How To Wire Tekonsha Prodigy P2 Brake Controller, # 90885, To A 2001 Ford F-150 With Damaged Wires
Updated 08/18/2010 | Published 08/15/2010
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Question:
I am planning on getting and installing a Prodigy P2 in my 2001 F-150. Problem is I am not sure if the vehicle has/or had the towing package wiring. The wires all appear to be run, but the wires are dead ended *I.e., no harness connector and the white lead attached to the frame is cut off. It appears that this may have been done by someone that rigged a 4 pole connector by using wire tap type connectors. I have purchased a 4/7 connector and harness item 37185. Questions: 1. Should I purchase the controller for without factory 7-way? 2. Do the necessary fuses and relays come with the P2 for without factory 7-way? 3. What color is the wire in the harness for trailer battery charge? Appears to me to be Orange
asked by: Gary L
Expert Reply:
It sounds like you should just wire your 2001 Ford F150 like it did not have a factory tow package. You will need to install a 4-pole trailer connector at the rear of your vehicle.
If your truck is a Styleside you will need to use the Draw-Tite Wiring Harness, # 18252, and use the included circuit tester to test the the light circuit behind the truck taillights. Then using the wire taps you will attach the wires to the correct circuit. The white wire is grounded to the vehicle frame, the green wire on the trailer harness goes to the right turn and brake circuit, the yellow wire goes to the left turn and brake circuit and the brown wire goes to the tail light circuit.
If your truck is a Stepside or SuperCrew you will use the Tow Ready T-One Wiring Harness, # 118344. This harness will plug into a connector located behind the taillights.
I would recommend to just buy the Tekonsha Prodigy P2 Brake Controller, # 90885, without the factory adapter. It will come with an adapter that plugs into the brake controller and the other end will have 4 pigtail wires that will be hardwired. This will eliminate using the factory brake controller port on your truck which may not work since someone has messed with the wiring before.
Since it sounds like somebody might have been messing with your wiring before, the easier and quickest way to install the brake controller is to hardwire it to your vehicle using the Brake Controller 7 and 4 way Installation Kit, # ETBC7. The # ETBC7 kit includes everything necessary for installing your brake controller, the 7-Way connector, all needed wire, circuit breakers, even the zip ties for a neat installation.
I am sending a link to the Brake Controller Installation page that will have the instructions on how to wire the Brake Controller and the # ETBC7 kit to your vehicle.
The black power wire in the # ETBC7 kit will supply the power for the trailer battery charge when the vehicle is running, so I would just wire it as per the instructions. The orange wire in the harness is the correct wire for the power, but again since your harness could have been messed with I would bypass the orange wire.
I am sending a video link of the Prodigy P2 brake controller and the # ETBC7 kit being installed on a 1979 Ford F250. The vehicle is different but the wiring principle is the same.
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