Install a 4-way trailer connector on your vehicle without cutting or splicing into your wiring. Zero-contact interface sensors identify the current flowing through each wire by simply clamping onto it. Circuit-protected module is made using SMT.
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This revolutionary wiring method makes it fast, easy, and safe to add a 4-way connector to your vehicle so you can power your trailer's lights. Unlike traditional tail light wiring harnesses, which either splice into your vehicle's wiring or plug into designated ports in your factory harness, this system bypasses your vehicle's wiring entirely. Just clamp the intuitive sensors onto the individual wires of your OEM tail light harness and let the ZCI system do the rest.
Zero-Contact Interface Sensors
Each zero-contact interface (ZCI) sensor included with this harness is able to read the current that travels through the wire it is clamped onto. Upon sensing the specific modulation of that wire, a signal can be sent along the wire that connects the sensor to the included 4-way flat trailer connector. That signal is then transmitted through the connector to activate the appropriate function on your trailer lights.
Universal, Worry-Free Design
No Splicing, Cutting, or Connecting to Factory Wiring
Because the ZCI sensors can read the signals sent through your vehicle's wires just by clamping onto them, no cutting or splicing is necessary. The system completely bypasses all of your vehicle's wiring. As a result, your trailer's lights will be powered without overloading your vehicle's electrical system. And there is no chance of damaging feedback either.
When using this ZCI harness, you don't have to worry about voiding your warranty, nor do you need to be concerned about any potentially damaging errors on your part if you're not an experienced do-it-yourselfer. And if you have a vehicle that doesn't allow certain modifications - like a leased car or truck - you can install this harness and remove it later with no obvious alteration to the vehicle.
Maximum Compatibility
This wiring harness is universal. You can use it on any vehicle that operates on a 12V, negative ground system. Because installation is so simple, you can easily remove the unit and transfer it to another car or truck at any time.
In addition, the ZCI sensors are able to read the signals sent by multiplex wiring systems and systems with pulse width modulation (PWM) and low-side-switched wiring, making the harness compatible with nearly all automotive wiring systems. This unit also works with both standard incandescent tail light bulbs and LED bulbs.
Built-In Tail Light Converter
Most trailers run on a 2-wire system - wherein the brake and turn signals are carried on a single wire. Many vehicles, however, are built with separate brake and turn signals. This type of system is referred to as a 3-wire system. If your vehicle operates on a 3-wire system, it will need to be converted so that it will be compatible with the wiring system of your trailer. This is done by adding a tail light converter to your wiring setup to combine the brake and turn signal functions of your automobile so that they run on a single wire to properly activate your trailer's tail lights.
This ZCI unit has a tail light converter built in to ensure proper functioning with any vehicle that operates on a 3-wire system. If your car has a 2-wire system and therefore does not need a converter, don't worry. The method of installing the sensors will take into account the wiring configuration of your vehicle so that only the necessary sensors are used, making sure the appropriate signals are sent back to the 4-way.
Installation
This universal harness connects to your vehicle's tail light wiring harness. To connect, just follow the included instructions. There are 4 ZCI sensors included. Each sensor has a colored label on it. Depending on your application, you will need to connect all or some of these sensors to the factory wires indicated in the instructions.
To get the power necessary to operate, the harness must be connected to a 12V power source. The included installation kit provides the hot lead required to connect this module to your car battery. When all connections have been made, connect the hot lead to the black wire on the ZCI power module and run the other end of the lead up to your car battery. Connect the hot lead to the included fuse holder, and then connect the fuse holder to the positive terminal on your battery. Then insert the included 15-amp fuse into the fuse holder.
Once installation is complete, the 4-way connector will be stowed in an out-of-the-way location either within your cargo area or beneath your vehicle, near the trailer hitch. If you choose to mount the connector near your hitch, a mounting bracket (sold separately) is recommended to keep the connector secure.
It is also recommended that you use a small amount of grease on all electrical connections on the 4-pole connector to help prevent corrosion.
Surface Mount Technology
Each ZCI wiring harness is built using surface-mount technology (SMT). This method of construction involves soldering electronic components directly to the surface of a printed circuit board. SMT eliminates the need for leads, which are used in older through-hole technology. The result is a circuit board that is smaller yet provides more routing area and that offers superior performance, reliability, and durability.
Circuit boards constructed using SMT have been shown to perform better under rough conditions with excessive vibration than those made using the through-hole method. And where would vibration be more likely to occur than in towing applications? SMT components also produce less heat, leading to increased durability and longer life. In addition, lower levels of resistance ensure better performance, especially for parts that operate at higher frequencies.
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Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (35174 Customer Reviews)
Install a 4-way trailer connector on your vehicle without cutting or splicing into your wiring. Zero-contact interface sensors identify the current flowing through each wire by simply clamping onto it. Circuit-protected module is made using SMT.
