Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer
installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Tekonsha PowerTrac Electronic Brake Controller - 1 to 2 Axles - Time Delayed
Replacement Brake Control Plug-In Harness for Tekonsha and Draw-Tite Brake Controller 12" Long
Part Numbers: 39523, 20127
Retail:$72.77
Price:$65.94
Shipping Special
Trailer Brake Controller Installation - 2001 Chevrolet Express Van - Video
Trailer Brake Controller Installation - 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe - Video
Trailer Brake Controller Installation - 1991 Ford F-150 - Video
Trailer Brake Controller Installation - 2005 Ford Freestar - Video
Show all 6 videos
Trailer Brake Controller Installation - 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe - Video
Trailer Brake Controller Installation - 1991 Ford F-150 - Video
Trailer Brake Controller Installation - 2005 Ford Freestar - Video
Show all 6 videos
Tekonsha PowerTrac Electronic Brake Controller - 1 to 2 Axles - Time Delayed
part number: 39523
Easy-to-use brake controller activates your trailer brakes electronically when you engage the brakes in your tow vehicle. Set braking intensity to your preference and towing application.
Features:
- Brake controller activates electric trailer brakes (sold separately)
- Signal is sent to trailer brakes when tow-vehicle brakes are activated
- Adjustable output control lets you determine the amount of braking force
- Set to maximum when you travel through hilly terrain with your fully loaded trailer
- Back off the power output when you tow a lightweight trailer
- LED indicator on front of unit
- Green light indicates that brakes are connected
- Color changes to orange and then to red as the power output increases
- Built-in manual override
- PowerTrac can be used with trailers that have up to 2 axles (4 brake assemblies total)
- Mounting bracket and hardware included
- No need to mount level
- Additional pigtail harness (sold separately) or plug-in, vehicle-specific brake-control adapter (sold separately) can be used for certain applications to further reduce installation time
Specs:
- Dimensions: 3" wide x 5" long x 1-1/4" tall
- Limited 5-year warranty
Unlike pendulum-style controllers, which react to the inertia that is created by your tow vehicle slowing down, the PowerTrac applies your trailer's brakes when the brake pedal in your tow vehicle is engaged. The trailer brakes will be activated with an intensity set by you. This output (amount of braking power) is adjustable to suit your preference, as well as road conditions, type of trailer and load. You can also apply the brakes manually with the integrated override.
Because inertia plays no role in the functioning of this controller, you do not have to mount the unit at any particular angle. As a result, mounting options are nearly limitless. After mounting the unit, hardwire the end of the included pigtail harness directly into your vehicle. For even easier installation, a vehicle-specific wiring adapter (sold separately) is available for certain vehicles. One end of the custom adapter plugs into your vehicle, and the other end plugs into your controller - no hardwiring required. To transfer the PowerTrac to another vehicle or to remove it for storage, just unplug the unit and remove it from the mount.
Note: For vehicles without brake-control wiring adapters, a 20-amp circuit breaker (9506P - sold separately) is required.
See also etrailer.com's exclusive 7- and 4-way brake-control installation kit (ETBC7 - sold separately) that includes all the parts necessary to install the PowerTrac brake controller.
80500 Tekonsha PowerTrac Electric Brake Control
Replacement Brake Control Plug-In Harness for Tekonsha and Draw-Tite Brake Controller 12" Long
part number: 20127
Tow Ready Replacement Plugin Harness for the Tekonsha P3, Voyager, Prodigy, and Primus Brake Controllers. Also works with Draw-Tite Intella-stop Xtreme, Intella-stop Ultra, Intella-stop Digital and Activator III (5520) brake controllers.
- Wire leads measure approximately 12" long
Video of Trailer Brake Controller Installation - 2001 Chevrolet Express Van
Video Transcript for Trailer Brake Controller Installation - 2001 Chevrolet Express Van
All right, today on this 2001 Chevrolet Express Van were going to install part #: 39523, this is the Tekonsha Power Track brake controller. Now to install this were also going to use part #: ETBC7, the brake controller install kit. Were going to start with that part first. Were going to start off of our wiring harness and start from the rear of the vehicle and work our way up. All right, next well go ahead and take our 7 pole bracket and were going to attach it directly to the bumper. All right, now well go ahead and take our seven to four pole adaptor, well attach it to the bracket, then well take the four pole and connect it to the preexisting four poles on the van.
