I'd be curious to know this too . . . .

 

I'm not sure about the answer to your question John as I have surge brakes on my boat trailer. I always understood electrical brakes required the 7 pin connector and did not think anything else was required.

The following is what I discovered in the owners manual - hope it might help.

Towing Requirements – Trailer Lights And Wiring
Whenever you pull a trailer, regardless of the trailer size,
stoplights and turn signals on the trailer are required for
motoring safety.
The Trailer Tow Package may include a four- and sevenpin
wiring harness. Use a factory approved trailer harness
and connector.
NOTE: Do not cut or splice wiring into the vehicles
wiring harness.
The electrical connections are all complete to the vehicle
but you must mate the harness to a trailer connector.
Refer to the following illustrations.

Next illustrations in the manual show 4 & 7 pin connectors and wiring connections.

 

Bill, thank you. but that does not discuss how to wire the brake controller. Normally they would prodvide 4 wires or a plug under the dash to hook the brake controler to. I could not find anything in the owner'a manual about it.

Electric brakes require a controller that actives the brakes on the trailer. This is not normally included on most vehicles.

 

The grand cherokee has a plug under the dash for a controller. I assume the cherokee does too. I'll see if I can find it and let you know.

 

Hopefully you will have better eyes than me. I have not been able to find one yet.

 

My 06' Dodge Truck had a 4 wire connection behind the emergency brake. No splicing required. Proper pig tail was only $15.

 

From Chrysler's wiring diagram database: There is a 4-pin connector in the usual location above the driver's footwell. I haven't personally gone looking for it yet, but according to their info, it's there.

 

From Chrysler's wiring diagram database: There is a 4-pin connector in the usual location above the driver's footwell. I haven't personally gone looking for it yet, but according to their info, it's there.

Does your source tell you what each of those pins is for?

 

Thank you. That is the first diagram I have seen that pinpointed its location. I guess I need to go back under the dash and look for it again. Looks like it is at the end of the large wiring bundle in the driver footwell.

 

Thanks to CDNTrailHawk I was able to find the plug for the harness tonight.

It is located behind the plastic kick panel in the drivers foot well.

You remove the screw and carefully pry the tab that is holding the kick panel in place from its bracket. The plug is on the firewall/wheel well behind the wiring. It is the grey plug you can see next to the metal bracket. That wire with the finned covering was in front of it and made it hard to find.

 

I need to point out that I do have the trailer tow package with the 7 pin wiring harness.

 

I hate to be slow, but I can't see the plug in your picture.




Is this the plug ? ?

 

So... where do we find the matching pig tail for this plug ? ? ?

 

Are you sure its not the black surface mounted plug that is next to the hood release? What is that plug ?

 

The black surface mounted plug next to the hood release is the ODBII connector for diagnostics.

Yes the arrow points to the correct plug. Most of the name brand brake controllers have a double ended plug. One end fits the controller the other fits the plug under the dash. For the Tekonsha products (Prodigy) the part number is Tekonsha 3045-P. This is the same one that is used on the 2011-2014 Grand Cherokee.

 

This thread is soooooooo helpful. Thanks Hudson.

Think this is the right part ?
http://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Tow-Ready/22294.html

 

This thread is soooooooo helpful. Thanks Hudson.

Think this is the right part ?
http://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Tow-Ready/22294.html

It looks like the correct plugs for the prodigy product but there is no specific information in the product description.

 

If you would like a non wired simple RF solution. This one works well have used it with my Touareg and will use it with my TH when it arrives. Best part it can be used with multiple vehicles without physically wiring a control unit int the cab of each.

http://www.etrailer.com/Brake-Controller/Tekonsha/90250.html

Cheers
Rene

 

If you would like a non wired simple RF solution. This one works well have used it with my Touareg and will use it with my TH when it arrives. Best part it can be used with multiple vehicles without physically wiring a control unit int the cab of each.

http://www.etrailer.com/Brake-Controller/Tekonsha/90250.html

Cheers
Rene

Swede
On the wireless system, were is the brakes power drawn from? Electric brakes can draw som high amperage at times. I would be concerned if it was being drawn from the light circuit.

 

Very cool and thanks for the info, I can't really imaging pulling anything too heavy with the TH but this is a must have.

If you get a chance post pics of the installed product, I'm curious to see if it would get in the way of my knee.

 

The only practicle place I can see to mount one is to the left of the steering column on the door to the storage compartment that is there. I think the cubby is too small to actually mount one in it.

 

I was looking at he cables online and think I may be wrong about the one that the Cherokee uses. I need to double check the plug and see. But I think it actually uses the Dodge pigtail and not the Jeep one.

 

A little variation on the the theme.

I plan to use the Jeep wiring differently. I did this on another vehicle and it worked well.

I have hydraulic surge brakes on the trailer. It has a "backflow solenoid" that allows one to disable the trailer brakes with the solenoid. I hook the backup light lead to the solenoid so when backing up, the surge does not apply the brakes.

I also hook the brake signal wire to the solenoid, via a simple switch under the dash. I use this to manually disable the brakes when going down very long hills using engine braking. If you don't do this, the engine braking applies the surge brakes for a long time and they can overheat.

Its a Colorado thing.

 

Pin /Function/Wire Color
1/ground/black
2/brake lamp switch output/wt-vt
3/electric brake feed/dg
4/fused b+/tn-rd

 

Thank you.

 

I got a good look and picture of the plug under the dash.

It matches the one on the etrailer web site BUT it is the wrong gender !
http://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Tow-Ready/22294.html

I suppose we could ask why in the world would they do that... but the more important question is... where can we find the right plug of the right gender ? ?

 

Where exactly under the dash ? I have looked all over the place and I have the factory tow package ....

 

I have been talking with tekonsha support. the correct plug would be on the 3021-p cable for the current rams. But the battery and trailer brake wires are swapped on the connector according to the pinouts you provided.

 

So if we could get aRam pigtail we could splice that into whatever controller you wanted to use.

 

I have the 3021-p cable on order. I will test the pinouts and see if the wires are swapped.