Brake Controller and 7-way Trailer Connector Installation on 2015 Toyota Highlander

Question:

Hi My highlander is equipped with factory 4 pole connection and would like to change that to 7 pole and add on brake controller. what is the easiest way, could I still use the factory connection? thanks

asked by: Rodney C

Expert Reply:

The Highlander doesn't come from the factory equipped for a plug and play brake controller installation, but we'll be happy to help you through the process. You can indeed use the existing 4-pole, but you'd need to use the 4-pole to 7-way adapter included in our # ETBC7 Brake Controller Install Kit. In addition to the adapter, the kit includes all the wire, hardware and circuit breakers you'll need.

You'd also need to choose a brake controller. I prefer a proportional controller, because the provide more predictable braking. The Tekonsha Prodigy P2, part # 90885 is a great choice because it's so easy to use. The P3, part # 90195 provides the same ease of use, but also provides controls and a display that are more intuitive and user-friendly.

Here's a brief summary of the install. The 4-pole to 7-way adapter would plug into your existing 4-pole. The adapter will have 4 additional wires, the white gets grounded to the vehicle frame, the purple is used to carry the reverse light signal (if your trailer doesn't have reverse lights, you can just bundle that wire up), the black wire carries 12-volt power from the battery for any accessories on the trailer that might need power and the blue wire carries the voltage from the brake controller to the trailer connector. The black and blue wire would be extended by the length of duplex cable included in the kit, with the cable running under the vehicle to the engine compartment. The black wire connects to the positive battery cable via the 40 amp breaker included in the kit. The blue wire passes through the firewall where it connects to the blue wire exiting the rear of the controller.

The controller mounts under the dash to the right of the steering column, within easy reach of the driver. As mentioned above, the blue brake controller wire connects to the wire ran from the trailer connector, the black wire from the controller connects to the positive battery terminal via the 30-amp breaker included in the kit and the white controller wire wire grounds to the negative battery terminal. The red controller wire connects to the cold side of the brake stop lamp switch located at the top of the brake pedal. There will be several wires exiting the switch, you'll need to use a circuit tester like # PTW2993 to determine which wire only shows power with the brake pedal pressed. I've seen references that say the wire is blue/gray, but you'll want to test to be sure.

I'll link you to an install video showing the kit being used to install a different brake controller in a Toyota Highlander. The procedure on your vehicle would be identical.