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Great for cars and trailers with either LED or incandescent bulbs, this kit converts your vehicle's lighting system to match your trailer's. It includes a 4-way flat, wire taps, and a power wire that pulls power directly from your battery.
Features:
Specs:
Some vehicles operate on a 3-wire system, wherein the brake signal and the turn signals run on separate wires to illuminate different lights. (Typically, these vehicles have amber turn signals.) But most trailers run on a 2-wire system, which means the brake and turn signals travel along a single wire. You'll notice that, on your trailer, the brake light will flash for the turn signals.
If your vehicle operates on a 3-wire system, it will need to be converted so it will be compatible with the wiring system of your trailer. This is where a tail light converter comes into play. This converter lets you combine the brake and turn signal functions of your vehicle so they run on a single wire to properly activate your trailer's tail lights.
This particular converter also works with newer types of vehicle wiring, like PWM and multiplex. Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) is standard on European vehicles, and multiplex systems are common on newer vehicles.
LEDs require less power to generate light than standard halogen bulbs. For vehicles with LED tail lights, a connector like this one may be necessary to send more power through the wiring harness to light the trailer's signals fully.
This converter won't overload or cause damage to your system because it pulls power straight from your vehicle's battery. So you can be sure that your trailer lights will activate no matter what type of bulbs your vehicle has - or your trailer, for that matter.
Wire Color | Wire Function |
---|---|
Green | Right turn |
Brown | Tail lights |
Black | Battery power |
Red | Brake |
White | Ground |
Yellow | Left turn |
This kit comes with all the wiring you'll need to convert your vehicle's lighting system to match your trailer's. The powered converter box has splice-in wires on one end and a harness with a 4-way flat vehicle-end connector on the other. It also comes with a power wire that will connect to your battery so your electrical system doesn't get overloaded.
To begin the installation, use the included circuit tester to double-check the function of each wire on your vehicle's tail light wiring harness. The color/function of the splice-in wires on this converter may not match the color/function of those on your vehicle, so you'll want to be sure to check all of the wire functions first. Once you've figured out the functions of your vehicle's wiring, use the included quick-splice connectors to connect the corresponding wires on the trailer connector. Quick-splices, or "wire taps," offer a quick way to make connections without you having to strip and twist wires. Just place the wires in one of the taps and snap the cover down.
Using the included double-sided tape, stick the converter box to a flat surface inside your vehicle near the tail lights. It's helpful to clean the surface first so the tape can adhere fully.
Once the converter box is spliced in, you need to run the power wire up to your battery. Be sure to remove the fuse before connecting anything so you don't blow it! You can put it back in once everything has been installed. To hook up to your battery, you'll need to disconnect the negative cable from your battery and attach the power wire to the positive terminal with the included ring terminal. Finally, secure the converter wires to your vehicle using included cable ties.
Find a raw metal surface to use as a grounding point and secure the white ground wire using the provided ring terminal and a self-tapping screw. Cleaning the surfece before securing the white wire will ensure your converter is fully grounded. Finally, secure the converter wires to your vehicle using included cable ties.
Quick Tips:
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Average Customer Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (194 Customer Reviews)
Great for cars and trailers with either LED or incandescent bulbs, this kit converts your vehicle's lighting system to match your trailer's. It includes a 4-way flat, wire taps, and a power wire that pulls power directly from your battery.Harness didn't arrive, either left out of package or fell out of damaged package. The trailer hitch receiver wasn't properly secured, it was held in place by a single piece of cardboard, which failed during shipping causing two large holes to be ripped open as the trailer hitch receiver was free to jostle around.
I found the 3 wires needed poking the tailgate brake light wires with a multimeter.
They’re located within that bundle of wires posted originally in the q5 video. Within that large bundle of like 20-30 wires, theres section of twisted wires that match colors to the tailgate brake lights exactly, 6 wires additionally taped within.
