Installation of Brake Controller on 2011 Chevy Silverado Where No Power Is Present on Wires

Question:

Hello, I have a primus IQ brake controller. It was originally installed in another vehicle. I purchased a 7894 universal Tekonsha harness. I hooked up properly, plugged into the brake controller and the unit does not power up. The two poles under the hood are connected properly. Is this a fuse situation? Power situation? Thanks

asked by: Sam S

Expert Reply:

It looks like you've got a 2011 Chevy Silverado, and it's likely that you just don't have power on the wires you've connected the Pigtail Wiring Harness # 7894 to on your vehicle. If you haven't already, you should test the power wire to see if it's active when you turn the vehicle on. There are two wires under the hood that have to be connected to make the tow package functional, one is the power wire to the brake control and the other is the battery charge line to the 7 way connector. These wires are both Red/Black with eyelets on them. They are coiled up under the hood and will need to be connected to the under hood fuse box. One of the wires is located between the under hood fuse box and the left (driver) side fender. The other is located under the master cylinder/brake booster assembly.

I've linked a helpful article we did on the issues we've encountered on 2007-2013 Chevy/GMC trucks and how to address this, as well as an installation video of a brake controller on a Chevy truck that might also be helpful.

expert reply by: Erik B