Well use some dielectric grease to seal the connection up, connect the two four poles together and make a permanent connection out of it. All right, then well continue on with our gray wire and well run that to the front of the vehicle. Now, when we do well make sure stay away from anything moving like the suspension components or anything hot like the exhaust. Now well also take the white wire thats with the gray cable with the ring terminal and well attach that to the frame. Now to attach our ground were going to use a number 14 self-tapping screw.
Now, to run a wire up to the front were actually going to run all the way through the frame. Now, were using a piece of airline tubing to help run the wire through. This also can be a piece of stiff wire or something you can work with. Okay, well pull all the way up to the frame and then well run up through the engine compartment. Again, we want to make sure we stay away from anything moving or that gets hot like the exhaust.
Well run it up along the firewall and pull it out the top and then well use a zip tie to help secure the wire and take up the tension. Next well go ahead and install our circuit breakers. Were going to mount them to the inside of the fender well next to the battery. Now well take our duplex cable and well peel away the gray sheath. Our black wire will go on across the front of the vehicle to the 40 amp circuit breaker for a hot lead.
Then our wire well pull back and leave it out of the way for now. After we have our initial hook up to the circuit breaker well go ahead and take our white wire and then well pull it from the inside out. Now, on this vehicle theres a grommet thats missing in the firewall, so were going to use that hole to run our wires through. If there was a grommet there we would make a hole in the grommet and then run our wires through it. Now, since that weve ran out of cable on our install due to the way how we ran the wire from to rear and the lengths were going to add another piece of cable to it. Well use a ten foot length of wire, were using part #: 10-2-1. Well take this new length of wire and well run it from our 20 amp circuit breaker to the inside of the cabin to where were going to install our brake controller. Now, our black wire will be connected to the 20 amp circuit breaker and our white wire in this bundle will be attached to the factory ground. Okay, now that weve run our wires inside well go ahead and cut them to the length that we need. Then we can go ahead installing the wire harness for the brake controller. Now the wire harness were going to use is universal brake controller plug part #: 20127. Now, we hook up our wires, were going to start with our single white wire. Well connect that to the blue wire on our brake controller harness, then next well go to the gray cable with the black and white wires, well connect those color for color from the brake controller harness and our red wire well run up to the coal side of the brake switch. All right, at this point we can go ahead and start installing the brake controller. Well take our bracket and mount it to the bottom of the dash. Then well go ahead and take the brake controller and well get ready to install it to the bracket. Well go ahead and take one of the attachment screws and make some threads before we attach the brake controller to the bracket. Okay, well go ahead and attach it to the bracket. Well connect our wire plugs together and well zip tie the wires out of the way and well go back underneath the hood and make our final connection. Now, well run two wires to our power supply, one for the brake controller and one for the 40 amp circuit breaker for the 12 volt power supply out back. Normally you want to make your connections straight to the battery. However, due to the lack of room inside the engine compartment, with the battery, we cant really use battery extenders or post extenders. Okay, with our power hooked up well go ahead and attach the trailer to the vehicle and test the brake controller. Now, you can see we have a little green light on the LED. If we move the manual override over you can see how it turns to the green, to orange, to red and it also, since its a time delay brake controller, itll do the same thing when we hit the brake pedal. Okay, and with that, thatll finish it for our install of part #: 39523 from Tekonsha on our 2001 Chevrolet Express Van.
Ask the Experts about this Brake Controller
Do you have a question about this Brake Controller?
