How to Install: Tekonsha Plug-In Wiring Adapter for Electric Brake Controllers on your 2004 Ford Van
How to Set Up Your Tekonsha Plug-In Wiring Adapter for Electric Brake Controllers on a 2004 Ford Van
A lot of controllers have come and gone over the years, but the P3 remains one of the most reliable. It might not have a ton of new-fangled features, but it always gets the job done. And we love how easy it is to customize, adjust, and save settings.
Features:
Specs:
Braking output is the maximum amount of power that will be applied to your trailer's brakes. How much braking output you need is determined by the weight of your trailer; a heavier trailer will need more power to bring it to a stop. Use the arrow buttons on the front of the module to set the output. You want to set the braking output as high as you can without locking up the brakes. Once you've set up the brake controller the first time, you shouldn't need to adjust this setting unless the trailer load changes, you switch trailers, or road conditions change. The LCD display will show the current output setting being used.
The boost setting controls the aggressiveness of your trailer's braking, meaning how quickly the brakes reach the maximum braking level. You can adjust this when you're towing heavy loads and you need more umph to bring your trailer to a stop. Your tow vehicle doesn't need that much power to brake in time, but your heavy trailer does.
Depending on the level of boost, your trailer brakes can start at either 13 percent or 25 percent of the set braking output. What this means is that, instead of starting at 0, the brakes will start at 25 percent and get to100 percent sooner. This keeps the trailer from pushing your tow vehicle forward.
If your trailer weighs less than your tow vehicle, no boost is needed. But, if you want your trailer to lead the braking, you can select level B1.
Boost Levels:
| Approximate Gross Trailer Weight | Boost Level | Increase in Initial Power Output |
|---|---|---|
| Less than tow vehicle GVW | B1 | 13% |
| Equal to tow vehicle GVW | B1 or B2 | 13% or 25% |
| Up to 25% more than tow vehicle GVW | B2 or B3* | 25% |
| Up to 40% more than tow vehicle GVW | B3* | 25% |
*Both B2 and B3 offer a 25-percent boost in initial power. But the braking curve for B3 is more aggressive than that of B2. This means that, even though you will start out with the same intensity when using these boost levels, you will get an overall more aggressive braking experience with the higher level. So if you use B3, you will reach maximum braking sooner than if you use B2.
Storable Settings
Customize the P3 and store your settings so that you can easily access them later. If you tow multiple trailers, or the same one but with differing loads, store the desired boost and power levels for each so that you don't have to completely reset the controller every time you switch between trailers. It's easy to swap between drivers as well. Program the P3 display with your desired screen color, brightness, and language, and you can easily return it to your preferred settings the next time you tow.
The P3's LCD display features a distinctive look with multiple color and contrast options. With lots of customized options, you can change the display to make it easy for you to see and check your braking status at a glance.
It also includes comprehensible and detailed roadside diagnostics. The P3 advanced diagnostics not only notify you of potential problems, but they can also tell you where to begin troubleshooting.
Diagnostic troubleshooting displays include:
Diagnostic warning signs include:
Safety Features
The Prodigy P3 offers advanced safety features to prevent damage to various components of your towing setup. Integrated reverse battery protection shields the brake controller and your trailer's breakaway system from shorts. When the P3 is not in use, it will be in power-saving mode. In this setting, it draws only 3.6 milliamps, minimizing drain on your vehicle's battery.
The P3 also comes equipped with a hold feature to prevent wear on your brakes. When you're waiting at a red light, you don't need your trailer brakes on at full power. The longer you sit there, the more they will overheat. But with the P3, any time your tow vehicle and trailer are at a standstill with the brakes applied for more than 5 seconds, the hold feature will kick on and reduce power to just 25 percent. This will keep your trailer in place while saving your brakes.
The P3 keeps the manual override within easy reach, great for stopping sway or controlling your trailer's momentum in emergencies. To engage the manual override, just twist the rotary-style lever from right to left. This will activate the trailer's brakes and brake lights without you having to apply the brakes on your tow vehicle, perfect for limiting trailer movement while you're cruising.
