Brake Controller Wiring + Diagram Overview

[@adamroof9460]

Recent viewer. Lovin your videos. Are you going to power the dump trailer motor to your truck? Wife and I want more repurposing videos! She also wants to start welding, how can she start learning on small projects and what to buy to start? So many topics! Keep it strange!! Adam and Jenn

[@metaspencer]

Woah! Great to hear from yas! I think she needs a cheapo flux core welder to start ... she’s gonna love it! Dump trailer has its own power plant! Boom!

[@adamroof9460]

@@metaspencer thanks will get her geared up with a flux core. Keep an eye out for fire extinguisher and burn cream videos Incase it’s us 👍

[@metaspencer]

@@adamroof9460 haha!

[@darriusking3017]

That diagram you drew was a tremendous help. Great video!

[@metaspencer]

Good to hear!

[@yakketyyak954]

Great video! Thank you for this clear and direct explanation of how brake controllers work and how they tie into the 7 pin harness! This is exactly what I needed to know!

[@metaspencer]

good luck setting it up! you're gonna love it

[@OdinOddly]

Thank you for breaking it down enough that let people can figure it out too. I am frustrated unto death with everything being for advanced mechanics. This is the first video on this I have understood.

[@metaspencer]

Good to hear! keep it simple and get it done, that's my philosophy :)

[@joe89chev]

Definitely a great walk through! I just recently got a 92 k3500 replaced the transmission and now I'm working on wiring in the 7 pin plug and my break controller! You sir are a life saver! Thanks for saving my brain I've been overthinking the whole process! Hopefully I'll be towing my trailer alot sooner Thanks to you!

[@metaspencer]

Excellent man. Yeah, it's the kind of job that can freak you out ... but if you take it methodically it'll be done before you know it. Sounds like a good truck!

[@JDinUSA]

I was hoping you would open a box of crayons, but that was so well put together that even I could follow it. Thanks for taking the time. Well done.

[@metaspencer]

It's great to have one in the truck for sure

[@travisbradow1731]

Been trying to hook my new brake control in my 94 dodge and and it’s been a cluster f*** until i found this video hahaha thank you

[@metaspencer]

It's awesome to have the controller working. Well done!

[@samv2783]

Great video! The diagram is very helpful! Thanks

[@metaspencer]

Good to hear! It's an essential piece of equipment

[@trilexfix]

you got it dude!!!

[@DannyDietze-yg2ky]

Great job you made it simple thank you

[@ericlaudenslager7246]

Diagram was simple yet so helpful! Thanks for the video. Just a quick tip, you may want to twist and cross your chains from your trailer onto your truck. Takes the slack out and they do a much better job of catching your Trailer tongue, god forbid your latch ever let's go. Thanks again.

[@metaspencer]

Thanks for checking out the vid! Yeah, I lost a trailer once and those slacked out chains were no good. I'll have to get that chain crossing into my daily habits

[@steveclujhawkins8063]

Appreciate the really basic sketch and visual. Really helped my thick skull understand.

[@metaspencer]

Excellent! We thick sculled guys gotta stick together!!!

[@markmurray7031]

Why does it have to have a hot wire ran back when the one coming from the controller runs the brakes ? Which pins in the connector do you use ?

[@metaspencer]

I’d have to see your controller and wiring diagram

[@carlosnadal1]

Excellent video, now I feel comfortable to do it myself. I have a 2012 tundra with the prewire plug, but no information where the blue cable goes to the which is a flat four connector for the lights. I will use your diagram and setup

[@metaspencer]

2012 Tundra! I'm jealous!

[@okidokidiego5783]

Muy buenos días,good morning,you are the best,this video is fenomenal,I have 2002 chevy silverado and have been missin 2 cables,one blue and one red but with the diagram the you made will be my lifesaver

[@metaspencer]

Gracias! Your truck sounds awesome

[@John2022-i2q]

what is the function of that red wire power coming straight from the battery? Does not only that break wire will activate the trailer breaks?

