Brake Controller Installed on 2001 Ford Van Causes Turn Signal to Malfunction

Updated 02/03/2014 | Published 01/31/2014

Question:

When I hook into the factory pig tail and hook up the controller,my passenger side front only turn signal lights up with the dash turn indicator as well,what next?

asked by: Brad B

Helpful Expert Reply:

You are using the factory pigtail provided when you purchased the vehicle, not the # C51322, is that correct? If this is the case, the factory pigtail uses a different wire color code than the aftermarket ones, which match up color for color. Before proceeding further, lets make sure you have the pigtail wired correctly to the brake controller. An incorrectly wired harness or pigtail could cause the problem you describe.

Over the years, Ford has made two different factory pigtails, one that used a pink wire, the other uses a light green wire. Here's the two possible scenarios:

Pigtail Has Pink Wire:

Pink Harness Wire to Black Brake Controller Wire
Red Wire to Red Wire
White Wire to White Wire
Blue Wire to Blue Wire

Pigtail Has Green Wire:

Green pigtail wire to red controller wire
Red pigtail wire to black controller wire
White wire to white wire
Blue wire to blue wire

If you are using the aftermarket wiring harness like the C51322, make sure the wires are in the correct position in each plug, as shown in the photo I edited for you. The wires should be inserted into each plug exactly as shown in the photo. If not, you have a plug that is wired incorrectly.

As a final thought, make sure you are using the correct connector under the dash. The Ford Van chassis is used for many different purposes like delivery trucks, ambulances, RV's, etc. Because of this, there might be more than one connector under the dash that the pigtail might fit into. The brake controller connector you need is typically located behind the emergency brake pedal, right in the corner where the kick panel and firewall meet. You can usually find the connector in this area right above the edge of the carpet.