- Tekonsha Powertrac 2-4 Electric Brake Controller on a 2007 Chevy Tahoe
- Yes, your brake controller can be installed on your 2007 Chevy Tahoe. As long as the controller is functioning properly, it will wire the same as any other brake controller. There is no plug present under the dash, but the wires are already there. You only need to splice the brake control wires together with those already present under the dash. These wires are tied up with white tape to the left of the brake pedal. You need to connect 4 wires to the controller, as follows; red (12v power feed)
view full answer... - Availability of Brake Controller Harness for 2001 Toyota Tundra
- If you are looking for a brake controller harness, there are none available for the 2001 Toyota Tundra. The 2001 Tundra did not have factory tow packages as an option, so a brake controller will have to be hard wired into the vehicle.
You will need part # ETBC7 to create a 7 way plug at the rear of the truck. I will include a video on this kit. You will also need to install a 4 way connector. Toyota put the provision in for this so you will need part # 118378.
Once you have these parts in
view full answer... - Will a Brake Controller Draw Enough Power When Not in Use To Drain a Car Battery
- The brake controllers available now either are only on when they are activated, or a have a timed shut-off or idle state after a certain time period. Some of the older brake controllers never shut-off, but they did not drain battery power as the only component that would be on is a low amperage LED indicating that the controller has power or whether or not it was connected to a trailer.
As long as you have a healthy battery, you should not have a problem. Since your car is only 2 maybe 3 year
view full answer... - Adjusting Prodigy Brake Controller For Maximum Braking On a 1500 Pound Camper with a 1999 Ford F-150
- There are a number of factors to address if you feel that the trailer brakes on your camper are not performing to expectations. The first thing I would check is the mounting and leveling of the brake controller. The Prodigy must be mounted from 0 degrees to 70 degrees nose up but cannot be mounted canted to the right or left. Once mounted correctly the Prodigy, item # 90185, will acquire the level setting and you will need to adjust the power. If you have the power set to full and the trailer br
view full answer... - Trouble Shooting Tekonsha AccuTrac Brake Controller Not Recognizing Trailer on a 1999 Ford F-150
- I spoke with my co-worker, Bob, about this for some time this morning. We are both thinking you have a ground issue somewhere or possibly a short. Between the trailer brakes and the brake controller there are several grounds that need to be checked. I will start at the top and work down one by one till we can find the source of the problem. Some of this may be redundant so bear with me.
I assume you mean that the green light does not come on when the truck is on and the trailer is connected.
view full answer... - Brake Controller Not Functioning Properly On a 2004 Chevrolet Pickup When Brake Pedal is Pressed
- It sounds as if you may have the incorrect brake controller wiring harness. The correct wiring harness for the 2004 Silverado 2500 HD is the Universal Brake Control Wiring Adapter 2003 - 06 Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, item # 20264. Unplug the harness and check the wire locations in the connector.
When holding the connector with the locking tab in the down position the red wire should be in the bottom right position closest to the locking tab. If the red wire is in the top left position, farthes
view full answer... - Looking to Upgrade the Brake Controller On a 2004 Silverado 1500 for Towing a 2010 Outback Trailer
- The Prodigy P-3, item # 90195, is definitely an upgrade from the Hayes-Lemmerz Energize III Electric Trailer Brake Controller, item # 81741B. You would definitely see an improvement in the braking performance and a reduction in the delay you are experiencing with the Energizer controller.
The P-3 uses an accelerometer to detect how fast the vehicle is slowing and apply the correct amount of power, based on user settings, to the trailer brake magnets. This system is almost seamless with the ve
view full answer... - Can You Give Detailed Step By Step Instructions For Brake Controller Install On 2001 Toyota Tundra
- To install a brake controller on your vehicle you will need Brake Controller 7 & 4 Way Installation Kit, part # ETBC7 and the Tow Ready Custom Fit Vehicle Wiring, part # 118378 on your 2001 Toyota Tundra.
If your 2001 Toyota Tundra has an existing 4-way connector, you will not need to install part # 118378.
For installation of part # 118378, start by disconnecting the negative terminal on the battery and remove the battery hold down bracket and slide the battery towards the motor. Next,
view full answer... - How to Adjust the Power Trac Brake Controller on a 2004 Grand Cherokee Overland with AccuTrac
- It sounds as if you will need to adjust the power settings on your brake controller. There is only one adjustment on the Tekonsha Power Trac Brake Controller, item # 39523. It is the power gain setting and should be adjusted so the trailer brakes are close to but do not lock up, with each different load on the trailer.
