red wire.
 

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bobzdar

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Harness comes with the blue wire and enough to run for the module in the rear to the passenger footwell. I know I’ll need to supply power and ground, but not sure where to connect the red wire.
Ah, you'll probably have to splice into the brake switch for that. Most brake controllers come with a clamp splice for the brake switch, so you may have one.
 

mergedown

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Ah, you'll probably have to splice into the brake switch for that. Most brake controllers come with a clamp splice for the brake switch, so you may have one.
Hmm, ok. I’ll have to look a little more closely to the brake pedal to see if I can find something I’d splice into.
 

mergedown

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Ah, you'll probably have to splice into the brake switch for that. Most brake controllers come with a clamp splice for the brake switch, so you may have one.
I ordered a controller, so I’ll see what I figure out.
 

mergedown

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Has anyone who does not have the factory tow package installed an electric trailer brake controller yet? I've installed the MOPAR 7-way harness, which provides the blue wire for the feed for the trailer brakes, and I'm aware that the red and black wires for the brake controller will go to the hot & ground on the battery, however, I'm unable to find a trigger/feed wire for the actual brake controller itself. On my JK, it was a brown/white wire (4 wires running to brake pedal switch). On my JL, there are only 3 wires running to the brake pedal switch, and none of them have 12 volts going to them, regardless of whether the brake pedal is pressed or not.

Anyone have any ideas?
Any luck? I'm having the same issue. I tapped into the green wire with the brown stripe coming from the pedal and I'm not getting brakes at the trailer. The manual over ride on the controller works, so I know the signal through the blue wire is functioning, just can't get it to recognize the brake pedal.
 

avnmech

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For RockinMarine - I have factory tow and just installed the Tekonsha P3 using a jeep Cherokee pigtail to wire it in. Got both off Amazon. wintergalley posted this setup somewhere on the forum with the links. If you can't find it, PM me and I'll dig out the links. It works perfectly but yesterday I noticed, on two separate engine starts, that I got a dash error light that the autostart disabled and the traction con tool light came on. I don't know is its related to the controller hookup. I have to drive with trailer in 2 weekends on a fairly long trip so I should know if its a problem by the end of that trip.
I have installed a Hopkins Insight controller into my JLU as well using the factory connector, and my brake controller works fine, but I get the same warning lights, unfortunately FCA has no fix for it, and in Indiana if I tow my trailer with the Electronic Stabilty Disabaled and get into a wreck, I'm pretty sure I'm going to own the wreck, no matter who's fault it is. So I have a 1 year old Coachman 17BH Clipper for sale, that I can no longer tow. Really sucks, because the whole reason I bought the JLU was to tow my camper.
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