The self-leveling feature of the P3 ensures that the brake controller continues to function even as you drive up steep hills or through the mountains. Simply mount it in your cab at any vertical angle, and the controller will level itself automatically thanks to its 360-degree rotational range. This makes the installation that much easier. But keep in mind that the P3 must be horizontally level and parallel with the direction of travel to work correctly.
Installation is a snap. After mounting the P3 unit in your cab using the included bracket, just plug the included harness directly into your vehicle. The other end plugs into the brake controller. To remove the P3 for storage when you're not using it, just unplug the unit and slide it out of the bracket. With a replacement wiring harness (sold separately) and replacement bracket (TK5906 - sold separately), you can even transfer the Prodigy P3 to another vehicle.
Note: If you don't already have a 7-way plug at the back of your vehicle, take a look at our exclusive 7- and 4-way brake controller installation kit (ETBC7 - sold separately).
The Tekonsha Prodigy P3 brake controller comes equipped with proportional braking to give you the best towing experience. Proportional braking means that your trailer brakes mimic your tow vehicle's brakes. If you slam on the brakes in your vehicle, your trailer brakes will activate with the same intensity; if you brake lightly, your trailer brakes lightly too. The trailer's braking is in proportion to your vehicle's braking. This saves wear and tear on the tires and the brakes on both your vehicle and trailer.
The Prodigy P3 uses an internal inertia sensor to detect how your vehicle is braking so it can send the right amount of braking power to your trailer. It measures the inertia of your tow vehicle and activates the trailer's brakes to slow at the same rate. The result is uniform braking across your towing setup. No push-pull action - just smooth, proportional braking every time.
Alternate Instructions
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Today on this 2004 Ford Van, we're going to install part number 90885 from Tekonsha. This is a Prodigy P2 Brake Controller. Now alos, we're going to use part number ETBC7 to install this. We're going to start off with that part number first. We'll take the 4 pole to 7 pole adapter, and we're going to attach it to the gray cable that comes with the kit. We're going to connect the black and white wires to our blue and black wires on the adapter.
We'll go ahead and cut the sheath back on the cable, and we're going to match up the colors as follows. Black to black, and white to blue. Then we'll go ahead and tape the assembly together and then add some loom to it to help cover it up. Now we'll install the bracket for the 7 pole adapter. The hitch already has a bracket installed on it, so our 7 pole bracket will go right to it. We'll use the supplied hardware to make our attachment.
Now we're going to take our wire assembly, and we'll go ahead an attach it to our bracket. After we have our 7 pole connector decked to the bracket, we'll go ahead and take the 4 pole and connect it to the preexisting 4 pole on the van. We'll go ahead and apply some dielectric grease to the contacts before I plug it together. The grease will be part number 11755. We'll plug two 4 poles together, and then use some tape and a zip tie to help make it a semi-permanent connection. Then we'll run our wires over the hitch, and then we'll go ahead and find a location to attach our ground.
Our ground will be the white wire at the ring terminal, so we're going to attach that to the frame. Now you notice on this wire harness, this has a purple wire. This is typically used to reverse light function. In this case, the trailer that the van will be paired with does not have reverse lights, so it will not be hooked up. Now we'll go ahead and start running our gray cable up towards the front of the vehicle. We're going to run it on the inside edge of the frame using zip ties to help secure it in place as we go up towards the front of the vehicle and up into the engine compartment.
