How to Wire a Brake Controller When Using ETBC7

Expert Reply:

Not to confusing at all. There are a lot of wires to keep straight, but once you do it, you will remember it. I will go through a quick run down of how to wire up the ETBC7, then how to wire up the Brake Controller. I will also include a link to some wiring diagrams so you can see what does what. First, the ETBC7 wires up as follows. The 4-Way flat connector just connects to the existing 4-Way on the vehicle. The white is a ground connection, the black is a power wire that is connected to the vehicle battery, the blue wire connects to the blue wire on the brake controller and the yellow/orange on the ETBC7 is an auxiliary power source. The brake controller has 4 wires coming out of it. The white is a ground connection, the black runs to the battery to supply power to the brake controller. This wire needs a fuse or circuit breaker for the correct amperage so the brake controller cannot overload and burn up. The red wire is the stop light wire. It usually runs down to the brake pedal and connects to a wire to pick up signal when the brake pedal is pressed. The blue wire is the output wire that sends power back to the trailer brakes to engage them. The black wire on the brake controller is not related to the black wire on ETBC7 at all. They should not be connected, however, they will both be run, independently, to the battery. I will also include a link to a guide to wiring a brake controller from scratch. It has pretty much everything you would need to know about installing a brake controller and links to products that may be useful.

expert reply by: Patrick B