Wiring A 7-Way Connector And A Brake Controller On A 2005 Chevy Express Van

Question:

I have a 2005 Chevy Express Van. In the back of the van I have the 7 wire lead. I have verified this vehicle does have a towing package. I want to hook up the 7 blade connector to the back of the vehicle using the factory wires, I am pretty sure I can do that. The other issue and I have called the dealer with NO help from them is......I want to install a brake controller. I know some products offer a pigtail from the brake controller to the factory install pigtail connector. The issue is I do not know where this connector is. All the wires are there for the back of the van, I can not find where the wires or connectors are in the cab for the brake controller. Can you PLEASE help??? I am at a total loss here and the dealer wants 300 plus dollars to install a brake controller when I know I can do it myself. I have looked extensively online with no avail. Thank you.

asked by: Jake K

Expert Reply:

On your 2005 Chevrolet Express Van with the 7-wire trailer harness you will need to use a circuit tester like part # PTW2993 and test the function of each wire to know where to connect to the Hopkins Adapter 4-Pole to 7-Pole and 4 Pole, part # 37185. See the picture of a 7-way vehicle connector that shows the connections for each specific function.

Since you do not have a 4-way connector on your vehicle harness, you can just cut the 4-way connector off of the Hopkins adapter and wire each one accordingly. I am including a link to a FAQ page on trailer wiring. This page will show you the wiring connections and their colors.

If you need a brake controller I would recommend the Tekonsha Prodigy P2 Brake Controller, part # 90885. The Prodigy 2 brake controller is our best selling model. It can be mounted in a 360 degree vertical range and will level itself automatically. It is a proportional brake controller which means that the brakes are applied to the trailer at the same time and same strength as the brakes on your vehicle. I am including a link to the instructions on the Prodigy P2 brake controller.

To install a brake controller on your 2005 Chevrolet Express Van you will mount the controller itself under the dash within easy reach of the driver, typically to the right of the steering column. The controller has four wires exiting the rear, they attach as follows:

The red wire attaches to the brake stoplight switch located at the top of the brake pedal. The stoplight switch can have several wires exiting it, you will need to use the circuit tester to probe each wire until you locate the wire that shows voltage only when the brake pedal is pressed. Once located, tap the red wire from the controller into this circuit.

On your 2005 Chevrolet Express Van you will already have the blue output brake wire ran from the 7-way connector on the back of your vehicle to the front. It is located under the dash near the emergency brake pedal. This will connect to the blue brake wire on your brake controller.

The black wire will connect to the positive battery terminal via either a 20 or 30 amp circuit breaker (consult brake controller instructions to find which is appropriate) and the white wire connects to the negative battery terminal.

I am including a video link of a brake controller being installed on a 2003 Chevrolet Express Van.