Installing a Brake Controller in a 2004 Ford Explorer with Factory 4-Way

Updated 04/14/2015 | Published 04/12/2015

Question:

Hi! I have a 2004 Ford Explorer with the 1.25inch factory hitch and the factory 4 plug wire. I have gotten a factory 2inch hitch and bolted it on. The 8 plug connector that the four way goes to under the passenger side tail light has 7 wires in it. The orange wire, battery/12vinch is hot with the ignition on. The brown wire with the green stripe is the backup lights, it is hot while the vehicle is in reverse. I have ordered a factory 7 way plug for the trailer side with the 8 plug for the passenger taillight side. My presumption is that the blue wire for the brake controller is under the dash. In a video on this website for the 2004 Explorer brake controller install, it shows fishing a white wire and black wire all the way to the front. Then cutting the blue wire car and attaching the white wire for the brake. The black wire went to the circuit breaker and then to the battery for the aux power, or same as the orange wire which is already there, under the passenger taillight. Yet, in the video authors comments he says that the factory pigtail connection is under the drivers side dash. What is the pigtail that he got from behind the glove box? Why not just go to the blue wire and orange wire under the taillight? I need to know where the factory pigtail is under the dash? Drivers side or passenger side behind the glove box? Thanks, -Chris

asked by: Chris

Expert Reply:

You basically will need to install your brake controller in your 2004 Ford Explorer exactly like the video I attached details.

The pigtail part # 3035-P will be used to install the brake controller but the blue wire will need to be cut from the harness and ran to the 7-way like the video shows. The other three circuits of the connector will still get used and will make the install easier than having to totally hardwire the controller. This harness will provide the power, ground, and stoplight switch. But since the brake output circuit isn't run from the connector on the vehicle to the 7-way it would need to be run separately.

expert reply by: Jameson C