To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
Most brake controllers stick out and take up knee room, but this one hides the main module behind the dash. Only the control knob shows, sitting flush against the dash with a clean, factory-style look. At just 1-3/4" in diameter and extending only 1-1/2", it’s easy to reach without being in the way. You can mount it with a screw or an adhesive pad—no drilling required. The 4' cable connects to a compact 3" x 3-1/2" x 7/8" control box that can be tucked anywhere behind trim.
Installing a brake controller usually means splicing wires, but this setup skips all that. The included custom harness plugs directly into the factory port under the dash, then into the control module. No wire cutting, no guesswork. Once connected, the 3-axis accelerometer automatically senses direction and orientation so it’s ready to go right away.
The Spectrum matches your trailer brakes to how you press your pedal. A built-in 3-axis accelerometer measures deceleration and applies proportional power so both tow vehicle and trailer slow down together. It works with electric trailer brakes on setups with 1 to 4 axles (8 brake assemblies). The result is even braking, less push-pull, and reduced wear on tires and pads.
Everything runs through one simple knob—turn to adjust braking output or sensitivity, press to activate manual override. Bright LED indicators use colors and patterns to show modes, diagnostics, and active braking at a glance. You can fine-tune output for heavier trailers or boost sensitivity when road conditions change, all without taking your eyes off what’s ahead.
Cab space is tight in newer vehicles, but this controller fits right in. The low-profile knob mounts in an open switch panel or console spot without interfering with airbags or knees. Since the main unit mounts out of sight and can sit at any angle, you get a clean install that looks built-in while keeping everything easy to reach when towing heavy loads or driving through hilly terrain.
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hey everyone, Shane here, with etrailer.com. Today I have a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. I'm going to walk through how to install the Curt Spectrum Brake Controller with the ETBC7 installation kit. This is gonna be used if we're towing a trailer or something like that, that has brakes on it. This allows us to control the brakes from the trailer. Now there's a couple of different modes.
You have manual mode, which allows you to use a brake controller just to control the brakes on the trailer, where you will not have to apply the brakes on the vehicle. That type of situation, you know, if you have a trailer or something you're going down a gravel hill, you don't want that trailer pushing you and you don't want the vehicle stopping the trailer. So this allows you to apply the brakes on the trailer so the trailer is slowing and stopping the vehicle. So again, your vehicle is not trying to stop both. This is going to be how you set your modes.
Again, with the manual mode, there's a switch on the controller. It doesn't come, it comes preset this way. If you're gonna use manual mode, you're just going to follow the instructions for flipping this switch that's on the actual control unit. This is going to allow you to control the gain settings. Depending on how much weight you have on your trailer, you're simply going to turn it on and you're going to spin it.
And you can see, as it goes around and gets to this side, that light is red. The higher, or the darker that color gets, from green to red, that's more brake pressure that you're getting to the trailer. So if we turn it down to, let's say, about half. When we apply the brakes in the vehicle it's going to send the same amount of pressure to the trailer. Again, the more we go up, the more pressure you're getting back to the trailer, even though you're applying the same pressure on the vehicle.