The Power setting is turned up and down to increase or decrease the amount of power sent to the trailer brakes. If you have the power setting set too high on a time delayed con
view full answer... - Can the Tekonsha Powertrac Trailer Brake Controller # 39523 be Installed on a 2010 Toyota Tundra
- Yes, you can install the Tekonsha Powertrac, # 39523, in your 2010 Toyota Tundra. There are 2 ways you can wire in the brake controller. If the harness that came with the truck has blunt cut wires at the end that connects to a brake controller, you will need to match the wires on the brake controller to the functions on the harness as follows:
White on brake controller ground
Black on controller = 12 volt power
Blue on controller = out put to trailer brakes
Red on controller = in from sto
view full answer... - Troubleshooting a Tekonsha Powertrac Brake Controller # 39523
- There should not be 12 volts coming out of your ground terminal (7:00) on your vehicle connector. That sounds like where your problem is located. It sounds as if the 12 volt accessory that should be in the 2:00 position of your connector has been mistakenly wired to your ground circuit.
I attached a picture of how the connector on your tow vehicle should be wired by function for you to check out. I also attached an FAQ page on trailer wiring that you might find helpful.
view full answer... - Troubleshooting Fading Brake Output with Tekonsha Powertrac Trailer Brake Controller # 39523
- I spoke with my contact at Tekonsha about the Powertrac Brake Controller, # 39523. She stated that if the testing you are doing is with the vehicle and trailer parked, when you step on the brake or use the manual override, the output will go to the preset limit, but then, since the voltage is not needed, it will fade out. When moving the voltage will stay applied.
She also suggested testing the blue output wire using a test light like # 3808 while stepping on the brake. Having the testing lig
view full answer... - Using Wire for Bed Cap 3rd Brake Light Instead of Brake Stoplight Switch to Install Brake Controller
- As long as you have verified that the wire in question only goes hot when the brake pedal is applied, there is no reason why you cannot use the wire intended for the bed cap third brake light. If you do not have a circuit tester, we offer one, part # 3808.
Certain vehicles (like GM trucks produced in the late 1990s) had brake switch wiring that was very difficult to access. In those instances, we typically recommend doing exactly what you propose.
view full answer... - Finding Correct Brake Stoplight Switch Circuit to Install Brake Controller on 2004 Toyota Highlander
- I do not have any specific information about the color of the wire you are looking for, but I can describe how to find it.
Use a circuit tester like part # 40376, and probe each wire coming off of the brake stoplight switch. As you probe each wire, press the brake pedal. Once you find the circuit that only shows current when the brake pedal is pushed, tap the red controller wire into it.
view full answer... - Tekonsha Power Trac Brake Controller # 39523 No Longer Applying Brakes When Brake Pedal Pushed
- It sounds as if you might try to adjust the power settings on your brake controller. There is only one adjustment on the Tekonsha Power Trac Brake Controller, part # 39523. It is the power gain setting and should be adjusted so the trailer brakes are close to but do not lock up, with each different load on the trailer.
The Power setting is turned up and down to increase or decrease the amount of power sent to the trailer brakes. If you have the power setting set too low on a time delayed cont
view full answer... - Light Does Not Come On when Tekonsha Pod Trailer Brake Controller is Installed on a 2010 Ford F-150
- The first thing I reocmmend is to connect a trailer to the vehicle. The light will not come on if a trailer is not connected. If you do connect a trailer and the light does not come on it could indicate a few different issues.
First, check the black wire behind the controller for voltage. If there is no voltage going to the controller it will not turn on. You will need to check the fuses associated with the tow package to determine if something is blown or missing.
You may also have an op
view full answer... - Is a Brake Controller Plug and Play Wiring Harness Available for a 2003 Mercedes ML 350
- There is not an aftermarket plug and play brake controller wiring connector available for the 2003 Mercedes ML 350. You may be able to purchase one from the vehicle dealer though.