Now to help us pull the wire through the engine compartment, we're going to be using a piece of airline tubing. Now this also could be a fish tape wire, or any other sturdy piece of wire that you can bend as needed. Once we pull up all our excess slack, we'll go ahead and take our wires and cut away the sheath. We'll go back as far as possible and remove the sheath. We'll set our white wire aside for now. That will eventually be ran inside the cabin. Then find a location for our circuit breaker. We'll go ahead and mount the circuit breaker to the sheet metal. Now the circuit breaker we're using is a 40 amp circuit breaker. Once we have it mounted up, we can go ahead an attach our wires. We'll use the provided ring terminals in the ETBC7 kit to make our connections to the circuit breaker, and also to the power distribution box. We'll attach our first wire that goes out to the 7 pole connector to the silver post. Now our wire going to the power supply box will go to the copper post. With those connections made, we can go ahead and turn our attention to the white wire. Once again, we're going to go ahead and use our red airline tubing to help pull the wires from the inside out. Go inside the vehicle, and behind the pedals there's a grommet we'll use to pull our wire through. We'll make a small cut in the grommet with a knife, and then poke our airline tube through. We'll pull it out underneath the hood, and then connect our white wire to it using some tape, then pull it on back through. We'll cut off our excess and leave it alone for now. Now the plug into our port we'll be using part number 3035-P. Now in our adapter cord, we're going to cut the blue wire. We're going to connect the blue wire to our white wire going out back to our 7 volt connector. We'll use the supplied buck connector for that. Then we'll use the tote package to take care of the rest of our connections. We'll plug it into place, since the tote package takes care of the 12 volt power supply and the brake signal. Next we'll find a location for our bracket for our spray controller. There's a small metal bracket underneath the dash towards the right hand side. We'll take our bracket, and using a couple of sheet metal screws, we'll go ahead and attach it. Once that's complete, we'll go back to our adapter cord and plug it to the back of the Prodigy brake controller. We'll plug the 2 together, and then attach it to the bracket. While we're doing it, you can see where we have power going to the brake controller. With our brake controller firmly attached to the bracket, we'll go ahead and zip tie our wires underneath to make sure everything is safe and secure. With everything hooked up and running, let's go ahead and try it out. We'll go ahead and plug our trailer into the back of the van, and you can see before we plug it in, we have NC for no connection. When we plug in the trailer, we'll have a C for connection. Next we'll move the manual override over, and you can see how the numbers count up. That lets us know if it's sending power out to the trailer. We'll also hit the brake pedal, and we should get a small number. In this case, we're on 2, but it lets us know that the brake signal's working and going to the brake controller. With that, that'll finish it for our install of part number 90885, the Prodigy P2 Brake Controller, our ETBC7 kit, and the adapter cord on our 2004 Ford van. .
Average Customer Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars (4 Customer Reviews)
A lot of controllers have come and gone over the years, but the P3 remains one of the most reliable. It might not have a ton of new-fangled features, but it always gets the job done. And we love how easy it is to customize, adjust, and save settings.
I purchased and installed the P3 controller in a 2018 Toyota Highlander XLE after reading many great reviews about it. Wanted a hard wired controller vs. wireless because a brake controller is too important to run over an unreliable wireless connection. Having an IT background I know how unpredictable wireless connections can be. Installation was fairly easy, the hardest part was running a few wires through the firewall of the vehicle.
A few notes, the installation of the actual controller under the steering wheel area was a little difficult because of the design of the mounting bracket. This could be designed better for easier installation. Also, I got a pre-collision warning on my instrument cluster whenever the brake controller was activated. To fix this I had to solder a 1 amp diode on the red cable, which I protected with heat shrink. I reached out to tech support about this error and they were very helpful talking me through a solution.
I like the adjustment capabilities of the controller. I have been able to adjust it so the brakes don't grab when stopping slowly. I really like the manual slide for activating the brakes. This has been very useful for applying brakes on the trailer in a few critical braking moments. The manual lever is also very useful for checking the brakes after connecting the trailer to make sure they are working correctly. I also like that the display shows the level of braking that's applied to the trailer. The color of the back-lit display can also be adjusted to match the vehicle's displays. I definitely recommend this brake controller.
This controller replaced a 20 year old Tekonsha controller on my 2001 Chevy 2500HD that had failed. The Tekonsha P3 is a much better controller…. advances in technology I guess. The operation of the trailer brakes very closely matches the operation of the truck brakes now. Setup was quick and easy. Minor adjustments for load are simple as well. I have recommended this unit to a family member. Great product.
I am excited to tell you about my experience when I needed to return my Prodigy P3. After 3 years of "flawless" service my brake controller developed a problem. I called to E-Trailer, where I purchased the Prodigy P3, and was informed by Korren that the Prodigy P3 has a lifetime warranty and that I could send in to get a free repair, or to get it replaced. The Prodigy P3 is one of the Best brake controllers on the market and E-Trailer's super service and helpful people saved the day when I needed help. I look forward to many years of service from my new Prodigy P3 and will continue to buy from, and recommend, E-Trailer!