Installed on my 2017 Corvette Z06. Easy install and works great. Suggested by one of there tech’s to not void the warranty. No wires get cut or pierced. Thanks for a great product.
David1 H - 04/24/2021Wiring to the battery on my model 3 would have been a pain so I just put a small battery in the back with the module. It is really nice being able to haul a small trailer.
I was looking to add a trailer hitch and associated wiring to my Mercedes E350. When looking to have the wiring installed I was told by a large nationwide company that installs hitches that they were not able to provide wiring on Mercedes/BMW/Audi vehicles because of their sophisticated electronic systems. I next went to a local garage that installs hitches they gave me similar answer. In researching solutions I found that etrailer.com was highly recommended by several sources. With their help I found doing the installation myself fairly straightforward.
Fairly install on 2019 VW Alltrack. Ran power lead under car zip tying to keep out of the way of cv joints and exhaust routing inside of rock shield. I like the fact that no electrical connection needs to be made to vehicle lighting system such that a fault in trailer wiring causes problems to towing vehicle electrical. Just snapped the sensors over applicable lighting wiring and it works!
Product installed just fine. Very easy. Installed converter box on drivers side as the video's show. I bought a draw tight hitch and installed two weeks later then the harness. I guess if I want the harness plug installed and mounted on the hitch then the harness converter box needs to be installed on the passenger side instead. I only plan on towing a trailer and using the harness very seldom so for now I will leave it coiled up in the driver side storage. No cutting of vehicle wires so sure worth the extra price.
Thomas H - 03/03/2021Could not get this "no splice" interface to work on a 2018 Audio Q5. Used a 119147 instead and tapped into the following wires back of hatch (after running power cable into hatch from battery in trunk). Left blinker = black/blue drivers side, Right Blinker = black/blue pass side, stop light = Red/Black at center brake light, tail lamp = Gray wire pass side. Make sure hatch is closed when you probe/test wiring.
The trailer hitch and wiring assembly have worked flawlessly. After calling several local installation outfits and receiving estimates of $2,000+ I decided to install myself. I have a little mechanical experience but this was the first hitch and wiring harness for me. This is my wife's X5 so I was a little nervous about popping rivets and pulling the rear bumper cover off, but eTrailer has excellent step by step video instructions by model year. The order included replacement rivets and detailed instructions. They could not have made this any easier. I really took my time and completed the job in about 5 hours. The final install looks professional and clean. The no-splice wiring harness is amazing - worth every penny. Tools: I was able to easily pop off the existing plastics rivets, and installed the new rivets (included from eTrailer) with pliers pretty easily - you may want to borrow a plastic rivet gun from your local hardware or auto parts store. On the X5 your have to cut a small notch out of the underside of the bumper cover. I happen to have a Dremmel which worked well. You may be able to use a razor blade. The plastic is not that thick. Pictures are attached. Thanks etrailer!
Works as it should. Also effective for other uses like triggering a secondary horn or other accessory while keeping them isolated, which is why I bought a second one. With trailers lights there is a delay from the main lights but I guess that is to be expected. If there was a way to make it faster and more in sync that would be great. It is less than a second. It is just out of sync. I imagine this is just an inherent delay in the reading and activation of the circuitry.
Installed on 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with no tow package. Install was kind of a P.I.T.A. But worth doing on your own to avoid the stealership. Not too much electrical knowhow required, as the black wire on Jeep tail lights are all ground. Running the power cable was the most difficult part, and required removing the interior rear quarter panel, which I managed to break a plastic clip. Would not recommend this on a Jeep, as there is no simple way to install this on the interior of the vehicle since the tail lights are wired 100% outside of the car. I’d say skip if you are looking into this for a Jeep, and wait for an OEM trailer harness to come out from mopar.
I received the trailer hitch and wiring extremely fast. I had the hook up made today and the hitch looks great. Great price and service! Thank you Greg!
I followed the instructions carefully, checked everything three times; it still doesn't work (no electricity to the flat four plug). On March 1, I have an appointment to have a professional hitch place check it out.
Heather A - 03/02/2021Awesome trailer hitch. My husband thought I was kidding when I said I had found a hitch to fit my MINI - while keeping the sleek lines of the car. Fit perfectly and so streamlined that it's barely noticeable. You CAN drive a MINI and pull a small trailer with two kayaks!