I spoke with my contact at Tekonsha and his advice is that you should take your Mercedes M Class vehicle to the dealer to have a brake controller installed. The Mercedes vehicles have very sensitive wiring and splicing into the brake circuit or power on the vehicle can cause issues.
If you have wiring experience
view full answer... - Brake Controller Power and 12 Volt Hot Lead Fuse Locations on a 2011 Chevy Tahoe
- Most vehicles are already equipped with the fuses mentioned in the video, which is what we have come across. If your vehicle does not have one or both fuses, you will need to insert your own fuses. To find the correct locations, you can look at the legend on the inside cover of the power distribution box.
Sometimes, the locations are the ones closest to the terminals. In this case they are slightly off to the right (driver side) as you can see in the video I have linked at about the 5:25 mar
view full answer... - Replacing the Manual Slide Knob on a Pod Brake Controller and Troubleshooting No Green Light
- I made you a short video that shows how to replace the knob provided that the little tabs on the back of the knob or where they mount are not damaged.
When you do not get a green light, that means that the trailer is not connected, there is a short to the brake output wire, or there is a bad ground connection. It could also mean that there is no power going to the controller black wire. Use a circuit tester like # 3808 if needed to determine if power is on the black wire.
Then, sever the
view full answer... - Will the Pod Trailer Brake Controller Fit a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500
- The Pod brake controller, # 39523, does come up for a 2005 Dodge Ram. Depending on how the truck is equipped, you will also need 1 of 2 harnesses. If the truck came with a factory 4 or 7-Way trailer connector, you will also need wiring harness # 3020-P. If the truck did not come with a trailer connector, you will need # 20127. I have included links to a couple of videos that should help.
view full answer... - What Do I Need to Wire a Basic 4-Way Trailer Connector on a 1996 Toyota Tacoma Pickup
- Since the 1996 Toyota Tacoma has separate turn and brake signals, a converter is necessary. Fortunately, there is a plug-and-play harness, part # 118379, available for your Tacoma that makes installing very easy. It simply plugs in-line with the tail light connectors behind the tail light housings. Then you connect the ground wire to a good ground point on the truck frame and you are done.
I have added a link to the part and a video of it being installed on a 2000 Tacoma. I have also included
view full answer... - Do the Tow Ready and Tekonsha Brake Controller Harnesses use the Same Guage Wire
- The Tow-Ready part, part # 20127, and the Tekonsha part, part # 7894, use the same size wires. The blue and black wires are 12 gauge and the red and white are 16 gauge. They are the same part other than wire length.
view full answer... - Which Brake Switch Wire is Used When Installing Brake Controller on 2008 Dodge Ram 1500
- A brake controller has four wires exiting the rear of the controller, they attach as follows: the red wire attaches to the brake stoplight switch located at the top of the brake pedal. The color of the correct wire on the brake switch is usually a white wire with a tan stripe, but it could vary so it is best to find the correct wire you will need by testing the wires for function. The stoplight switch can have several wires exiting it, you will need a circuit tester like Quickee Tester, part # 3
view full answer... - Electric Trailer Brake Controller Recommendation for a 2009 Volkswagen Touareg TDI
- I recommend the Tekonsha P2, # 90885. It is one of our highest rated and most popular brake controller models. If your Touareg has a factory tow package, then you will just need to connect the wires from the brake controller to the tow package wires under the dash.
The tow package wiring may be located behind the lower appearance panel beneath the dash and to the right of the emergency brake pedal. It may be on the left, wrapped in grey foam. I have included a link to an FAQ article that mig
view full answer... - Installing a Trailer Brake Controller on a 2012 Dodge Caravan with Tow Package
- I spoke with a colleague who worked at Chrysler and he stated that they do not put the trailer hitch and 7-Way wiring on the Grand Caravan at the factory. That is something that the dealer installs. In any event here is what you will need to do. The brake controller will need to be hardwired into the vehicle.