Prior model was a Curt wireless and it was terrible no matter what i did causing the trailer to brake violently. Basis past experience i decided to go with a Tekonsha. Great Choice! This unit works flawless so far pulling our Minnie Winnie with our Tacoma. Highly recommend this unit.
This controller works great with my electric over hydraulic disc brakes on my fifth wheel camper. I tow with a 2015 3500 Chevrolet dually and the factory controller just would not work well even with the additional equipment required. I bypassed the factory controller and installed this one and it works great.
Received my brake controller and installed it right away. The installation was easy .simple plug and play easy to adjust .I tow a travel trailer and it worked great
This was a very easy installation of the hitch, wiring harness and trailer brake. Less than 2 hours with some help from my wife. All of the electrical was plug-n-play. I'm sure doing it myself (with help from [online]) saved me a lot of money.
First, a huge "Thank You" to Janice!!! You are the best, and the main reason I am the proud owner of Tekonsha P3 Brake Controller! (see, I initially had an issue with my standard online payment service and almost canceled my order because of it) So I went old school and picked up the phone, one with a cord and spoke to a human being. Her name is Janice, and she made me feel confident that I could trust her and etrailer. And as a result, 4 days after placing my order with her I received my package. That's incredible. I am very happy and will most certainly do business with etrailer again in the future because of Janice.
I don't have any experience with brake controllers. So I can't really comment on how much better or worse this one is to any others. But since I am new to the B/C scene maybe this can be considered an unbiased, non professional review of the Tekonsha P3.
My general skill level is "requires supervision around all power tools". But I do have some mechanical ability (snicker). So I will just say, if I could install this thing anyone should be able to do it. Of course I also bought the OEM wiring harness for my vehicle so even I was able to figure out which plug went where. On A scale of 1 to 10 I give it a 3 (I'm somewhat large and getting under the dash wasn't easy or it would be a 1). And as others have said, deciding where to mount it actually took longer.
I attached mine to the top of the lower dash cowl and it fits almost tight to the dash but still within the 180 degree limit. This positions the controller at the same height as my knee and puts it within fingertip reach while resting my hand on my knee. I can see the controller perfectly through the steering wheel spokes. I went with the green screen background. it seemed to provide the best view in all lighting conditions.
The controller itself works perfectly and the set-up was a breeze. Once installed all the functions worked as described. The real time vehicle diagnostics are a plus. I like being able to monitor my battery voltage to the decimal place if I want to. I'm sort of a techno geek so this is really cool. I set the B/C voltage per the instructions and will only use the boost feature if I am in a hurry or feel the trailer is at max load, but my truck is 8k lbs so you may want to set yours to suit your own conditions.
I highly recommend the Tekonsha P3 brake Controller if you want the latest and probably the best controller out there in this price range. I highly recommend the OEM wiring harness if your skills are not pit crew comprable and want the easiest install possible. And, I highly recommend you buy it from etrailer if you want to get it at the best price available (I checked them all) and want the added security you're buying from one of the best online retailers that sells this product. And do yourself a favor, go old school for a change, use the phone and call them, and ask for Janice, although I'm willing to bet everyone there is as nice as her.
Rob
Installed this on my GMC 3500 Duramax with factory integrated brake controller. Not happy with the integrated brake controller on my truck, had problems from the start on 3 different occasions with "Service Trailer Brake" warning on DIC, which of course means NO TRAILER BRAKES. Decided the P3 was the perfect solution. Many more features than the IBC, plus the P3 will also work with electric over hydraulic disc brakes should we ever need that in the future. Fairly easy install on this particular truck, the most difficult thing was running the brake wire from the controller to the 7-pin plug. (This is only required when installing in a vehicle with a factory installed brake control) Well worth the extra effort.
I had to build a custom bracket for the controller mount since the X is limited in under dash metal but the install went well. The 7 pin trailer harness is a factory Nissan part (plug and play) , but since the receiver does not have the any mounting brackets, I positioned the 7 pin connector up and out of the way of harm by drilling and flush mounting it in the rear bumper. Thanks for carrying products relevant to your customer's needs and having products that work right. I have attached some pics from the finished install. I will be ordering accessories as I need them from your company as you have always been prompt, thorough and very courteous in all of your correspondence.