So again, this is going to be your sensitivity setting that is going to be based on the trailer weight. It'll send more brake pressure to the trailer. If you have a heavier load, you're going to turn it down or decrease it if your trailer is lighter and you don't need as much braking power. Now, as far as the calibration setup on this, we have quite a bit of snow out today, so we're not gonna be able to take it out and calibrate it. So you just want to make sure you follow your instructions, once you get it installed, in order to calibrate correctly. Durable plastic housing; it's going to come with a couple of different ways to mount it. It comes with two-sided, sticky tape if you don't want to drill holes in your dash. if you decide you do want to hard mount it, there is a little plastic plate that comes with it. With the self tapping screws, you mount that, drill your hole in your dash to run your wires. And then you're going to pop this right into place. In order to get this brake controller installed on your vehicle, it will require the ETBC7. Now that we've gone over some of features, let's walk through how to get them both installed. Depending on the hitch you have, if it's Draw-Tite, it's going to have this bracket; you're going to mount the seven-pole plug to that bracket. If it doesn't, you're gonna need no-drill mounting brackets, which you can find here at etrailer. We're gonna mount our plate right to the bracket here on our hitch. You want to make sure you tighten those down. We're gonna take our seven-pole plug, we're gonna to feed the wires through the bracket, like that. tapping on metal And you're gonna have a bolt with a flat washer, lock washer and nut. We're going to put a bolt in each one of the corners. And then on the backside, we'll put the flat washer, lock washer, and then a nut. metal screw being threaded We'll take a Phillips screwdriver and a 3/8th socket and tighten it down. voices in background We're going to take our four-pole plug that's closest to the seven-pole plug; that's gonna go right into our seven-pole bracket. And then the other end, we're gonna have a seven- or a four-pole plug. We're gonna to connect it to the four-pole plug that we previously installed, to go just like this. What I suggest doing, is we're going to take some dielectric grease, we're going to put it on our connections. It's going to help keep it from corroding, if there's any water that gets in there by chance. Get those together. tapping We'll take a zip tie all right, between the floats, like this. sharp mechanical whack in background Then we'll tighten them down. This is gonna to keep the plugs from coming apart. You also can cut your two four-pole plugs off, if you want, and hardwire it. banging sound, from a distance Now, what I'm going to do, is I'm just gonna to take my wire, and I'm gonna zip tie it up like this. If you want, there's a hole, if you have the Draw-Tite bracket, there's a large hole right up in the top. You can actually run this up through here, if you can get it all through there scraping plastic and connect them that way before you connect your two four-pole plugs. You're gonna have one y-wire that has a ring terminal on it. We need to ground that to the frame. What I'm gonna do is I'm going to run it over the top of the hitch, I'm gonna go straight up. There's a panel right there. It might be easier if you use the self-tapper and drill the hole first. drilling noise Then we're gonna have three wires left: yellow, blue, and black. If you're not hooking up reverse lights signal, we're not going to be using this. Blue wire is going to be our brake signal coming from our brake controller. Black wire is gonna be our power. In your kit, you're gonna get a roll of duplex wire like this. You're gonna strip back the coating; it's gonna give you a black wire and a white wire. Black wire is gonna go to black; white is gonna go to the blue wire. sound of electrical pliers cutting through wires Then we'll take our two wires from our duplex, loud drilling sounds and we will attach them accordingly. loud drilling sounds loud drilling Sounds loud drilling sounds Once you get them connected, we'll come back with our heat source, then we'll shrink them up. heat source fan motor sound When you shrink a butt connector, what you wanna do is try and get all the air out from underneath that butt connector where that wire's going in. And what you're looking for is at the very top, there's gonna be some little liquid that comes out of it. You wanna see that. What that is, is that is a glue that's on the inside. It comes out and helps seal the end of the butt connector. fan motor whirring I like to come back, run some electrical tape around each connection, sharp banging noise and then we can bundle everything up together and get it covered. Now I'm gonna take some of the wiring that comes in the kit. talking in the background I'm gonna run it over top of my wires. gloves Rubbing against plastic coating However you think you need to, uh, run your wire loom on to protect the wires, and then we'll come back, we'll throw some electrical tape on there and then we'll wrap our duplex wire or our jacketed wire, up to the front of the vehicle. Doing our duplex wire up to the front, typically you would run it same side as your battery is on. However, we're gonna have to install a couple of circuit breakers, and there's not a whole lot of room on the driver's side where the battery is. So what I did, is I ran my duplex wire, or my jacketed wire, across the back of my hitch and then routed it underneath my heat shield. When we're routing this, we want to make sure we're staying away from anything hot or moving. metal tapping I went over top my rear suspension, went over top these factory lines, followed these factory lines straight down, and then we have a panel. This panel runs from here, all the way up to the front. On the outside, take a 10-millimeter socket, and it has little plastic nuts. You're gonna take them off all on one side, you can pull this down, and you can just tuck your wire up inside. From the top, what I did is took an air line tube and I ran it down right up against the firewall. And then I took my jacketed wire, taped it on the end. Now I