From what I have gathered testing with the hatch closed and blinkers on, right side (passenger side) is a light grey with a yellow stripe. the left (drivers side) is a black wire, grey strip. the tail light wire is solid grey per etrailers video. Seems to be the case for 2021, 2022, 2023 and the sq5
Everything fit perfectly and we (my wife and I) got it all assembled within a couple hours! (We haven't done the wiring yet. That will wait for another day.) Taping the washers to the frame, as was suggested in one review, was most helpful. It was only necessary when attaching the last end, because the bolts had to be pushed all the way back for that end to be put in place.
Robert W.
9/6/2023
It has performed as expected. No problems!
Had to install it on a 2023 Chevy Bolt EV. Couldn't find exact installation instructions but the instructions provided enough details on how to wire it. I was not sure if my vehicle was a 2 or 3 wire system so I had to call tech support and found out that a 2 wire systems means your turn and brake are powered by the same wire. Mine was so I was able to attached the red wire to ground. Also, had to run the power wire from the 12V battery to this, which meant feeding it from the front to the rear - it would have been nice to tap into power somewhere in the rear.
It feels heavy duty and is working exactly as it should. Easy wiring in my 2005 Passat TDI. The most difficult part was bring the 12ga wire from the battery to the rear of the vehicle. The effort was worth it; I have a professional looking install that works perfectly.
Eric P.
5/3/2014
The product works perfectly. A year later it still looks and works like a factory installed item.
2014 WRX wagon at taillight: WHT/RED = Turn signal
BLK/WHTstripe = Running light
BRN = Brake light
I mounted the modulator behind the left turn signal. I routed the power wire through the trunk via rubber access plug. I then fished the power wire under rear seat and stuffed it under plastic trim molding along the doors. I went behind left kick panel and then came out and ran it into the fender well, between the door and the fender, and up a structure tube into the engine compartment. The wire is safe from damage and will not be crushed by shutting the door because of the rubber door seal. I ran my XM ant. wire like this also and there are no negative consequences.
My wife took this picture of my Son and I working on a truck the other day. We were installing electrical connections we had recently ordered from you guys for a truck that has a new hitch on it that also came from you guys. One of your boxes is in the photo. Figured you would appreciate it. I am sitting on the ground with my head up under the truck Good times!
[Thumbs up]
You’re gonna love this! I put the hitch on my Corvette to haul a small luggage trailer on long trips. The hitch works great!
I tried everything I could think of to make this wiring kit work with my 2010 Honda Insight. It is simply not compatible, although the documentation on Etrailer suggested that it is compatible. Do yourself a favor and buy the more expensive options.
Kit worked very easily. ETrailer’s video helped immensely.
I recommend the Tow-Ready 119147KIT instead of the Curt Model for a 2013 Prius. I had to return the Curt Kit because the running lights/tail light stayed on all the time even with the vehicle off. Sometimes there wasn’t a tail/running light on if you reset the converter by removing and re-installing the fuse. This Tow-Ready model works like it should. You'll need 12 gauge wire to run from the battery, (right side hatch area,) to this unit which will need to be mounted on the driver’s side, rear hatch. At the very top of the left rear tail light are covered wires going into a plug. The Blue is the Stop light and the Brown is the tail/running light. (Be careful since these wires are thin solid copper wires.) Left turn signal is the green/yellow stripe wire and on the right side rear lamp the right turn signal is also the green/yellow stripe wire. You will need to remove the left rear panel to get to the blue and brown wires. Remove the bottom tray cover, the bottom tray as well as the left rear plastic tray and the plastic bottom hatch trim over the latch assembly. Remove the Phillips screw on the left rear panel as well as the chrome tie down clamp. This sounds harder than it really is. Good luck!
Bbowl
6/23/2014
Thanks for the installation details. I also have a 2013 Prius and everything went a lot smoother with your information. I didnt even need a test light.
Kathy C.
6/27/2014
I agree - very helpful information on installing on a 2013 Toyota Prius. This told me which wire was which light and even gave helpful tips on removing the panels that I was sure I couldnt do, until I read what you wrote. Thank you so much- saved me lots of irritation.
