Troubleshooting Curt Echo Trailer Brake Controller Not Comin On 2011 VW Touareg

Question:

I ordered and went to use the Curt echo brake controller on my 2011 VW Touareg that was trailer preped but does not have a brake controller provision in the wiring. I have tried my trailer, trailer powers up just fine, all the lights work. The echo will not power up. I put the echo in line with the trailer and plug into the car and the echo prevents the trailer from being seen. The touareg uses a load sensing setup to activate the trailer module. How can I make the echo work on my car?

asked by: Adam S

Expert Reply:

I sounds like you may not have power going to the charge line circuit on the 7-way for your 2011 Volkswagen Touareg. You can use a Test Light # PTW2993 in your junction box to ensure you are getting power from your charge line on the 7-way. You will need to test it at the junction box(remove 7-way wire from trailer battery connector) since your Touareg has the smart trailer wiring. The Curt Echo # C51180 receives its power from the charge line which does not send power to your trailer lights. So this would explain why you have trailer lights but the power is not getting to the Echo.

If you have no power from your charge line you will need to check your owners manual for the location of fuses and relays to determine if they are bad. You can also verify the Echo is not faulty by connecting it to a vehicle with tested good 7-way to see if the blue light comes on.

expert reply by: Bud M