Brake Controller for a 2012 Honda Pilot  

Question:

Expert Reply:

There are a lot of options for brake controllers on the market that work with your 2012 Honda Pilot. The Curt Venturer Trailer Brake Controller # C74VV is a basic time-delayed controller that mounts in the cab of your vehicle. With a time-delayed controller, both the amount of braking power and rate of application can be adjusted to suit your preference, but these settings will be constant once you set them.

The installation difficulty and additional parts needed depend on what kind of setup you currently have on your vehicle.
If you have a factory 7-way connector, all you need is the Curt Custom Wiring Adapter # C51392. This simply plugs into the port beneath the dash and into the brake controller. If you have a 4-way flat connector, all you need is our Universal 7-Way Installation Kit # ETBC7. This kit includes a 7-way connector that fits into the 4-way adapter. The extra wires from the 7-way are run up to the front of the vehicle to connect to the battery and brake controller output. This requires a fair bit more installation effort, but it isn't too bad if you are comfortable splicing wires. Finally, if you do not have a 4-way flat wiring connector, I recommend Curt T-Connector Vehicle Wiring Harness # C56170. This simply installs into the plugs into the interior trim panel in the rear of the vehicle and into the trailer wiring harness connector behind the rear bumper fascia. Then you can proceed with the installation described above.

The other type of brake controllers is proportional brake controllers. These work by applying variable power to your trailer brakes depending on how much power is being supplied to your vehicle brakes. These provide a smoother ride and braking experience while towing a trailer. Overall, I recommend proportional brake controllers over time-delayed controllers because they provide appropriate power to your brakes in different situations. The Tekonsha Voyager Trailer Brake Controller # 39510 is a great proportional brake controller and installs the same as the Curt Venturer. The only difference in installation is that you need the Tekonsha Plug-In Wiring Adapter # 3070-P instead of the Curt Custom Wiring Adapter if you have the factory 7-way connector.

For a brake controller that offers a simple installation regardless of what you already have installed on your vehicle, I recommend the Curt Echo Wireless Trailer Brake Controller # C51180. This is a great proportional controller as you only need to plug the brake controller into a 7-way connector on the end of your vehicle and then plug in your trailer to the Echo. All the settings for the brake controller are adjustable from your phone, making this option the easiest if you just want to plug in and go. You can use # ETBC7L to add a 7-way connector from a 4-way flat connector if you need one.

I've attached some help articles on different types of brake controllers and their installation for you to reference as well.

expert reply by: John R

0