The white wire on the brake controller will need to get connected directly to the negative terminal on the vehicle battery. The black wire will need to connect to a 30 amp circuit breake
view full answer... - Does the Tow Package Wiring on a 2008 Chevy Colorado Match a Brake Controller Color for Color
- On the 2008 Chevy Colorado with a factory tow package, the wiring for a brake controller is located under the dash, to the left of the brake pedal. The wire bundle should have a white tag on it that also lists the functions of each wire. You will need to match the wires to the brake controller by function, not by color.
On the brake controller, white is ground, black is 12 volt power, blue goes out to the trailer connector, and red is in from the stop light circuit on the brake switch.
It
view full answer... - Hardwire Trailer Brake Controller Installation on a 2001 Dodge Van 1500
- Installing a brake controller on your 2001 Dodge 1500 Van is a hardwire installation. In addition to the brake controller and the wiring harness like # 20127, you may also need a 4 and 7 Way Installation kit, # ETBC7 depending on what type of trailer connector is on the van.
If the van already has a 7-Way trailer connector, you will need to add a brake controller installation kit, # 5506. On the back of the 7-Way connector, find the wire that is coming out of the 7:00 position. Cut the wire s
view full answer... - Tow Package Wiring Colors and Functions for a 2007 GMC Sierra 1500 New Body Style
- the wire bundle you are looking for looks like the one in the FAQ article I have linked for you. It is located under the left side of the instrument panel to the left of the steering column. The wiring colors should be as follows:
Red/black wire = 12 volt power
White = ground
Light blue/white = input from brake switch
Dark blue = output to trailer brakes
Orange = not used
There also may be some connections that you will need to make under the hood to make everything fully functional.
view full answer... - Voyager Brake Controller Does Not Show Voltage with Manual Override Applied
- The way a brake controller works is sort of like you described. In many proportion controllers, you actually have to be moving to get voltage when applying the brake but will see voltage when applying the manual override. The controller actually senses how much the vehicle is decelerating using an internal sensor. It does not monitor how hard you press the pedal but it does sense when you are pressing the brake. Of course usually how hard you press the brake does effect the rate of deceleration.
view full answer... - Adding a 6-Way Trailer Connector and Brake Controller to a 2007 Ford Explorer with Factory 4-Way
- In order to install a brake controller and a 6-Way connector on a 2007 Ford Explorer that has a factory 4-Way you will need 2 items. First you will need the brake controller itself. I recommend the Tekonsha P2, # 90885, because it is one of our best selling controllers because it is easy to use and set up.
Then you will need installation kit # ETBC6. This kit is needed because all of the wiring is not ran to the back of an Explorer that has the 4-Way. I have included some links that will help
view full answer... - Installing a Brake Controller on a 1988 GMC K 1500 Pickup Truck
- GM did not install a brake controller adapter port in the C/K series pick up trucks, so there are no plug-in adapters that will allow you to install a brake controller without having to run wires.
If you already have 7-way connector at the rear of your truck, then you could use wiring kit # 5505 if your trailer has 2 or 4 brake assemblies or wiring kit # 5506 if your trailer has 6 or 8 brake assemblies. These kits include a duplex wire to run a brake output circuit from the brake controller t
view full answer... - Parts Needed to Install a Brake Controller in a 2013 Ford Edge
- You will need to hardwire in a brake controller on your 2013 Ford Edge.
First you will need to convert the 4-way to a 7-way. For that you will need an Brake Controller Installation Kit # ETBC7. This comes with everything you will need to install a fully functional 7-way and brake controller in your vehicle. I attached installation instructions and an install video for this product for you to check out.
If you do not have a brake controller picked out yet check out the Prodigy P2 Brake Con
view full answer... - How to Find the Brake Switch Wire to Install a Brake Controller in a 2013 Ford Edge
- Traditionally (at least from 2004 to 2007) Ford has used a green wire on the brake switch to attach to the red wire on a brake controller. However, the only way to know for sure is to test the wires using a circuit tester like # 3808. Manufacturers can use any wire they want and if they run out of the normal color they use, they grab whatever is available to keep the assembly line moving.
To test the wire use the circuit tester to probe the wires. You need the one that only shows power when
view full answer...
