Installing Brake Controller on 1990 Ford F250

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Question:

I have a 1990 Ford F250 with the towing package but I have never needed to use it until now. I have the factory harness with the jumpers but they state that the 3 wires in the cab are: RED from the battery, RED-green stripe for trailer brake lamps, BLUE for powered trailer brakes I understand that your controller has a white wire for ground black wire for battery power Is your blue wire for powered brakes and your red wire for brake lights? I read on your site that red wire was for cold side of brake pedal switch so I am a little confused. Thanks for any help that you could give.

asked by: Michael R

1

Helpful Expert Reply:

Having a truck that old with tow package wiring for installing a brake controller is a new one on me, but I can certainly help you determine which wire serves what function.

Just about every brake controller out there will have four wires exiting the rear of it. The black wire carries 12-volts to the controller. Having a direct fused or circuit protected connection to the battery is the best way to provide this power. The white wire is the ground connection. Some will say that simply grounding this wire to metal under the dash is sufficient, but the controller manufacturers recommend connecting this directly to the negative post of the battery. The red wire is usually connected to the brake stoplight switch, or a dedicated stop lamp signal like a third brake lamp. The stoplight switch is usually used because its the closest place to get a signal. This circuit is what alerts the controller that the vehicle brakes are being applied. The blue wire carries the output voltage from the controller to the 7-way connector at the rear bumper.

You can confirm that the red wire you found is the 12-v feed to the controller by using a circuit tester like part # PTW2993 or a multimeter on it. This circuit should show a constant 12-volts. The red wire with green stripes can be tested also. This wire should only show current when the brake pedal is applied-not with the turn signals or running lights. The blue wire should be the output circuit to the 7-way. If that all checks out, connect the red wire you found under the dash to the black controller wire, the red and green striped wire to the red controller wire and the blue wire you found to the blue wire of the controller. Extend the white controller wire through the firewall to the negative battery terminal.

This all assumes that your truck has a functional 7-way trailer connector on the rear bumper.

expert reply by: Mike L

1

Answer 1

I can help you pick out a brake controller and figure out if your truck has been wired already or not. First lets start with the brake controller. I highly recommend the Tekonsha P3 #90195, because it is a proportional brake controller which means it…

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Answer 2

To answer your first question, it is possible to splice the brake controller's 12 volt power wire into the 12 volt power wire you have attached to the vehicle's battery to charge the trailer's battery but this is certainly not recommend.…

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Answer 3

Yes, you need what is called a pulse preventer, #5501. You mentioned that you have an older Ford truck. Depending on how old it is you may need to connect the brake controller red wire to a different location on the truck. If your truck is a 1989 to…

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Answer 4

That will depend on the amount of brake axles your trailer has. . The 20 amp breaker like #9506P is for 1 and 2 axle brakes, and the 30 amp like part #38630 is for 3 and 4 axle brakes

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Answer 5

The difference between the Class II and Class III hitches has to do with their Gross Trailer Weight (GTW), their Tongue Weight (TW), and their Hitch Receiver Size. Class II trailer hitch receivers have a 1-1/4 inch receiver and can be rated up to…

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Answer 6

A 4-Way trailer connector has the basic lighting functions only; running lights, left turn signal and brake lights, right turn signal and brake lights, and ground. A 7-Way has these functions and a 12 volt circuit, a circuit for electric trailer…

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Answer 7

If you just need a 4-pin to 7-pin trailer wiring adapter, then you can use part #C57672. This will plug into the 4-pin trailer connector on your brother's vehicle and give him the 7-pin socket for the trailer. Keep in mind, this will only give…

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Answer 8

The OEM prep package consists of 4 "pucks" in the bed of the truck that will allow you to drop in puck style hitches for easy installation and removal, that gives you a completely clear bed when not in use. The B&W Companion OEM 5th…

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Answer 9

If you have a vehicle specific wiring harness for a brake controller then that would indicate that you have a factory tow package and subsequently would already have a 7-way at the back of your vehicle. The universal 7-way connector #ETBC7 is meant…

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Answer 10

The first thing you will need for your 1999 D250 is a 4-way. The Curt T-Connector Vehicle Wiring Harness #C55317 plugs into the connection points behind your rear bumper and will allow you to power your trailer's signal lights. Once the 4-way is…

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Answer 11

Hey Antoine, so the two kits you mentioned are actually really similar and honestly I would go with the part #ETBC7 if I were you. The #ETBC7L is basically the same thing minus a couple wires and breakers so you may as well get the kit that has…

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Answer 12

Yes, we do. To add a hitch to your 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander, I recommend the Curt Trailer Hitch item #C26VV. This hitch is custom fit and bolts to your Toyota with included hardware. This is a class III hitch with a 2" receiver. It has a…

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Installing Brake Controller on 1990 Ford F250

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