Brake Controller Installation and Location of Brake Stoplight Switch on 1997 Chevrolet Pickup

Expert Reply:

This is a fairly straightforward install. GM has already run some of the necessary wiring from the rear frame rail area to the engine compartment, a blue wire which will carry the brake controller output and an orange wire which provides 12 volt power for trailer accessories. The orange and blue wires at the rear of the truck would attach to the appropriate poles on the 6-way or 7-way trailer connector on the rear bumper. We offer a 6-Way (part # ETBC6) or 7-way (part # ETBC7) Brake Controller Install Kit which includes the trailer connector and all necessary installation hardware. If your truck does not already have a 4-way connector to give you access to the lighting circuits, you will need a T-1 Vehicle Wiring Harness, part # 118315. The orange and blue wires terminate in the engine compartment, they can be found under the master cylinder, follow the brake lines down to where they start to turn back under the cab. The wires will be bundled up, and are usually wrapped in electrical tape. The orange wire would be extended and ran to the positive battery terminal via the 40 amp circuit breaker included in the install kit. The blue brake output wire would be extended and ran through the firewall to attach to the blue wire on the brake controller. Please note: anytime you run wire through the firewall, make sure the opening you use has a grommet, to prevent the metal from cutting the wire and shorting out. Once you have the controller mounted, the blue wire would attach to the wire that you have run through the firewall, the black wire would run through the firewall and attach to the positive battery terminal, using either the 20 or 30 amp circuit breaker included in the install kit. (The instructions included with your brake controller will tell you which to use). The white brake controller wire would run through the firewall and attach to the negative battery terminal. The red wire would attach to the brake stoplight switch. In your particular model year truck, the stoplight switch is extremely hard to access, we typically recommend accessing the circuit through the main wiring harness located under the steering column. The necessary wire is either light blue or white in color and when probed with a circuit tester such as part # 40376, will only show voltage when the brake pedal is applied. Tap your red brake controller wire into that circuit.

expert reply by: Mike L