How to Install Pilot Time-Delayed Brake Controller # 80550 for Use with Horse Trailer  

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Expert Reply:

The Pilot brake controller you referenced, part # 80550, installs in the tow vehicle. Depending on the vehicle involved there may be a quick-connect wiring adapter available, but if not the controller's 4 wires will connect as follows:

The BLACK wire takes in 12V power from the tow vehicle battery's positive terminal through a circuit breaker. The value of the circuit breaker depends on how many trailer axles have brakes on them - use 20-amp # 9506P for 2- to 4-brake applications; use 30-amp # 38630 for 6- to 8-brake applications. This provides power to the controller. WHITE wire connects to the battery ground terminal. The RED wire on the Pilot connects to the cold side of the vehicle brake light switch; this is the side of the switch that carries power ONLY when the brake pedal is pressed. This is usually located above the pedal assembly. The BLUE wire from the Pilot carries the brake output signal for the trailer's electric brakes.

Trailers that have electric brakes will have either a 5-pole, 6-pole or 7-pole trailer connector. At least a 5-pole type is needed since the brake signal must be carried on a separate circuit that is apart from the wires/circuits that carry the trailer's lighting signals. Please refer to the linked article on trailer wiring which includes information and photos on the various types of trailer connectors in common use. The photos also show the typical (but NOT standardized) wire colors and pin positions for a trailer brake circuit. There is no guarantee that your trailer uses a blue wire and the 5-o-clock pin for the brake circuit (it may have been re-wired before it was given to you) but this is the convention for most trailers: the blue wire usually carries the output from a brake controller. A 7-way type connector is most common.

Since wire colors and connector pin assignments can vary, the only sure way to know what wires on the trailer handle what function is to test them with a circuit tester like # PTW2993. You can also use a spare battery to apply power to one wire at a time (with the ground connection made) to each of the trailer wires to see what happens on the trailer when each circuit is energized.

Your particular tow vehicle and its configuration (factory tow package or not) will have a bearing on the remainder of the installation. I have linked an article on brake controller installation that covers the process from start to finish.

Please feel free to tell me about the tow vehicle (year/make/model/version and what type of trailer connector it has) and also about how many brake assemblies there are on the trailer.

expert reply by: Adam R

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