[@metaspencer]

I don't understand you when you say "Does not only that break wire will activate the trailer breaks?" ... the power from the battery feeds the system

[@John2022-i2q]

@@metaspencer which system? The trailer breaks just is not the wire one only? I mean, for the trailer break, is not only the blue one from the controller, the break signal and the ground? My question is that, the red wire juice straight from the battery is needed for what? Is just auxiliary?

[@metaspencer]

@@John2022-i2q the power from the battery runs the brake controller.

[@John2022-i2q]

@@metaspencer I mean, the auxiliary power, not the cold signal one. Mine runs perfect without that juice wire coming straight from the battery. In my understanding, the purpose of that wire is only if you wanna hook up another 12v device in the trailer from car battery supply

[@metaspencer]

@@John2022-i2q interesting! good to hear that you've got it working perfectly

[@silentraven37]

How do you know which wire from the brake pedal is the one to use? I have six different wires

[@metaspencer]

Oh dang, wire spaghetti! The trick is to 1) stomp on the brake pedal, and 2) stab your tester into that spaghetti until you find the wire the lights up your tester. You've got this!!!

[@p3l1k44n1]

Man that trailer looks cool.

[@metaspencer]

It’s been saving that unload time and effort, so I like it

[@randomtube8226]

1991 Chevy Silverado 1500 2WD. I have running lights, backup lights and both turn signals working. But no break lights and no emergency flasher lights. Already replaced brake switch, fuses and bulbs. Still no brake lights. No bad grounds found. We have tried just about everything we can think of. We need the break lights to pass the inspection. Do turn signal lights and brake lights share the same circuit on older vehicles? Could it be a bad turn signal switch even though the turn signals work fine?

[@metaspencer]

What I'd probably do it start with the probe test light (one of these: amzn.to/3mYiAwF) and see if the brake lights are getting juice at the back of the truck. They probably aren't. Then trace those wires up along the frame probing at any junctions. Somewhere along that run there might be a break or loosened connection. The probe will tell you. Of course, the brake pedal needs to have a brick on it while you do this. Sounds like you've checked all fuses. Could be a connection at the brake pedal sensor. Just probe and you'll find where things go dead. If all else fails run a new dedicated brake wire from where you have juice up front back to those lights.

[@randomtube8226]

@@metaspencer I have one of those test lights and a meter. That's how I tested all the ground points and ruled that out. I'm still trying to figure this out. I'm not having any luck.

[@metaspencer]

​@@randomtube8226 It's all about finding signal in the brake wires when the signal is depressed ... you've gotta identify those wires up front

[@randomtube8226]

@@metaspencer Come to find out the brake switch wasn't aligned in the groove all the way when I put in the new switch. So it came off track when I pushed on the brake allowing the whole switch to move instead of the switch arm attached to the brake arm. I pushed it up on track and my break lights started working again when I pushed on the brake. I still have several electrical issues I need to work out. But I'm one step closer to passing the inspection.

[@metaspencer]

Woohoo! You did it!!!

[@okidokidiego5783]

Perfect,is nice good info

[@davidcovan607]

What color wire does the blue wire connect to on the 7 way

[@metaspencer]

you should be able to find a color code chart like this online www.ajtnt.com/Info/7-Way-Diagram ... but best to probe and test everything just to make sure. temp connections are your friend

[@SteampunkSteve]

Thanks. Very informative

[@metaspencer]

Thanks buddy

[@davidcovan607]

1 more for ya what wire for the brake pedal.i got basically the same truck can't find a video to really show it

[@metaspencer]

That one took a little while to figure out and I can't tell ya exactly which one without going out there and checking it out ... gotta probe and test connect to be sure, man. especially with that brake wire! haha

[@davidcovan607]

I just tested it with truck running it drains voltage but google said orange wire ima ground to battery tomorrow might be issue thanks so far

