Placement and Orientation of Tekonsha P3 Brake Controller

Updated 03/31/2014 | Published 03/28/2014

Question:

I have 2 questions about installing the P3 controller in a 2014 Toyota Tacoma. I am having a little trouble figuring out where to put the P3 in the cab. 1 if the controller is installed and is not horizontal how will I know if it is to far off horizontal? How will I know if it is mounted to far off horizontal or how many degrees off horizontal can it be? Does the screen tell me its to far off horizontal? 2 if the controller falls off or is knocked off its mount during operation will the trailer brakes lock up? Thank you so much for your help. PS: I really appreciate this service and your website.

asked by: Ron H

Expert Reply:

The Tekonsha P3 would need to be mounted so that it is level in the side-to-side orientation, and pointed so that it is parallel to the direction of travel. The controller does not have any error codes specific to the controller being out of horizontal, but installing it so that it is not level or parallel to the direction of travel would cause erratic or poor brake performance, therefore you should make every effort to install the controller as stated in the instructions. If you no longer have the instructions, I have linked you to a copy.

We usually suggest mounting the controller to the underside of the dash, to the right of the steering column, but the construction of the dash on the Tacoma can make this challenging. In this instance, mounting the controller to the left of the steering column or in the storage bin in the center console are the most popular alternatives. I have linked you to some install videos showing the alternate install locations.

If the controller should come loose from the dash, it will NOT cause the brakes to actuate. Operating the manual brake switch on the controller or applying the vehicle brakes are the only ways for the trailer brakes to actuate.

expert reply by: Mike L