Ann T - 09/24/20202012 VW GTI (autobahn edition) Installation (DSG) I had some small issues and hiccups along the way, so in order help out since I couldn't seem to find vehicle specific help, here is what I did. I did buy the CURT 4-way flat connector tester (Item #126) first to make my life easier when testing. It helps. Buy it. First - start by removing the cargo floor carpet and pulling down the drivers side wall carpet. I did find it necessary to take the moulding trim off the top portion of where the hatch cover locks in, along with the rear seat belt guide trim so I could run the wires to the battery cleanly. There is a few star bolts holding the trim alongside the rear seats when folded down, so just do a search if can’t find it (one cover has to be popped off) Second - Wiring. This was a little bit of a guess, as I have 3 wires, and my meter didn’t seem to be helpful since they were so small and close together. Here’s what works (drivers side): - “Stop” module clips over the black/red wire - Middle brown wire isn’t used - “Left” turn signal module clips over the green/black wire - Passenger side right turn signal clips over the green/black wire - I screwed the ground right into a side structure panel Running the battery cable was the bigger time suck. - Stated above I had the drivers side rear panel trim and carpet removed, and I continued removing the front/rear drivers floor sill trim. I ran the black wire along the current loom and tucked it under the floor carpet. - I then ran it behind the hood latch and towards the top of the metal foot rest, keeping it behind the carpet - This is where you get to the firewall. There is a piece of foam. Remove it. Now you’ll see a rubber grommet where the clutch pedal would go through if you have a standard. I took that out, drilled a small hole to run the wire through that I attached the wire to a metal hanger to fish up and to the right of the battery box. Fish it up, grab it, and pull it through. - Slide the grommet back into place (your wire would have been already through it) and snap it on. - Make your connection to the battery and follow initiation instructions.
The main reason I purchased from etrailer was because there were videos for my make and model vehicle. I ran into some issues with the wiring as the video was for a newer version, but I was able to call for help to determine which wires were for what function. Very helpful and very knowledgeable.
This kit works perfectly! A reasonably straightforward installation, though not for a DYI'er who is uncomfortable ripping into the trim and lighting wiring harness of their vehicle. A reasonably accurate wiring diagram is very helpful, but not necessary because trial and error works well with Hall sensors used in this kit (i.e. no cutting and splicing wire is required). Once installed, the trailer lighting load is easily handled by the power module without feedback to the vehicle lighting control circuit, although my setup does not interface with a trailer brake controller so I cannot judge full performance. One hint - do not loose the heavy stock reference card that reminds one of the programming routine, While performing other electrical work on my car needing battery disconnection, I can never remember the programming sequence for the trailer lighting controller. Not to worry, though, the product support site has the info.
The Tekonsha wiring harness was a bit difficult to install, as the clip-on connections are a somewhat bulky to fit in my Tesla Model 3's tight spaces. The good news is: they work as promised like a charm with our tiny camp trailer's lights. In truth, I have only had to use them once, but cannot imagine that any unforeseen problems would occur with them in the future.
Works like a charm. Interestingly, when a trailer light went out, the device stopped working right. I finally figured out that by disconnecting The power input, the device would reboot. That fixed it.
This installed directly, didn't require cutting the original wiring, worked on the first test for all functions (lights, turn signals, and brakes), and is working perfectly one year later. Great purchase. I saved a ton over having the car dealership install one. I would do it again in a second!
Lawrence M - 07/19/2020Second hitch from etrailer, now for my new X5 F15. It’s perfectly fit this car, I like Curt brand better, no bumper trimming was needed for 2015 model. With great video of how to install it it takes just about 2 hours to do it properly. Thank you for having also 4 pin wiring for this car, as other option would only be buying from the dealer at a huge price.
This was installed on my 2017 Chevy Bolt which does not have any trailer pre-wiring available. Installation was a bit challenging because of getting access to the correct tail and directional lights on the Bolt. I like that no splicing or other interference with the Bolt's wiring is involved. The installation process otherwise was straightforward. We did have to "train" the system but that's explained in the installation instructions. The lights have worked perfectly.
James H - 04/23/2020The wiring harness worked great, without having to tap into existing wiring. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is that occasionally the trailer lights don't match up with what the car is doing when I first connect it. However to correct this all I need to do is pull the fuse on the wiring harness and plug it back in, and the unit will relearn the way it's supposed to work.
Directions not as clear as I needed to get the system installed. Routing the power cable from back to front of vehicle proved to be the most challenging. Wanted to ensure it wasn't going to be pinched or cause a short in the system. In the end, I was successful but took me longer to accomplish than I planned hence the three stars.
Installed easily myself and this connector kit has worked great since. Perfect for a leased vehicle.
My son installed the hitch and the wiring. Hitch was installed and wiring took about 3 hrs. He’s a auto technician and he was amazed seeing a wiring without slicing. Great product.
Required more setup than should have been needed. Later made aware that if the battery dies it will need to be setup again.
Sierra K - 03/29/2021Do you have a question about this Wiring?
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