Recommended 7-Way Wiring and Brake Controller for 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe

Question

Question:

Good morning, Im looking into converting the current 4 way flat wire to a 7 blade RV connector on my Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2013. First however, Id like to understand whats been done. Its a car that I purchased usedso I dont know if it has the tow package or not. And as were in a heat wave, I havent gotten Under the car yet to try and track wires, if any are apparent, or to see if I have the tow package wires on the drivers side in the back. Thats a project for this weekend. There is a small black box however in the fuse compartment in the car, with a lot of wires. Is it possible that the controller for the 4 way was installed there, with the trailer wire running from there to the back? Would that be an efficient way to do it, and would it be how the dealer would do it? Theres no additionnal wire going to the battery, so I imagine the power has to come from there. If this is how it was installed, is there a wiring diagram I could look at? As Im also planning on installing an electric brake controller, Im wondering if the red wire brake signal wouldnt be easier to reach there... Thank you!

asked by: Marc P

0

Expert Reply:

It's hard for me to say exactly how the 4-Way harness on your Hyundai Santa Fe is installed. The type of wiring you described in your question does not match up to how the wiring harnesses we have available for your Santa Fe will install, whether or not it has the factory tow package.

If the Santa Fe does not have the factory tow package, the correct wiring harness will be the Curt T-Connector # C56184 or the Hopkins # HM11143984. Both harnesses will install by plugging into factory ports behind the tail lights and then running the hot lead directly up to the battery. I don't recommend connecting the hot lead to any other source, as this is done to safely power the converter on the harness and protect the vehicle's delicate wiring. Your best bet might be to take your vehicle up to a local dealer or shop so they can run the wires and determine exactly how the 4-Way is installed. You can also contact a local Hyundai dealer with your VIN and they will be able to tell you if it has the factory tow package or not.

In either case, in order to convert the existing 4-Way to a fully functional 7-Way, you will need the Universal Wiring Kit # ETBC7. This kit includes everything needed to do this, along with the additional wiring and circuit breakers necessary for installing a brake controller. I have attached a great article that details the installation steps for this kit that you can look through.

For the brake controller itself, I highly recommend the Tekonsha Prodigy P2 # 90885. This is an excellent proportional controller that will activate the trailer brakes at the same time and with the same intensity that you apply to them in your Santa Fe. It features an easy to read digital display, 3 boost levels, and continuous diagnostics that will alert you to any potential issues. When installing the controller, the red wire will go to the cold side of the brake switch wire on the vehicle, which can be found above the brake pedal. You will just want to test the wires there with a circuit tester like # PTW2993 for the wire that ONLY receives power with the brake pedal depressed, and no power with any other function. On the 2012 model Santa Fe, this wire was gray and black so you can begin by testing this one.