can go up top and I can pull this up, and it'll pull it tight up against that firewall. Again, so we're staying away from anything hot or moving. In your kit, you're gonna get three circuit breakers. You need to determine, whatever brake controller you're using is gonna determine what circuit breakers you're using. For the Curt Spectrum, we're gonna be using the 30-amp and the 40-amp. We need to find somewhere in metal to mount these, and the reason I came over to the passenger side is because we have this large bracket right here, or this large a part of the body where we can mount them. I'm gonna mount one here, and then the other one right next to it. sharp bang in background To make it easier on myself, I'm gonna take a 10-millimeter socket, remove the two nuts up here, or the two bolts, and then the one down here. And we're just gonna kind of move this out of the way just a little bit. loud machine noises I'll just take that, and set off to the side like that. Now I was going to mount two of 'em up here; I think I'm just going to mount one and I'll mount the other one right down here. It might be easier if you take your self-tapper, do a hole first, or at least start it. drilling sounds drilling Sounds drilling sounds Then we can take our circuit breaker; go ahead and get one, drilling sounds screw in, and we can come back and get, install the other one. Then we'll do the same thing with the one right down here. drilling sounds banging noises in background Get my wire pulled over. metal bang Then we have some factory hard lines here. I'm gonna zip tie that wire there, anywhere in here, to help keep it from dropping back down. So now what we need to do, is we need to split this jacket to separate our wires. Somewhere back in here, we're going to take our white wire and it's going directly across. Our black wire is going to be connecting to our two circuit breakers. noises as jacket is cut So this is gonna give me extra white wire going that way. I'm gonna strip it back a little bit more here. Now I can take this wire, and just kinda plastic hitting engine throw that way for now. clipping sound Now we're gonna take our black wire, we're gonna go to our 40-amp circuit breaker. Uh, that's gonna to be my top one that I'm mounted here. We're gonna measure it up, where we need it. sound of wire being clipped We're gonna cut it to length, strip back the end. thunk as wire is stripped We're gonna add one of the small ring terminals that comes in the kit. We're going to add it on to the sound of something rubbing on metal silver post on our circuit breaker. We'll take our extra black wire, sound of wire being clipped, then tool being set down we'll strip back one end, we're gonna add on another small ring terminal. faint music playing We're gonna add that on to the copper post. We're gonna wrap this one over to the positive side of our battery. sound Of wires hitting vehicle If you look right here, there's some factory wiring, right against the firewall; I'm just gonna follow that, zip tie it along the way. My battery sits right over in front of my air breather. And where your battery is, there's a sleeve here for your air box; this is just gonna pop out tap and then your battery is located right here. Now the way we ran this, voices in background our black wire, we're not gonna have enough. Typically what we do is, we cut it. We'd go from the battery back over to the 30-amp, and then from the 30-amp, inside the vehicle. We're not gonna have enough, so it is going to require a little bit of extra wire. We'll take our white wire and we'll lay off to the side like that. We're going to leave this black wire hanging here; we're not going to connect 'em to the battery yet. We're gonna get some extra wire, and now we're gonna go from the 30-amp over. Now our extra black wire, our 30-amp circuit breaker, we're going to go from the copper post, we're gonna route it over the same way we did our other ones. And that one is gonna get connected to the battery. To help keep us from getting our wires confused, what I'm going to do, I'm gonna go ahead and cut these to length, I'm gonna add on my two large ring terminals, I'm just not gonna connect them to the battery. That way we don't get 'em confused with the other black wire we have to run inside. tool being set down Well, the two large ring terminals are going to the positive side of the battery: we're just gonna leave them hang for now. The silver post, I'll install a nut, voices in background route this wire across. Go ahead and get our wires zip-tied up, so they're not hanging. sound Of wires tapping against vehicle Next what we need to do is we need to get to a grommet that's right back here on the firewall. With our air box in place, sound Of socket wrench turning it's kind of hard to get to it, so there's a bolt right here in this corner. Go ahead and remove this clamp. sound Of socket wrench turning Let's see if we can't get our box out of the way enough where we can get back in there. We're gonna have a bolt in each corner here on the front side of our lid. loud drill motor noise air box lid being pulled out I'm gonna slide this off. So from here, sound of tools being set on engine it's up to you, um, it seems like we have enough room to get to our grommet there. You can either work with it like this, or if you want to pull your whole box out, right down on the bottom, right there, you remove that and you can pull this large jug out. There's your grommet right back there. It's gonna be right to the right of your brake booster. I'm taking a long, small screwdriver, to see if I can poke a hole in it from here. I may end up having to move the box anyway. squeaking of plastic on plastic Now what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna take this screwdriver out, I'm gonna take a couple of bigger size ones, and I'm gonna make that hole bigger. What we don't want to do, is we don't want to just go jump up to a huge screwdriver to make that hole, 'cause we'd take a chance of pushing the grommet out. squeaking of plastic on plastic So there's gonna be two grommets under the dash. They'll be one lower; you're going to go to the one above it. It's gonna be to the left side of your brake pedal. Now what we're gonna