Parts fit perfectly and appeared to be good quality.. The video’s were so helpful when applying the products!!! Would highly recommend
Just completed the installation of the 119147KIT on a 2014 Lexus RX350 and it works great. Everything needed was included in the kit and the installation process was fairly easy. As always when I purchase items from e-trailer things fit and the right amount of supplies are included as well as installation instructions. i have always had excellent service from e-trailer and have great confidence in doing business with e-trailer. I know that i will get a great product with support, if needed, and always a follow up e- mail to see if everything was OK.
Great place to shop.
Hans H.
1/28/2017
This was installed on a Lexus that does not have the factory tow package. It work just fine and has had no negative effect on the vehicle. Note, I tow a very small utility trailer on short trips and wanted the lights on the trailer to work properly.
Hitch was a breeze using a lift. Wiring package typically comes as a plug-in. This package you need to solder wires and use wrap. Not an issue but for the price, should be a plug and play. Still give trailer hitch and wiring harness 5. Less than two (2) hours to install on '04 Porsche Cayenne S.
Rachael H.
8/13/2019
I checked the wiring harness options for your Cayenne, and at this time, there is not a plug in T-style wiring harness option available. This kit does include splice in connectors, but I understand the security of soldering your connection points.
My RX350 Lexus did not have a towing package, and I used this kit for getting all the trailer lights to work. It took me a little more time to make the electrical connections as I needed to probe individual wires to ensure I was connected to the correct wires. Once completed, everything worked fine and still does. Glad I did it.
Dave S.
7/6/2018
Still works.......
The shipping was quick and free however the packing of the shipping box was very poorly executed. An electronic device, a circuit protected trailer light power module and accessories were shipped in a 10x7x5.5" box with no packing materials to keep the contents from being bounced around in the box which base on the visible crushing of the box was bounced around quite a bid during shipping. Any item shipped needs to be packaged to prevent it from free movement in the box. bouncing around in a box is the worst thing for an electronic device. I hope the module has not been damaged. I ordered this to replace a module that experiences intermittent failure in my vehicle apparently from something damaged in the module.
Jenny N.
10/3/2022
Thank you for sharing. I will send this information to our shipping department for review. Please contact us immediately if the harness is not working for you.
I've had nothing but great experiences with etrailer in ordering and installing 2 hitches on my 2 MB SUV's, this was no different. Good product, easy to follow/logical instructions and excellent customer service
Adrian
7/7/2022
1 year on and still very happy with hitch and harness. Works perfectly towing my boat mostly - ab out 3100 lbs with the trailer
This kit is good, and very complete. It would benefit from some model specific instructions, like the trailer hitches come with. The average person with no automotive background CANNOT install this on a late model car. you need to know how to remove trim panels and components - which is easy with a little instruction!
Mike L.
10/9/2018
This particular wiring harness isnt a vehicle specific item, it fits many different vehicles so therefore itd be very difficult to provide vehicle specific instructions for the hundreds of vehicles that it can be used on. There are some installation videos linked above showing the harness being installed on a different vehicle. The actual step-by-step process shown in the videos would be different than the procedure for your particular vehicle, but the method used for testing that determines which taillight circuit controls which function would still be very helpful.
I haven't installed the hitch or the wiring harness as of yet as I only received everything Thursday in great shape I should add. The wiring looks a little complicated but like I said only yesterday I received it yesterday, but it pretty much looks straight forward.
Mike L.
8/19/2022
The installation isnt terribly difficult, its just a matter of using the included circuit tester to determine which of your taillight harness wires provides which function, then making the appropriate connections. Ill link to a typical installation video which should provide you with some direction. The wire color coding on your vehicle would likely be different from what the video shows, but the procedure would be similar.
Helpful Links
https:www.etrailer.comtv-install-tekonsha-trailer-wiring-2019-hyundai-tucson-119147kit.aspx
https:www.etrailer.comtv-review-tekonsha-trailer-wiring-119147kit.aspx
Very very confusing and incomplete directions, NO way to understand the difference between the red "2 wire or 3 wire setup" Very very annoying, parts missing in, i.e. 12 gage wire, fuze for battery connection.
