JaxLoki

Where did ya'll mount the break controller unit inside the cab? Under the dash? Any pics?

mostlystock

This is one of the few places I've found on the JK to mount much of anything.... works well for the brake controller.

jpstewart19

Anyone know where I can dig up the pictures for this thread? I need to do this install this weekend and the booklet is less than optimal.

mostlystock

I can take pics of my install before the weekend if it helps - how/where the wires are routed. This is on a 2-door but if you're doing a 4-door it's similar.

Are you using a brake controller? What year/model Jeep? If you're tapping into the brake light wire on the connector under the dash, helpful tip: remove the trim panel under the steering column and access it that way, instead of trying to wedge yourself under the dash. SO much easier.

jpstewart19

I would really appreciate it. I am putting it on my 2015 JKU. I ordered the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 and the OEM Mopar harness. Since it was a '15, I was trying not to splice anything, if possible.

I have been looking at the PDF instructions on the link below. They are a bit wonky, and was hoping for a better guide or pics.

http://www.quadratec.com/Assets/Installation/75397.pdf

mostlystock

No problem, I'll get some tomorrow afternoon. I got the same controller and love it. I have a '14 but probably set up the same as the '15. Unless you find an easier method, I do recommend tapping into the brake signal wire under the dash, as long as you create a solid connection - by soldering with a high temp soldering iron, for example. There isn't a lot of extra wire length on that wire though, so be careful... You could snip it halfway along its length then solder in (or just twist together) an added length of wire, then tap off the extra length. At least there's a little more working room that way. Or if you're real careful, just peel some jacket off the signal wire and solder in the wire from the controller. I never liked those plastic no-solder splice connectors but you may have better luck.

Check around the forums in case someone has figured out an easier way to do this. Maybe even check with the techs at a dealer to see if there's a plug-and-play way to do this with a connector.

mostlystock

Should be able to post pics by late Sat morning. Check back...

jpstewart19

Thanks again for your help. I am going to run the mopar harness tomorrow, but have been driving myself crazy trying to figure out how to wire the P3.

• I get that the white goes to the chassis
• I assume blue from the harness goes to the blue on the controller

Based on other finding, it looks like:

• white with tan under the dash goes to the red controller wire
• I need to run another wire from the + battery terminal to the + battery terminal

This was a pretty good resource:

2013 Jeep Wrangler Truck Brake Controller Installation Instructions

mostlystock

Just got back home, now I can go out and take some pics (I meant Friday not Saturday in my previous post).

I'll get you the specifics on the P3 wiring too. Here are my notes from the Tekonsha Voyager that I had before the P3. The wiring colors/functions on the controller are probably the same on the P3.

WHITE on the controller is ground, and I tied it to NEG on the battery, with an inline fuse at the battery (yes even on the ground)

DARK BLUE on the controller is "trailer tow electric brake feed" - this is the output signal from the P3 which attaches to whatever wire on the mopar harness goes all the way back to the 7-pin connector. Probably light blue, heavy guage wire.

RED on the controller is the brake sense input to the controller. Attaches to the "white with tan stripe" wire on the jeep under the dash.

BLACK on the controller is +12 VDC power for the controller. Goes to +12 on the battery, with an inline fuse at the batter.

Going to go out now and take pics for real though. Those are just my old notes.

mostlystock

So the P3 does have the same color wiring as the Voyager.

White = ground from the battery (chassis probably okay too, but I preferred to go right to the battery)
Black = 12 VDC from the battery
Red = brake sense input to the controller (tap off the Jeep brake switch wire - white with tan stripe on '14, '15, probably others)
Dark blue = Brake feed output from the controller, goes to the appropriate terminal on the 7-pin connector

Pop out the panel under the dash (no screws, literally just pop it off. Held on by plastic tabs. Don't lose them.). Behind it you'll see a metal panel, shown below. Unbolt it (two places) and you have MUCH easier access to that brake wire:


Here's how I mounted the controller. It's about the ONLY place on the Jeep I could find for it. Turns out to be a great location, out of the way and I don't bump it accidentally. I suggest you position it by sitting in the cab and locating it so when you move the "activate" lever, your palm is touching your knee. Reason for this is when SHTF and you need to move that lever, you don't even have to take your eyes off the road to find it: Just bring your palm on your knee and you know the lever is right there. The last thing you need to do when you're in a SHTF scenario is have to look around for the lever, wasting critical time.

Mounting location:


Bolts on other side:


For routing the Mopar harness's light blue wire into the cab, go through the grommet for the windshield washer fluid tube. You'll need to actually use a drill bit here and remove material (in fact I used that plus some small wire nippers). Otherwise the rubber tends to close up on the wire and it's impossible to push it through. Careful not to nick the fluid tube. I also taped the wire to a coat hanger to push it through. Use strong (duct) tape. Greasing the wire helps too. Long tweezers / coat hanger also helped retrieve the wire from that awful location when inside the cab. It's very cramped there and nearly impossible to get to.

Also very important: there are SHARP edges up under the dash. Be sure to jacket the wires in there using the flexible plastic tubing, even as they run up to the grommet (as far up as you can go. Wrap it around the wire down low and just push the sleeve up). And also zip-tie them securely AWAY from the moving parts of the steering column (it can easily wear a hole in the wire jacket), and away from anywhere they could tangle with your feet.

Removing this panel helped a bit. It just pops off:


Here's the wire(s) at the grommet. Note that I also have extra wires here - a heavy gauge red (+12) and black (GND) going from the battery to a distribution panel mounted in the glove box, because I also run a CB and ham radio.


On the motor side of the firewall, I suggest wrapping all wires with flexible plastic tubing, available at Pep Boys and such. I tied it to an existing (factory) run of flexible tubing near the base of the windshield, as shown here:


Here are the connections to the battery. The two orange wires with fuses are for the aforementioned 12VDC and GND wires. You can see the red and white wires from the Mopar harness, and where I fastened those down to the battery. You can see the light blue wire here (not the thicker one - that's factory) coming up from underneath as well, and going back into the flexi tubing towards the grommet in the firewall.


Here's where I mounted the Mopar harness fuse (not to be confused with the white inline fuses on the orange wires). I drilled a hole in the thin plastic shield and ran a zip-tie through it to hold the fuse there securely.


Here's the Mopar harness coming up from below, into the motor bay, near the battery:


Here's looking directly up from under the Jeep, showing part of the harness where it goes up into the motor bay. Driver's side is towards the lower left. Transmission (driver's side) is at the upper edge of the pic.


You might want to pull the brake light fuse(s?) before working on anything. I didn't, and popped one sometime during the project.

Hope this helps! Sorry I didn't get more photos of how the harness is routed. Let me know if you need them, or anything specific, and I can get them but it won't be until Saturday.