Does a Brake Controller Need to be Grounded to the Battery

Question

Question:

I bought a Tekonsha PowerTrac Electronic Brake Controller - 1 to 2 Axles - Time Delayed Item # 39523 for a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country. The included installation directions and a warning sticker instruct the installer to ground to the battery. A video for installation on a 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan instructs to ground to the frame. Which is correct or what is the difference?

asked by: Kenneth

0

Expert Reply:

If the manufacturer recommends to ground the Tekonsha PowerTrac Electronic Brake Controller part # 39523 to the negative side of the battery terminal then this is what you should obey. However, we have installed hundreds of brake controllers by grounding them to a bare metal surface and have not had any problems in doing so. There is really no difference between one or the other.

Please keep in mind that in order to install the PowerTrac you will also need the Brake Control Plug-In Harness part # 20127.

expert reply by: Conner L

0

Answer 1

We sure do! I've linked you to a copy of the installation instructions which you can print out if you wish. I've also linked you to our Brake Controller FAQ article, which includes much more information about brake controllers and how they…

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Answer 2

If you are looking for a power source for your brake controller, I do not recommend using a fuse tap. The brake controller's power needs to be ran through an appropriately sized circuit breaker and to the battery post. The installation…

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Answer 3

I recommend the Longview Custom Towing Mirrors #LVT-1700 for your 2023 Chevrolet Express Van. These custom towing mirrors will slip over your vehicle's factory side view mirrors and will help extend your line of sight. The mirrors have an…

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Answer 4

For your 2020 Chevy Express Van the slip-on tow mirrors I recommend are the Longview part #LVT-1700. These are custom fit for the mirror housings of your van which means they'll install very easily and be very secure. They also greatly improve…

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Answer 5

Actually, the P3 now has the upgraded axis accelerometer like the P2. The Tekonsha P3 Trailer Brake Controller #90195, will work with both electric over hydraulic brakes on the trailer as well as electric brakes. It has a menu option on the display…

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Answer 6

The only time you want to see power on the blue brake wire from the Curt Triflex Brake Controller part #C24VV is when the brake pedal depressed in the vehicle or the brake controller manual override is activated. If the blue wire has a constant 12V…

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Answer 7

It sounds like there might be some other fuses that could have blown, or there are some shorts on your brake controller/7-way circuits. It is hard to know exactly where the problem lies, but the first thing I would check would be to test the manual…

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Answer 8

Sometimes brake controllers need to be reset as they get a weird internal bug. Try unplugging yours for a minute or so and replugging in and see if that helps. Here's how to test the controller though: Testing the brake controller is fairly easy.…

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Answer 9

According to Dexter Axle, it's perfectly normal for the display to light up and display .0 when a trailer isn't connected. This will happen regardless of if the vehicle is running, as the controller has a constant 12V connection to the…

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Answer 10

The manual override lever does not move when you hit your brake pedal but the digital display will light up and give you a reading. The slide is only for the manual emergency braking or to apply additional braking pressure to your trailer as desired…

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Answer 11

You won't have any problem with power going to the brake controller all the time. This lets the brake controller keep all of its settings and not lose them every time the vehicle is turned off. Brake controllers are designed to enter a sleep mode…

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Answer 12

Hello Erik. I do not have the wiring schematics on the vehicles. I would reach out to Jeep to find out what color wire it is, or you can push down the brake pedal and check the wires with something like a Hook Probe Circuit Tester #PTW2993 to see…

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Does a Brake Controller Need to be Grounded to the Battery

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