Stop Light Circuit Wiring for Installing a Brake Controller on a 1998 Dodge Ram 1500

Updated 08/03/2012 | Published 08/02/2012

Question:

I have a 98 Dodge Ram 1500 with a factory supplied wiring harness. It has 4 wires labeled volt, ground, trailer brakes, and vehicle brakes. The first three are 12 gauge and are self explanatory. How ever, the vehicle brake wire is only 18 gauge. My question is, does this wire connect to the stoplight red wire of the brake control, or do they both connect to something else?

asked by: Mark L

Expert Reply:

You are correct, the wire labeled vehicle brake will get run to the red stoplight circuit of your brake controller. The reason it is smaller is because it is only a signal wire and it does not carry a large amount of amperage so it does not need to be very big.

Check out the installation instructions and FAQ article I attached on brake controllers for you.

expert reply by: Jameson C