Trailer Brake Controller Wiring
5th Wheeling
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 45
Likes: 2
From: Southern Texas Panhandle
Trailer Brake Controller Wiring
Maybe this will help someone out. I tried to find out about installing a brake controller on my '99 SD CC. I had looked on this board and other sites, talked with the guys at Pickup Pals (good folk, crawled under my truck to see what I needed knowing they were not going to install), but still could not find the female plug under the dash. I spent off and on a week trying to find the plug, checking wires, laying upside down in the front seat, you've been there. Finally, for no apparent reason, I took off the fuse access panel (Thanks Ford for some room to work). With the panel off, I could look,easily, into the subdash space and, bingo, there it was, as plain as day. I drilled a hole in the back of the dash storage slot, wired everything together (blew the fuse, got a fuse, installed the fuse, don't touch black and white wires together again, idiot) applied velcro to top of controller, stuck it to the top of the dash slot, and shabang, a clean install.
If you are having a hard time locating the female plug - take off the fuse access panel and look to the right, behind the storage slot. The female is there. Forget hanging upside down waiting for your head to explode.
Trog
If you are having a hard time locating the female plug - take off the fuse access panel and look to the right, behind the storage slot. The female is there. Forget hanging upside down waiting for your head to explode.
Trog
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,067
Likes: 1
From: Central Illinois
Trailer Brake Controller Wiring
The other half of the trailer brake plug (pig tail) was in my glovebox waiting to be connected to the brake controller. It was in a bag that contained the instructions for finding the plug under the dash.
A word of warning, I used velcro just as you did, and the first good hot humid day this summer, it fell off the dash. With an inertia controller, this is not something you want to happen while you are towing. I replaced the velcro with double sided foam tape which did not last as long as the velcro. I finally found 3M Double Sided Automotive Tape at Wal-Mart. I cleaned the dash and controller with alcohol and the thing has stayed put ever since.
Matt
2002, F250 SD, SC, 8' Bed, V10, 3.73 LS, Arizona Beige, ICI Stainless Step Bars, Truxedo Tonneau, Prodigy Brake Control, Flowmaster 40
A word of warning, I used velcro just as you did, and the first good hot humid day this summer, it fell off the dash. With an inertia controller, this is not something you want to happen while you are towing. I replaced the velcro with double sided foam tape which did not last as long as the velcro. I finally found 3M Double Sided Automotive Tape at Wal-Mart. I cleaned the dash and controller with alcohol and the thing has stayed put ever since.
Matt
2002, F250 SD, SC, 8' Bed, V10, 3.73 LS, Arizona Beige, ICI Stainless Step Bars, Truxedo Tonneau, Prodigy Brake Control, Flowmaster 40
5th Wheeling
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 45
Likes: 2
From: Southern Texas Panhandle
Trailer Brake Controller Wiring
nafzimo Thanks for the tip on the velcro/tape. Living in dry west Texas, we'll see. I don't have to pull trailers often (mostly Friday night football games. See what happens when you get a real truck.)so if it drops on me, no big deal, it's not an inertial. The previous own had a controller so I didn't have anything in the glovebox. But it did come with a nice aftermarket bumper, receiver, and wiring already installed. I guess it was worth a couple of headaches.
Trog
Trog
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 489
Likes: 0
From: Seffner/Tampa Florida
Trailer Brake Controller Wiring
>Maybe this will help someone out. I tried to find out about
>installing a brake controller on my '99 SD CC. I had looked
>on this board and other sites, talked with the guys at
>Pickup Pals (good folk, crawled under my truck to see what I
>needed knowing they were not going to install), but still
>could not find the female plug under the dash. I spent off
>and on a week trying to find the plug, checking wires,
>laying upside down in the front seat, you've been there.
>Finally, for no apparent reason, I took off the fuse access
>panel (Thanks Ford for some room to work). With the panel
>off, I could look,easily, into the subdash space and, bingo,
>there it was, as plain as day. I drilled a hole in the back
>of the dash storage slot, wired everything together (blew
>the fuse, got a fuse, installed the fuse, don't touch black
>and white wires together again, idiot) applied velcro to top
>of controller, stuck it to the top of the dash slot, and
>shabang, a clean install.
>If you are having a hard time locating the female plug -
>take off the fuse access panel and look to the right, behind
>the storage slot. The female is there. Forget hanging
>upside down waiting for your head to explode.
>
>Trog
Ford is the greatest, and
>installing a brake controller on my '99 SD CC. I had looked
>on this board and other sites, talked with the guys at
>Pickup Pals (good folk, crawled under my truck to see what I
>needed knowing they were not going to install), but still
>could not find the female plug under the dash. I spent off
>and on a week trying to find the plug, checking wires,
>laying upside down in the front seat, you've been there.
>Finally, for no apparent reason, I took off the fuse access
>panel (Thanks Ford for some room to work). With the panel
>off, I could look,easily, into the subdash space and, bingo,
>there it was, as plain as day. I drilled a hole in the back
>of the dash storage slot, wired everything together (blew
>the fuse, got a fuse, installed the fuse, don't touch black
>and white wires together again, idiot) applied velcro to top
>of controller, stuck it to the top of the dash slot, and
>shabang, a clean install.
>If you are having a hard time locating the female plug -
>take off the fuse access panel and look to the right, behind
>the storage slot. The female is there. Forget hanging
>upside down waiting for your head to explode.
>
>Trog
Ford is the greatest, and