do is we're gonna try and get my white wire, or my black, either one, through both holes to the inside. And then I can take my other wire and tape it to it, and that'll allow me to pull the other one in. Now from the inside, what I'm gonna do is I'm going to take an air line tube, and I'm gonna push it through that hole, which will allow me to bring my wires in. And it may be easier if you have someone on the outside that can tell you where you're, if you're close to the outside hole. voices in background So I'm gonna take my air line tube, tape my wires to it, and then we can pull them inside the vehicle. plastic tapping sound You're gonna have a little connector; it's gonna come like this. You want to make sure that this lid is open; we're gonna turn it, face it down. You're gonna have six colored wires. We can start at either end. I'm gonna start from the right end, if we're looking at it. The very end one, we're not gonna use. We're gonna go to the second one in, we're gonna insert the red one. The next one, we're gonna insert the black one. Next, this is gonna be blue. sniffing noise Next will be brown, and green. And then last will be white. And then our very end one, again on each end, is gonna be open. So if you'll notice the ends, they need to come all the way up to the edge of this connector here. Once you get them in where they're going to stay you can close this lid down, and snap it into place. Once we have our black and our white wire ran through the firewall, next we need to find our brake signal for our wire to connect to. Since we can't tap into the brake light switch on the brake pedal, driver's side kick panel, right above it, you're gonna have a plastic block and it has a bunch of different factory wires going into it. What you're gonna do is you're going to follow it all the way to the top, the plug all the way to the right side, which is gonna be the closest one to the firewall. You're gonna find the green wire with a white stripe. Kit's gonna come with a quick splice connector. You're gonna take a piece of wire and you need to attach the quick splice connector onto the green wire with the white stripe and add a length of whatever color wire you're going to use. I'm using red wire because we're going to be using, or tapping into, the red wire on the brake controller itself. Now if we're using an adapter. Adapter doesn't come with your kit; you can find it here at etrailer. On the end, you're gonna have four wires: black, blue, red, and white. We're gonna take the black and blue, and red and white. They should be stripped back. You're gonna get butt connectors in your kit; we're gonna add one on to each end. pliers being set down We're gonna take our black wire that we ran through the firewall, we're gonna cut it down, clipping sound strip back the end. plastic tapping We're gonna add it to the black wire on our adapter plug. clipping sound We're gonna do that same thing, white to blue and red to red. For my white wire, this is gonna be my ground. I need to extend it, so I can ground it somewhere, either behind this panel or up on the firewall to a metal surface. I'm gonna use the extra wire that we cut off; you can use the black or the white, it doesn't really matter. I cut a little hole in the plastic to get to the metal part of the firewall. So my ground wire, tapping on Plastic there's a bunch of plastic here, and I wasn't able to get over into this side, so what I did is I cut a hole in it, removed the backing, so I can get to the metal surface of the firewall. Add in my ring terminal, self-tapper, and grounded my wire right to the body. Now I'm gonna take my control unit connect it into the end of the plug that we just did all of our wiring on. This is gonna have to be mounted to a solid surface. You want to make sure you don't zip tie it to any factory wiring. Think what I'm gonna do, scratching sound I'm gonna mount it right up here on the kick panel. Now there's a couple ways you can do this. It's gonna come with a couple of self-tappers, or it's gonna come with two-sided sticky tape. I am going to use the two-sided sticky tape, just in case customer decides they want to move it to a different location. Now, one thing you gotta keep in mind is where you're gonna be mounting the actual controller itself. I'm gonna be mounting mine, um, it's gonna be closer to the, to the driver's door. So if you are going to be mounting your controller more towards the center of the dash, you might want to test it, make sure that everything's gonna reach, before you would mount this over here. paper ripping off sticky tape I'm gonna make sure that end right there is facing the direction wherever you're gonna be mounting your actual controller itself. Get this up here as high as we can get it, clipping sound take our actual controller, get it plugged into the end. tapping as piece plugged in Next you're gonna mount my controller right here. Now, it's gonna come with two different ways to mount this as well. You've got the two-sided sticky tape, or it has an actual mounting plate that you would drill into the dash. I'm not gonna drill it into the dash just in case the customer wants to move it later. Stick it right on the back, make sure wherever you're gonna be sticking it, if you're using the two-sided tape, that it's clean. I'm just gonna take my wire, I'm gonna tuck it right in back behind this panel right here. Once I get it all the way tucked in, all the way down underneath the dash, and I can kind of clean up everything else and zip tie that to some factory wiring. And we're gonna take a 10-millimeter socket. I'm going to loosen this, this is our positive post, or drump post. metal taps And then connect my two black wires. ratcheting Once we get those off, we'll go ahead and test out our brake controller and then we can start putting everything back together. Now we'll test it out. voices in background We have lights, which means we have power. Now we're gonna test our seven-volt plug, to make sure it's connecting with our brake controller. Left turn, right turn, brakes, running lights, brake controller. That's gonna do it for a look at an installation on the Curt Spectrum brake controller, along with the ETBC7, on 2020 Chrysler Pacifica..
