Installing a Brake Controller on a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee with Factory Tow Package

Question:

I have a 2005 jeep Grand Cherokee limited with tow package Does this vehicle have a built in electric trailer brake from the factory? Thanx

asked by: Dan S

Expert Reply:

Chrysler did not put a factory brake controller in the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee so to activate electric trailer brakes the Jeep will need to have a 7-Way trailer connector and an aftermarket brake controller.

You mentioned your Jeep has the factory tow package which means it would have a 7-Way connector. But even with the tow package and 7-Way the brake controller will need to be hardwired.

You can use wiring kit # 5506 to install a brake controller. The kit includes duplex cable to reach from the controller to the battery. The black wire connects to the positive battery terminal via a 30 amp circuit breaker that is included in the kit and the white wire will ground to the negative battery terminal. The blue wire on the controller will connect to the back of the 7-Way in the 7 o'clock position.

The red brake controller wire connects to the brake stop light switch located at the top of the brake pedal. The stop light switch will have several wires exiting it so you will need to use a circuit tester such as # PTW2993 to find the wire that only shows voltage when the brake pedal is pressed. If a wire shows power at any other time such as with the head lights or turn signals on, then it is not the correct wire. I linked a video that details how to install a brake controller in a Grand Cherokee very similar to yours.

For a brake controller I recommend the P2 # 90885 because it's easy to set up and use and it is reliable.