Does Brake Controller Install Eventually Drain Vehicle Battery

Updated 03/08/2021 | Published 03/04/2021

Question:

Greetings, Shopping for a wiring harness for a 2018 Jeep Compass. I have watched your installation videos, very comprehensive. My only concern is the controller that is hardwired to the battery - would this not become a parasitic current draw? Can the controller be powered by an ignition controlled source? Thanks,

asked by: Mike W

Expert Reply:

The brake controllers that hardwire to the vehicle battery like the Draw Tite iCommand part # 90885 eventually go into a sleep mode when they are inactive for 10-15 minutes. This prevents the battery from draining completely. The reason you don't want to cut off the circuit that powers the controller is that in doing so you would lose the memory settings of the controller.

expert reply by: Jameson C