Trailer Brakes Lock Up After Installing 7-Way on a 2011 Nissan Frontier

Question

Question:

I bought this but now I need to upgrade to a 7 pin for trailer brakes. Do I need to purchase a whole new kit 118266? Or can I just buy the Nissan Replacement OEM Tow Package Wiring Harness, 7-Way 118267? I went with the wiring harness and now my trailer brake wire is always 12 volts so my brakes are locked on the trailer. Even after I unplug my brake controller Curt Venturer C51110 and its wire adapter C51382 I still constantly have 12 volts. Do the 2 kits use different relays?

asked by: Jeff C

0

Expert Reply:

You don't need to upgrade to a new kit. Looks like you purchased 7-Way # 118267. It does not use different relays.

It sounds like me the trailer connector is pinned out differently than the vehicle side connector. What is likely happening is the trailer brakes are wired to the pin associated with the 12 volt circuit.

On the vehicle side connector the brake output pin is in the 5 oclock position. The 12 volt pin is in the 1 oclock position. On the trailer side connector make sure the trailer brakes are wired to the pin in the 7 oclock position and the 12 volt circuit is in the 11 oclock position.

Since the 12 volt pin on the vehicle side has constant power it would engage the trailer brakes if the brakes are wired to the wrong pin on the trailer side connector. I have included a picture that shows the way vehicle and trailer side connectors are pinned. If the trailer side is different then rewire the connector to be compatible with the vehicle side. Ignore the colors in the picture and go by function.

expert reply by: Michael H

0

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Answer 1

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Answer 2

The Redarc Tow-Pro Liberty, part #RED24FR would be a plug and play installation on your 2017 Nissan Frontier if you used the #RED39FR wiring harness, as long as the vehicle is equipped with the factory installed tow pacakge. The #RED39FR harness…

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Answer 3

It is not recommended to bypass the break-away battery and a very small current is normal. The 7-pin connector sounds like it is not connected correctly. It is not uncommon for the trailer brake controller pin at the 5 o'clock position to be…

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Answer 4

It sounds like the red wire in the wiring harness #C51352 was not in the correct place. Take a look at the picture I have included and make sure that the wires in your harness are in the same places. This is the end that plugs into the truck. It…

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Answer 5

To determine why you do not have any power on the blue brake output wire, I recommend starting at your brake controller. First, make sure the brake controller is on and receiving power. Most brake controllers have 4 wires, blue (brake output to…

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Answer 6

The easiest first step here would be to try the trailer on a different truck, and see if the same problem occurs. If the trailer brakes are free until the trailer is plugged in, I suspect that something is mis wired. I would suggest examine the…

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Answer 7

There are a number of issues that could be causing the Curt Venturer #C74VV brake controller to lock up your trailer's brakes so you will need to take a number of troubleshooting steps. To test the brake controller, sever the blue wire a couple…

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Answer 8

When wiring a trailer connector, it is best to wire by function, as wire colors can vary. We have an excellent wiring diagram on our website, I will provide you a link so you can look at it. If you are looking at the inside of the trailer connector…

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Answer 9

You can first try pulling the relays that you mentioned on your 2010 Nissan Pathfinder and replacing them to see if that fixes your problem. You can do so with the Curt Relay Kit #C57000 (some Nissan vehicles will require a 3rd blue relay like the…

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Answer 10

Although we have not yet had the opportunity to install the #C56225 trailer wiring harness on a 2012 Pathfinder, my contact at Curt tells me that the only difference in the installation between the Pathfinder, Xterra and Frontier is the location of…

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Answer 11

I know exactly what the problem is. There were some Nissan vehicles in which the tow package wiring, that you plug into to install a 7-Way, has the electric brake output and the 12 volt circuits switched. So when you plug in your trailer the brakes…

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Answer 12

The ground circuit of a 7-way will not have 12 volts of power. When installing the #C56226 there would be no need to use a ground wire from a previously installed 4-way. It sounds like you may have installed the harness incorrectly as everything that…

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