Customer Satisfaction Score:
93% were satisfied with this product
7% of customers were not satisfied
Ratings & Reviews
Nice little unit. Really like the fact you only have the control knob showing. Was hoping it was small enough to fit in extra spot on Tundra next to the traction control button. Was a little large but found a great out of the way really factory looking spot for it. Have not had a chance to hook up trailer yet but as far as install goes it was super easy using the pigtail plug. True plug and play. Instructions were very easy to read and understand.
Works well, Only annoying thing is that without a trailer connected 2 led come on every time you hit the brake. Looks great on dash, kinda looks like OEM if you take the time to do a nice installation. Like the fact that the main module is hidden.
Was an easy install for my 2018 Grand Cherokee with the addition of the specific cable adapter.
I was able to secure the main unit under the dash on-top of the diagnostic port bracket and then run the wire for the dial up the drivers side of the dash so that it is concealed once the door is closed. The dial now sits on-top of the left side of the dash by the windshield pillar. I wanted to make this a temporary install incase I traded the truck in the near future.
I have not hooked up a trailer yet so can not give a review on how well it works.
Decided I wanted a high quality brake controller without the clunky box on the dash and this seemed like the best out there. Super easy install. I bought the extra cable for my Silverado and it all plugged in perfectly. I saw somebody complain about tiny connectors. Don't listen to them. This thing is excellent and the quality is clearly top tier. The set up was a breeze and on our first trip out I got it dialed in with no problems. Works better than my previous controller by far.
Purchased this controller for use on my 2017 Toyota Tundra. It looks great after the install. I took a couple of hours to get it in from box opening to completion (with frequent distractions from children) but the manual was great and installation went smoothly. To clarify the issue with the blue lights I’ve seen as a complaint. When you start the car, it goes through it’s calibration procedure. If no trailer is attached, it blinks the two blue LEDs for a bit saying no trailer is detected. If you touch the brake pedals those blinking lights turn off. While you’re driving no lights are on. Then, every time you push the brakes the two blue LEDs turn on while the brake pedal is depressed to say you’re braking and it doesn’t detect a trailer. Honestly, I’m glad for those lights because if my trailer was connected and I saw those lights while braking I’d know there was something wrong with the connection. I put my unit directly to the left of the steering wheel so I’ll only see the lights when I lean over and look yet it’s easily accessible while in the drivers seat. Everyone was telling me to grab a P2 or P3, I’m glad I didn’t listen. This is nicely out of the way, easily accessible, clean and simple, and very capable unit with all the necessary capabilities one needs in a brake controller.
I installed this unit on my 2015 Chevy Colorado yesterday and all went pretty well thanks to a online install video. I have not hooked it up to a trailer yet so I can not give a review on how well it works. I would have given this five stars except I was forced to use the two sided tape mounting system after drilling an additional hole in my dash for the bolt on install. I discovered that there is not enough room for the wires behind the knob to snap into the bolt on mounting ring. Great service and fast delivery from etrailer; five stars for them all the way.
Etrailer.com - Awesome! Excellent customer service. Have dealt with them many times, Knowledgeable, Friendly and Helpful, great products at competitive prices. Highly Recommend.
Curt Spectrum - Neat and clean, straight forward installation. Just make sure the wires to the plug connector are fully seated to the plug connector. Custom wire adapter makes installation plug and play. Picture is 2017 Silverado 1500.
The installation went very quickly and the end result was very satisfying. The location of the switch on the dashboard makes it hard to spot as an aftermarket add on. The whole installation took 1 hour start to finish. I can't wait to tow a trailer so that I can get the Cuurt Spectrum Brake Controller calibrated and dialed in. Thanks etrailer! Thank Curt!