This Tekonsha Prodigy P3 was recommended to be by a friend who works at an RV dealership service center. This is my fifth trailer brake controller over a forty-year period, and my first progressive controller. I really love this controller. My truck has a factory towing package, but was manufactured prior to inclusion of integrated controllers. Since the truck has factory towing, the installation was very simple. The installation instructions were clear and complete. I would definitely recommend this controller to anyone looking for a dependable, easy to install and easy to use controller.
Installed P3 this weekend in 2013 Tundra Crewmax with towing package and pre-wire. Extremely easy, even with the center console installation. Will let the photos tell the story. Did have to combine the P3 included harness with the additional OEM harness to gain the length I needed. Plug and play with the pre-wire. Hooked up to trailer and set boost levels for varying loads. Works great! Vast improvement over older model Tekonsha controller in my Ram 2500 Diesel. Pull a Kiefer BP horse trailer: about 3600 lbs empty, 7500 with 3 quarter horses and gear. Usually pull 6-8 times per year, with only 1-2 horses. Short distance and flat terrain. It took about an hour to install. Dad is a retired USAF/FAA radar technician with every tool known to man. He QC'd the job. Will try to write better review later.
I mounted my Tekonsha P3 on the dash just to the left of the steering wheel. Has very easy access to quickly activate the lever on the bottom of the unit to apply maximum trailer brakes. But I needed a wiring harness almost double the length of the Tekonsha Wiring Adapter so I just purchased two and spliced them together to make one long one......yea I could have saved money and just sliced in longer wires....Am very happy with the Tekonsha P3, With this mount it makes it easy to disconnect and put into my Ford F150 or my Tacoma.
I have a 2018 BMW X2 that did not come with a factory tow package. I had an etrailer hitch and 4 way plug installed last year and has been perfect since. I just recently purchased a camper and needed to have a Brake controller & Brake controller 7 way deluxe kit installed. My mechanic installed them with the detailed instructions that the units came with without any issues. The Tekonsha P3 is extremely user friendly and is working flawlessly. A bit overkill for my car being I can only tow max 3500 pounds, and my camper is 1 axel. this unit is rated up to 3 axles. I look at it like this way, when I trade in my BMW I will take my P3 with me. etrailer is amazing with the support & products they provide and I highly recommend them to anyone who asks me.
Hi, I got my Item: 90195 and shipping was fast. I was able to get the break controller installed in my 2012 Cadillac Escalade Luxury using the etrailer.com video guide for a 2009 Cadillac Escalade. The install and wiring was the exact same as the video however my wires under the dash or wire bundle did not have a wiring sticker. The color of the wires were the same as in the video. This etrailer video is great and I used it to get my controller installed in about 1.5 hours. My install was trouble free.
This weekend I was able to test out the my new P3 90195 controller and get it calibrated with my 29 foot travel trailer this weekend. Used a B2 setting with 8.0 power. The user guide and instructions you get with the controller help you know what settings to use and how to set the power level.
This is my second controller as I got a P2 Tekonsha from etrailer about 4-5 years back and installed it in a 2007 trail blazer. This older 2P break controller is still working great. I have been rather happy with the quality of the Tekonsha controllers I have. I have not had to call etrailer for support or install questions but did receive a few emails from them to check in with me to ensure I got my shipment and offer me help. They do a good job supporting and responding to their customers and provide an A+ customer experience.
George J,
Wanted to write good points about your customer service and the Tekonska braking system. Included are multiple pictures of the unit installed on my VW SUV.
First off, I am not an expert in any way in installing and wiring. I had the good fortune of having Steve Kunzel, master mechanic at Westside VW in Minneapolis install the unit.(see Fig 1) The first unit sent did not function and was quickly replaced by etrailer.com at no charge. Second unit is pictured (fig 2) and works well. The trailer is used for caring dogs and gear to various dog events and hunting. The trailer weight is about 4500 pounds and the electronic braking system is necessary for good control of the SUV and trailer when braking. Thanks for all your help getting me up and running.
