Installing a Pulse Preventer and a Hopkins 4-Way to 7-Way Adapter # 37185 on a 1999 Ford Explorer

Question:

my pulse preventer has a brown and yellow wire...where do you make the connection for the brown wire also, how do you plug the 12v battery lead from the rear trailer plug into the fuse box?does it need to be fused?12v hot or ignition hot?...thanks!

asked by: Elizabeth V

Expert Reply:

When you install the pulse preventer # 5501 on your 1999 Ford Explorer you will be installing it inline on the vehicle brake output (cold side) wire, after the connection where the brake controller is spliced in.

Find the spot where the brake controller is spliced into the wire from the cold side of the stoplight switch. Then just past this (away from brake controller) cut the vehicle stoplight wire and install the pulse preventer inline with the yellow wire on the side that the stoplight switch and brake controller are on and the brown wire on the side going to the vehicles brake lights. This connection will stop the hazard signal from feeding back to the brake controller, eliminating the pulse problem.

With the Hopkins 4-Way to 7-Way Adapter, part # 37185, you connect the 4-Way connector on your 1999 Ford Explorer to the back of the adapter. This connection will supply stop, turn and taillights to your new 4-way and 7-way connectors. Then you must wire for the other functions you will need to power on your trailer.

You will connect the additional wires as follows:

White: Ground, attached to a suitable location on the vehicle frame.
Black: Run to the vehicles positive battery terminal, with a 40amp circuit breaker like part # 9510.
Blue: Connected to the blue electric brake wire coming from the brake controller in the vehicle cab.
Purple: This is an auxiliary wire, and can be used as a 12v power source, or to power a reverse light function if needed. If not, this wire can be taped up out of the way.

The Black 12 volt power wire from the #37185 adapter will not be connected to the fuse box. It will need to be connected directly to the positive side terminal of your vehicles battery using an inline 40 amp circuit breaker like the # 9510.

I am including a link to a FAQ page on brake controller installation from scratch.