Honda Ridgeline 2019 Install
Plan to tow an RPOD 195 Travel Trailer as soon as I pick it up
Simple Installation
Didn't need to remove dash to install, as free space behind this location.
Knob on lower left of Dash.
Module Tie Wrapped to the Parking Brake Bracket under the Dash.
Used the C51392 Wiring adapter to connect the Brake Controller to the Truck.
Pictures of Dash Install only.
Haven't functionally tested yet as I am waiting on Delivery of the Trailer.
Wife needed a trailer brake controller for her 2019 Suburban and chose this one over a similar Australian one as this looked more sturdy. Controls are simple and easy for the wife to use. Took more time to get the dash apart than it did to install. I also used Curt's vehicle specific pigtail to super-simplify the installation.
Everything installed great. The overall look of the knob if excellent. The direct plug in to the Ford OEM brake plug is excellent. Have not towed anything yet.
P.S.: The screw-in base with well nut - which is the more secure option (not the adhesive option) for the knob... the screw prevents the knob from seating perfectly square... the base bottoms out just slightly on the screw. It does click in, the screw is a very flat pan head... perhaps there is a flatter screw or the there is more space in the knob undercarriage, but another 1/16" of space probably gets it just right. If the seating gets weird (i.e in cold weather may shrink cause plastic to contract slightly and lose seating, I can always use a machine screw and nut washer to clean it up... plenty of space to access the fastener from mounting place. 2008 Ford Expedition.
Great product. Easy install in under 45 minutes to integrate into factory OEM harness. 2017 Land Ro er Discovery Sport with factory trailer tow package will be plug and play with this controller, and Curt custom wiring Adapter C51322. The factory brake controller integration harness is directly behind the OBDII connector on the driver’s side. Everything else is in place. Note: your factory OEM tow connection MUST be dealer activated in your vehicle. Without that activation, the body controller will not pass power to the brake module.
There is ample space inside the dash on the left side, behind the left knee bolster to place the control module in a securable and protected location. This requires only 3 easy to remove panels, and 2 screws to reach. If oriented properly, the DIP switches are accessible in future by removing the dash side panel (zero tools required).
There are multiple locations for the control knob. The look and style of the control knob fits perfectly with the design of the interior. Love the ability to use a drill or no-drill installation method.
We haul our Forrest River travel trailer with this vehicle and previously used a time-based controller that “fought” with the vehicle’s integrated trailer stability control and anti-sway detection. This controller has solved this issue and gives complete control while integrating seamlessly with factory stability systems.
Even with the output or sensitivity at high levels, this system still works perfectly with the vehicle trailer stability control. This was a vast improvement over our old time-based controller.
Great function and fantastic look. For a non-OEM product, this truly does have an OEM look, function and ease of installation. Curt did a great job with this.
My only nit is that both Curt and etrailer do not recognize the factory connection adapter harness as an option on the Discovery Sport. TIP: If you select the Land Rover Evoque (shares the same platform as the Discovery Sport) the options become correct for your Discovery Sport as far as factory adapter harnesses.
Super fast delivery. Would be better if drop-ship items included an actual tracking number instead of only the user login web based tracking option. The web based tracking required logging in to monitor for delivery times. Some kind of automated text or email shipping updates for drop-ship items would make a great buying experience into a fantastic one.
Worked well in my Infiniti 2017 QX60 but install was not that easy.
First unlike other etrailer products, I could not find an install video for my car. For other Infiniti owners out there, the brake controller connector is located along the wiring harness connected to the OBD connector. You cannot see it as it is lightly taped up, you just need to feel for it and pull it down. Secondly it is *capped*. The cap looks very much like the plug itself so don't be confused. Remove the cap and you can install. Make sure you get the right Curt adapter for your car.
Secondly the install requires the user to insert the crimped controller wires into a connector for control module. There are videos on how to do this however it did not go as easy as shown. Maybe I had a defective part, but there is clearly only one way to insert the wires but I had to insert with significant force to get them in all the way.
Once installed the unit worked fine with my 3,800lb RV trailer. A few nits: Occasionally the control knob will leave as one of its lights on after the car is turned off. Its happens occasionally and can be reset by pushing the brakes again but seems like a bug? Also the knob will *always* light up if you press the brakes even if you do not have a trailer attached. There is no way to turn this feature off and can be kinda annoying if you do not tow that much.