I was in the market for a controller for my 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and this was a great controller and the price from etrailer was very competitive with other sites. What ended-up being the deciding factor for me on where to purchase the controller was the ease-of-use of the etrailer site. They made it simple to find and compare controllers and getting the correct wiring harness for my application was easy.
In addition to the site they have outstanding customer service. The controller was shipped the day after I ordered it (on a Saturday no less) with free upgraded shipping. They even followed-up with me once the controller arrived at my house. I wish all sites had this level of customer service!
Much smoother operation than the much older brake control I was using. Excellent in the mountains.
I ordered a Draw-Tite 5535 Brake Controller & adapter cable 3035-P from etrailer for my 2011 Ford Holiday Rambler F53 Chassis RV to tow my Tow Dolly with electric brakes. I ordered the parts on Saturday and received them on Thursday using economy shipping rate which was great. I received just what I ordered and installed them today (Friday) everything worked perfect and the install was very quick and easy.
0543.jpg is my Brake Controller 5535.
0544.jpg is my Adapter Cable 3035-P.
0548.jpg is a picture of the Ford Factory cable in the RV.
0535.jpg is a picture of the end of the Ford Factory cable that the Adapter Cable 3035-P plugs into.
0550.jpg is a picture of the Brake Controller 5535 installed to the right of the steering wheel.
I ordered the trailer brake adapter harness for my 2010 full size Range Rover.
It fit great and its well made to do the swap,
for others that will read this here is how.
I found the brake connector in the truck was hidden behind the fat harness thats next to the inside left kick panel, just behind the hood release panel
By pulling on the OBD 2 wire harness, I found it was tied to the OBD harness.
Some say that the connector is on the left side of the steering column , in my truck is was on the far side of the fat harness so it was hard to see.
I had to remove the left side console, I removed the screw, then pulled the bottom of the wood panel towards the left door, the 2 pins released, then the panel slides to the rear of the truck to dislodge the top pin.
5 screws secured the lower panel , remove the lamp ,unplug it,
then remove the OBD 2 connector from its mount , slide the gray collar to the left kick panel then the harness pushes up out of its holder.
Plug in your new adapter harness for your trailer brake controller,
Assemble is the reverse of taking it apart.
in the picture the new harness is connected to the gray connector
Purchased brake controller for my 2014 Tuna. excellent order/shipping/receiving time.Received everything I needed with order in a very timely fashion. Website made it very easy to find and decide on exactly what I wanted. Etrailer will be my first choice for finding the accessories I need in the future. Purchased Tekonsha P3 brake controller and is the best thing to a factory installed controller I have encountered.
First and foremost purchasing anything from ETRAILER is easy and fast. There is always someone following up on your purchase and if there is an issue it is quickly resolved. I purchased the Prodigy 3 brake controller along with the wiring kit for my 2017 Nissan Titan SV and installed it myself with the help of the tutorials on ETRAILERS website and it was very easy to do. I will continue to shop at ETRAILER.
Multiple products which I purchased from Etrailer to upgrade my Capri Rodeo truck camper. The steps are well made, easy to setup, and extremely helpful in entering and exiting. I set them next to the door when travelling. The trailer brake controller smoothed out the jerking that was a problem for far too long and simple to install. The vent cover was definitely needed as the original had a hole in it. The removal and replacement went well.
2017 Toyota Tacoma sport with tow package installed P3 controller and wiring with the help of ESP truck accessories installation kit for P3 mount plate that replaces coin holder with no drilling of any kind pretty happy where it's located and no drilling involved it was a pretty fast install with easy to follow instructions
I would recommend anybody with a Toyota Tacoma 2016 to 2018 with this set up
The Toyota dealership didn't even know this existed with a P3 until after I showed him the photo
I'd ordered the Tekonsha Prodigy P2 Proportional Trailer Brake Controller (1 to 4 Axles ) on a Monday with a Wednesday delivery date of two days, as I'd specified. I have a Lincoln Navigator that had the factory installed heavy tow package. I had also ordered the adapter connector for Prodigy P2 controller to the Navigator's factory plugin. The entire install took me 15 minutes. I found the video review of the controller quite helpful as it demonstrated how to static set the controller's setting before drive trials and how to set the "boost" settings. Good price and very easy to install.
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