[@metaspencer]

@davidcovan607 you’ll get it sorted

[@davidcovan607]

@metaspencer once I figure out how to get to the correct harness on my pedal they really crammed it in there

[@davidcovan607]

@@metaspencer for anybody wondering 99 k1500 white wire under dash I got it lol

[@luisfernando-mm3jt]

Nice work

[@metaspencer]

Thanks man

[@adamjayandtheuglycrew3079]

I got a 1990 GMC Sierra what color wire did you tap into from the brake petal? The only one I found that gives power down by the petal was white, but I’m worried that could be a ground that gets power flowing to it when the petal is pressed.

[@metaspencer]

I tapped a black wire but the color isn't the real issue: you've gotta get in there with the probe and find one that only is hot when the pedal is pushed. That will give your unit the current when you need it

[@adamjayandtheuglycrew3079]

@@metaspencer thanks for the reply! I’ll dig around and double check to make sure I got the right one!

[@Jonnydeerhunter]

Small correction... The 4 pin has a ground(white), left and right "High beam/bright filament"(yellow and green respectively) which is your brakes and turn signals both. And finally the last one is your running light power (brown) "low beam/dim filament" that comes on with your headlights. Thanks for sharing though!

[@metaspencer]

Thanks for the info! Those plugs have always been a mystery to me, even though I rely on them every single day

[@Jonnydeerhunter]

@@metaspencer Nice haha. Well an easy way for me to remember is that the browns always go to your marker lights which only come on with your headlights.

[@jimmycarter9099]

Thanks so simple your video was the best thanks so much

[@metaspencer]

Thanks for checking it out! You're gonna love having the setup

[@keshavillaca4372]

Thank you for this. 😀

[@metaspencer]

You betcha

[@luiselizondo1038]

Great video! Very helpful. Question. Can the "hot wire" going to the 7 pin connector (back) and brake controller (in the cab) be powered by the same location? For example, connecting them both directly to the battery instead of one to your breaker and one to the distribution block?

[@metaspencer]

Those leads can both come from your battery, but just be sure to have them fused and protected with breakers ... you don't just want a wire going directly to the trailer brakes or directly to the brake controller ... gotta have fuses and breakers and all that protection

[@luiselizondo1038]

@@metaspencer Perfect! Thank you! I have a 4 pin just like yours already from the factory so I will go about it the way you did! Cheers!

[@metaspencer]

@@luiselizondo1038 good stuff! you're gonna love it with that big trailer

[@melterra2799]

My electric brake controller has 3 wires bule one red one black one where they go

[@melterra2799]

Where they hook up tp

[@metaspencer]

It's not the kind of thing I can describe in a comment ... sorry man! Check out some videos and wiring diagrams and you'll get it figured out

[@208concreteprosllc4]

Thanks for your video

[@metaspencer]

Excellent. Good luck with it

[@carolinegray3150]

Nice video

[@metaspencer]

good hearing from you!

[@ohske]

👍👍👍👌♥️♥️♥️

[@matiasguerreromatt460]

Video is ok but needs mentioning by colors Black. Red. White. Blue

[@metaspencer]

yeah, those colors can definitely confuse! using a tester should help ya. good luck!

[@carolinegray3150]

👨‍🔧

[@genxiong2695]

No this is not straight forward for the average guy.

[@metaspencer]

Takes some work! let me know if I can help

[@PredatorOmnivore]

Duh, on the back of the truck you DO NOT have the 7 way PLUG for the trailer. Before you get to kindergarten you should have already learned: a PLUG is on the end of a wire cable; a RECEPTACLE is the socket hole that the PLUG fits into. So, on the back of the truck you have a 7 Way RECEPTACLE.

[@metaspencer]

Wow, I gotta go back to kindergarten to learn the proper things for things! I knew I shouldn't have been shooting spitballs in class, and I think they even held me back and made me take it a few times!