Overall, works as advertised and like how it can be tucked away, but wish the install was better explained for my vehicle and didn't bother if there was no trailer attached.
I chose this controller as the main module fits out of sight and does not have to be aligned or leveled. I attached it to the parking brake bracket on our Pilot. The LED rotary control knob fits nicely on the dash and after inserting the cable through a small hole in the dash, connecting the plug was simple with the pins that were attached to the cable. What was confusing was the instructions do not mention there are two base plates - one for adhesive mounting to the dash and the other for drill mounting (what I did). I tried to snap the rotary knob into the base plate I mounted, but it would not fit. I found out that the rotary knob actually comes with the adhesive mount already attached and you have to use a small screw driver to pry it off so you can use the other base plate. Luckily Curt has an installation video on their web site that showed removing the adhesive plate. I generally do not start taking apart precision gear without some hint of what should be done. Curt also has a custom cable that plugs into this unit and the port on my Pilot.
When I get our trailer I will be able to review the performance of this controller.
I really like the finished look of this controller after it is installed (see before and after pictures attached)! I also like being able to finely tune it to my need using the power output and sensitivity adjustments. I do have a minor issue with connecting a trailer to my 2020 Jeep Gladiator, though. If I connect the trailer while the engine is running, the electronic stability control and engine start/stop services on the truck disable themselves. Turning the ignition all the way off an on again resolves the issue, as does having the engine off when I connect the trailer. Aside from that minor inconvenience, this controller works admirably and I would buy it for other vehicles.
Installing was simple with the adapter for factory wiring. The most difficult part was identifying the location for the knob and taking the dash apart to install it properly. The finished appearance is clean and the only visible aspect of the entire system is the control knob.
With the sensitivity and power controls on mid-level, the trailer tires were skidding on quick stops. Tuning the settings to have less sensitivity and less power quickly corrected that issue. I am quite happy with this controller!
This controller is a really good concept but kind of challenging to get dialed in correctly for each load. When braking in a straight line it performs as expected but when braking while turning or on bumpy roads it often times surges the brakes making them lock up.
I have been using this product for 1 year and am now figuring out ways to work around the surges. Best way I've found is to keep the sensitivity on high and only adjust the power setting.
The 4 star rating on this product is for how small and sleek the adjustment knob is vs standard brake controllers installed In the dash it feels almost factory.
Install took about 5 -10 minutes
Overall I am happy with this purchace
it's just not quite as user friendly as I'd hoped.
I ordered the Curt Spectrum trailer brake controller after much research. I was looking for a brake controller with a clean looking install (I didn't want an underdash mount) for my 2020 Chevy Blazer. My Blazer had the tow package from the factory which made the install fairly easy. All the wiring for a brake controller is there behind the driver side kick panels. The Curt Spectrum once installed and adjusted works flawlessly. Just follow the enclosed instructions to adjust the Spectrum for the load you are hauling. I could not be any more pleased with the way this product works and highly recommend the Curt Spectrum brake for your auxiliary braking needs.
I bought this because I wanted a factory look. This was easy to install and looks great. You have to learn what the different colors and settings do but it’s not that difficult. Overall I am very happy with this brake controller.
The compact remote control knob feature is a good plus for this product. Installation was really easy with the interface harness on the second generation Tacoma. I haven't had a lot of towing time with it but can offer the following insight.
The control lights are easy to use and adjust. They appear to be dimmed with pulse width modulation so if your eyes are sensitive to it you might look at one before you buy. Hopefully they can go PWM-free at some point. The "white" color lamps appear as a mix of flashing red green and blue. Indicator lights are plenty bright in the daytime but the lowest dim setting is too bright. Perhaps this was done to minimize the PWM flashing at the dim setting. I had to locate the knob in the shadow of the steering wheel to keep the light out of my eyes at night.
I've also noticed a single artifact light on many occasions after brake release (see pictures). So far the lamp color has been red, green, and blue however I have not yet seen a "white" one. One of these lights often come up in random positions on the dial. This lamp will continue to burn after I get out of the truck, and won't go out until I press the brake pedal again or push the knob. If I push the knob the output or sensitivity adjustment mode arc comes up briefly and it goes out after a bit (as it's supposed to). OEM brake control harness and grounding were sound with typical resistances around a milliohm or less.
