Setting Up a 2009 Ford E-350 Van without Factory Towing Package for Brake Controller Wiring

Updated 07/24/2025 | Published 09/27/2011

Products Featured in This Question

Curt T-Connector Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector

(177)

$40.07

Universal Installation Kit for Trailer Brake Controller - 7-Way RV and 4-Way Flat - 10 Gauge Wires

(3470)

$118.67

Question:

I am making my 2009 Ford E350 tow ready. This vehicle did not come with the tow package! I have a Tekonsha brake controller prodigy that I want to use. Can I use part #3034-P? Thanks!

asked by: Amanda H

Expert Reply:

There are 3 options from the manufacturer for the 2009 E-350 Ford Van. Factory 7-Way trailer wiring, factory 4-Way trailer wiring, and no existing trailer wiring. I will go over all three since you did not indicate which one your vehicle has.

If you have the factory 7-Way trailer wiring, you will be able to use the 3034-P wiring harness that you selected to easily install your prodigy brake controller. When looking for a port under the dash, it will be near the top of the instrument cluster, on the back of a panel, it will be slightly to the right underneath the dash.

If your van has the factory 4-Way wiring, the # 3034-P wiring can also be used, but you will need to either locate the blue wire from factory brake controller installation plug, along the drivers side frame rail at the rear of the vehicle, or sever the blue wire in the wiring harness and run a separate 10 guage wire, # 10-1-1, to the rear of the vehicle and attach it to the 4 pole to 7 pole adapter, # 30717, that you will also plug the factory 4-way into.

Finally, if there is no factory wiring on your van, you will need to install a working 4-Way connector, # C56020, and a brake controller installation kit, # ETBC7, which includes all of the wiring, 7-Way connector, circuit breakers and wiring connectors to complete the brake controller installation. We have detailed instructions, see link, for installation of this kit. We also have a video installation, see link, that should be very helpful. The vehicle is different, but the wiring principles are the same. The # ETBC7 kit can also be used with the factory 4-Way to complete all of the wiring to the 7-Way connector, if needed.

I have also linked instructions for the Prodigy P2 brake controller, # 90885, for you, in case you need them for installation and setup of the brake controller with your trailer and E-350 van.

expert reply by: Robert G

Patrick C.

7/23/2025

I have the brake controller wire mounted to the back of the coin holder behind my dash. If I have that, does that indicate I should have the flat four somewhere in the rear of the vehicle? If so, I can’t find it . I have a large harness that connects up to what looks like the Backup proximity sensors, but I can’t find a flat four or round seven plug. As part of that same harness, I also have another odd plug that seems to be plugged into a sensor module or something. At first, I thought it was a dummy plug, and I could get a converter that would turn this into a round seven, but I’m not so sure of that. It’s a round connector with a rectangular eight pin configuration inside. 2014 Ford e-350 XL with proximity sensors

Jameson C.

7/23/2025

@PatrickC Just because you have the brake controller plug behind the coin holder doesn't mean you have the rest of the 7-way wiring like you have found. You will need to wire the vehicle up like Bob mentioned above for the version that does not have any trailer wiring. You might also test to see if any of the wire in the harness you found have voltage at all as you might still be able to use some of them when wiring up the controller.

Patrick C.

7/24/2025

@JamesonC I went ahead and ordered the kit to tap into the tail lights. I read a few comments where doing that as too much load for the tail lights and causes the blinkers to blink fast. I’m hoping that won’t be a problem for my application. I do think that some of those wires underneath could be tapped into, but I’m trying to avoid cutting or splicing any wires at all, even with T taps.

Jameson C.

7/24/2025

@PatrickC Which kit did you order? If it's a 4-way kit it most likely was one that draws power from the vehicle battery and only uses the taillight circuits as signal wires.