Parts Need and What Process Involved to Install Brake Controller on a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Question:

I have a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Which I thought I bought new, with a Tow Package. The vehicle was used to tow a boat about 5K and the boat had surge brakes. The Jeep has 64K miles, always maintained 5.2V-8. I now intend to tow a trailer, with tractor, a few times / year to my various properties. The total weight is about 6.5K lbs, which is exactly the rated capacity of my Jeep.I had the Jeep inspected and the service station said it was a Mopar hitch, in very good condition. The new 10K capacity trailer I am buying has electric brakes, all 4 wheels..... I just found out, I need a controller. I want the best and safest. sounds like Proportional type. What do I need to buy? What is involved to install? Thank you for the help.

asked by: John G

Expert Reply:

Proportional brake controllers, at least in my opinion, are the best. I would recommend either the Tekonsha P2, part # 90885. The P2 is the best selling of all our brake controllers. Other than a brake controller you will just need some wire and a circuit breaker.

First you will mount the brake controller to the dash so that you can easily access it while driving. Typically this is done on the under side of the dash to the left or right of the steering wheel. There are 4 wires coming out of the back of a brake controller: white, black, red, and blue.

The white is a ground wire so attach it the negative battery cable. The black wire needs to be run to the Jeep battery as a power source in-line with a 30-amp circuit breaker, like part # 38630, to protect the controller. The red wire is run up to a switch on the brake pedal. One of the wires on this switch tells the brake lights when to light. You will tap into this wire, so the brake controller knows when you hit your brakes. You may need to use a circuit tester, part # PTW2993, to make sure you have the right wire. Finally, the blue wire is run out of the cab and back to the 7-Way. This is the output wire that engages the trailer brakes. Here is where you will need a length of 10-gauge wire like part # 10-1-1.

I have added links to these parts below as well as to some videos and articles that should be helpful.