This controller is a considerable parasitic draw on the battery even with the lamps out and the ignition switch off. This could be an issue particularly if an artifact light is not noticed and the truck sits for more than a week(which mine sometimes does). A depleted battery made me look into this with a Fluke ammeter. You might consider pulling the fuse if the truck will sit or hook up a trickle charger.
I tried to make contact with the manufacturer to see if they had any free convection requirements for air flow around the main module (air cooling at 100% duty cycle), and to understand what is going on with the controller and if there was something that could be done to fix the lights, perhaps a firmware update or something but never got any replies. The folks at etrailer maintained good communication and were excellent to work with but I don't feel the manufacturer is willing to support their product. This could be an excellent product if they can address these issues.
2019 Honda Ridgeline RTL AWD—
The Curt Spectrum C51170 controller and harness C51392 was exactly as I had read it would be! All connections hooked up as described and all connectors fit! The knob works as described but I have yet to hook up trailer to get response from the accelerometer! I’m sure the quality shown it will work fine! Only problem I had was access under the dash. Thanks Bill and etrailer! Pictures attached!
I knew I wanted to have something like this due to the look, function and size. The package was small. Installed pretty easily with minimal headaches. I just watched the videos online to see how others did it and how to steer away from making damaging mistakes. The booklet was also very helpful to make everything fit as it should while putting the steps in order.
As I pull a trailer 90% of the time, I wanted something to have the easy manipulation for the brakes yet have an aesthetically pleasing look. This does just that. Brakes on one setting. Adjustable on two other settings. Very quick.
Although I did have to play with the settings to make sure it wasn’t jerking me in my seat every time I pushed the brake pedal, after a day, smooth sailing.
I do recommend you seriously think about this brake controller. Ease of install and the application is perfect.
This is my 2nd purchase of Curt spectrum brake control. When installing the first device, I accidentally broke one of the 6 wires (wiring the plug connector to the led display knob). I tried to fix it but it didn't work for long. That's why I had to order a 2nd device. For the installation of the 2nd, I was very meticulous because the 6 wires are very fragile. I succeeded by taking my time and everything works very well. The Curt company would do well to manufacture this device more robustly. For looks, it's ok in my 2019 Honda Passport.
Ceci est mon 2e achat de Curt spectrum brake control. Lors de l'installation du premier appareil, j'ai par accident brisé un des 6 fils (wiring the plug connector to the led display knob). J'ai tenté de le réparer mais il n'a pas fonctionné longtemps. C'est pourquoi j'ai dû commander un 2e appareil. Pour la pose du 2e, j'ai été très minutieux car les 6 fils sont très fragiles. J'ai réussi en prenant mon temps et le tout fonctionne très bien. La compagnie Curt aurait intérêt à fabriquer cet appareil de façon plus robuste. Pour l'apparence ,c'est ok dans mon Honda Passport 2019.
After knocking my knee into my brake control for the last 20 years with the new GMC Savana I wanted something a little different. Technology has moved trailer brakes forward quite a bit and Etrailer has an immense amount of information!
I original looked at the Tekonsha Prodigy RF Wireless Trailer Brake Controller but it would take up a valuable power outlet with the control unit but it's kind of trailer specific as the control mounts to the trailer you never know when you might have to tow another trailer and was leery of the control wandering around the console, Next up was the Redarc Tow-Pro Elite Trailer Brake Controller but did not like the control mounting options. Then ran across the Tuson DirecLink Lite Trailer Brake Controller crazy amounts of technology in this unit but again concerns over the remote so after lots of head scratching the Curt Spectrum seemed like the best choice. Easy install very small control box mounted easily with the included double stick tape under the dash. I moved my traction control button to the left where a blank filler was you have to cut a little piece of it off to get it into the hole as the are "keyed" to specific locations I guess but worked perfectly! I left enough slack in the connection so I can simply disconnect the harness if I am not towing for awhile as the blue indicator lights come on every time you hit the brake if its disconnected. Just installed it so I will send an update after our first trip with the new rig but I'm thinking it will work as described. Thanks again etrailer fast shipping great information!!!!
Fast shipping,excellent price. Videos for everything they sell,how to install, reviews, how to use. Everything I have bought from e trailer has exceeded my expectations.
The instructions were clear and the cable fit perfectly in my 2019 Q7, even though the website said it would not fit. Which is a good thing because my local Audi dealership said they didn't know how when I asked them to install the brake controller. So I went home and did it myself.
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