Can Trailer Wiring Harness for 2011 Kia Sorento be Powered through Wiring at Back of Vehicle

Question:

I ordered the wiring harness for the Sorento WITHOUT the Factory Tow Prep Package. After going under the car to run the black wire to the battery, lo and behold, stupid me, I have the factory tow prep wiring. I would like to just plug into the power plug rather than run the black wire to the front engine compartment to get the power for my trailer lights and brakes. since it is already wired anyways, is there a plug that can be bought where I could plug in ONLY the black power wire that goes to the battery? Perhaps something where I would be just removing the extra wires since all I need is the power wire?

asked by: Joshua S

Expert Reply:

First you will want to confirm that your 2011 Kia Sorento does in fact have the factory tow package. The presence of the wiring does not necessarily mean that the vehicle has the tow package as the wiring might not be active. The easiest way to do this without doing any work is to have a Kia dealer run the VIN and they can tell you how it is equipped.

Alternatively, you can test the wire you found with a circuit tester such as # PTW2993 to determine if it has power (the vehicle may or may not have to be on). If it does, you could tap into that wire, but you would still have to splice the harness power wire in since there is no plug available separately.

Honestly it would probably save you time and effort just to run the power wire to the vehicle battery via the included fuse holder. I have linked a help article that has tips on routing the power wire.

expert reply by: Michael H