Brake Controller - Helpful Video Reviews and Installation How To Articles

Brake Controller Installation - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan - Video

Today on this 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan we are going to install brake controller and we are going to be using part number 5520 the Activator 3 from Draw-Tite. We are going to be using a bracket part number 118136 from Tow Ready and we are going to be using brake controller install kit part number ETBC7. We will begin our install by installing our bracket on the hitch and we will clamp it into place using the supplied clamp. Next we will take the 7-pole bracket and install that next onto the bracket that we just did. Next thing we need to do is prepare the 7-pole that comes with the ETBC7 kit and get it ready to install in our bracket. What we are going to do next is connect our gray cable to our 7-pole cables so basically we are going to strip this back and make our connections. We are going to hook this black to black, and this black wire is going to go straight up to the battery for our 12 volt power supply and that is it. This white wire is going to go to the blue wire that is going to go to our brake controller so when we go back up to the brake controller this white wire will go back up to the blue. 01:03 more

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Posted: 2/24/2010 10:12:29 AM

Brake Controller Installation - 2000 Chevy Silverado Part 3 - Video

And we can just tuck that out of our way and maybe zip-tie it later. The next part we have to do is run our power wires to the brake controller. The easiest way to do it, honestly, is to go straight to the battery. You do not have to worry about any unnecessary connections. That being said, battery terminals do corrode over time. That could end up losing the connection due to corrosion that way. That being said that batteries do corrode which can lead to problems connecting to the brake controller, another way, that is not recommended by the manufacturer but it could be done technically, you could come off of this post here which is supplied by a 30 amp fuse. And then what you could do is come off here, go to your 20 amp reset breaker, so there is still a fuse with the right amperage, and make your connections here for the positive. And you could run your connection all of the way up to, say like this battery here, has a connection to the frame or to the body. You could probably make your connection there. Because, sometimes you run into a situation where the connections are already corroded up and it is probably not in the best interest to go ahead and take them apart again and redo them because you might have a bigger headache that you are not prepared to deal with. You could probably do it that way. In this case, I think we will go ahead and use this battery here. This truck actually has two batteries set up. 1:09 more

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Posted: 2/5/2010 3:11:45 PM

Brake Controller Installation - 2000 Chevy Silverado Part 2 - Video

The wires are ran from the rear to the front. However, they are pretty much out of reach. They are actually buried right down below the brake booster here. The blue and orange wires are kind of coiled up there. Basically, you have to climb on top of the engine, reach down and break them loose and pull them up. And even so, half of the time they are not long enough to work with. So you have to extend them, especially for the blue wire anyway. All right, the next thing that I am going to do, since we are here, is go ahead and hook up our hot lead. Basically, you can use either one of these posts. I believe these two fuses take care of the power going to these posts. And they fit in the little pocket there. They do not come with any nuts on here. So, you will have to go out and get you some metric 10 millimeter nuts to fit this stud. You will have to get this nut separate, from the hardware store. And it is an 8 millimeter nut in thickness and diameter. And the thread pitch is 1.25. 0:46 Put that on there for now. Next what we need to do is go underneath the dash and drill out a hole to get between the engine compartment and the dashboard. 0:55 more

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Posted: 2/4/2010 3:11:45 PM

Brake Controller Installation - 2000 Chevy Silverado Part 1 - Video

On this 2000 C/K Series Pickup we are going to install brake controller part number 39523 from Tekonsha. This is their Powertrac brake controller. This factory tow package also applies to Chevrolet and GMC trucks as far back as I believe the early 90s. I do not know down to 88 or not. It was new bought when this body style came out. We are going to begin our install work from the rear of the vehicle and work our way forward. The tow package on this body style is all stored right here behind the bumper and this channel underneath the bed of the pickup truck. All you have got to do is cut this down and pull it out. There is a harness that you pull out and it is designed to be spliced onto. For the towing package from a brake controller and a hot lead it is actually ran inside the frame and it does not come that far back. That is located on the frame on the driver side. 00:48 more

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Posted: 12/12/2008 10:52:12 AM