I would NOT recommend anyone with a BMW 135i buy this product, I am very dissatisfied with this confusing and incomplete kit
Patrick B.
8/29/2013
Hardwire kits like this take a little bit of extra work and require a basic understanding of some electrical basics. If anyone ever has questions, give us a call at 1-800-298-8924 and our techs can help out quite a bit with the project and get you up to speed on the background info you will need to complete the task. We also have some great videos on the subject.
2019 Hyundai Tucson
Works well but had two small problems with the install.
This is the base model 2019 Tucson the up scale models I think have a different wiring harness. The red wire from the box is connected to the harness. It's not grounded like I read on someone's post elsewhere. I ran most of the wiring outside so I wouldn’t have to remove interior panels.
1st the wire to the passenger side light was too short I had to add a couple of feet of stranded wire to it. It may have been okay if the control box was mounted inside but I wasn’t going to remove interior panels to see if the harness was available there to splice to so I mounted the control box in the cavity below the tail light someone with large hands may have a problem getting in there.
2nd one of the inline wire splicers wasn’t making a connection on the brake light. The Tuson wires are very thin. So after moving and reattaching with no change I squeezed the metal part of the splicer to make a smaller gap for a better pinch on the wire. It requires a continuity checker to troubleshoot this or someone to step on the brakes while checking with the supplied checker. ..Could have had more wire ties. Initially I thought that it had no wire ties but they were with the black power wire so I didn’t see them. It's helpful to have something reflective to check the trailers brake lights. I got a quick response from Etrailer when I emailed them.
119147KIT Still working perfect on my 2007 XC70 super easy install with great instructions! Etrailer is the best! Unbelievable value and quality compared to OEM Volvo. THEY WANTED $300 bucks to accomplish the exact same task! Thanks etrailer!
Dave E.
1/27/2018
Still working Great after 1 Year
Unit easy to install if you watch the video first and take notes on which light wire in the car goes with the appropriate wire on the module.
Quick shipping with constantly updated tracking information.
Sierra K.
5/24/2022
The videos are fantastic! Even if we do not have your exact year, make, or model, they will still be helpful. Not all wiring is the same, but on this module the green wire is the passenger turn signal. The yellow wire is driver turn signal. The brown wire is the tail light. The red wire is the stop signal, if you have separate lights from the turn signals. If it is not separate, just ground the red wire. The white wire is a ground and the black wire is ran to the battery positive.
This kit lacks any type of instruction in the package but appears complete. At the price I expect clear instruction without needing to look for them online. The leads on the module are about 5 or 6 ft too short to be of use on the 2022 Sorento PHEV SX I have, ground and power are only identified on your installation video. As well, the splices provided are for wires larger that in that vehicle leading to failed connections on each wire!For the price I paid I certainly expected that I would NOT have to scour several local shops for the parts to finish the job nor to have to refer and search necessary information!.
Jenny N.
12/16/2021
I will have our customer service team reach out to you. This harness is a hardwire harness that works with a variety of vehicles. I recommend taking a look at the installation video that we have on a 2019 Hyundai Tuscon. I also recommend checking to see what gauge of wire your vehicle uses. The provided blue taps are for 16-18 gauge wire only.
Product work as described. One of the wire connectors was problematic and I had to solder it instead. Also I purchased a mounting bracket from the trailer rental place for the 4 prong connect on the car end. This was to secure it to the car and it worked fine for awhile but now is loose and the connector keeps falling out of the bracket where it is to snap in. It's now wired tie to the mounting bracket. That connector should have a better design in the way it secures to any mounting bracket. Otherwise, I saved a lot of money installing your kit rather then having the rental place do the electrical work for my new hitch.
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Katrina D.
8/15/2024
Oh no, let me get the harness shipped out to you right away. As for the hitch, let me know if the hitch has any damage to it.