Brake Controller Doesn't Power Up Once Installed on a 2000 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4  

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Expert Reply:

It sounds like you still need to make a couple connections under the hood of the truck. 2000 GMC Sierra models that did not come with a factory 7-Way do not have all the brake controller functions for you, but it is fairly easy to get everything hooked up and functioning.

On the driver side under the hood, first remove the bracket in the top, driver side corner closest to the cab. This will allow you to remove the top and lower covers from your accessory fuse block. Once you have the covers removed, locate the blue and red wires between the fuse block and the cab. They should be taped together, you are looking for a red wire with a ring terminal and a blue wire with a small plug.

Take the red wire and place it on the stud you see on the cab side of the fuse block. You will put a 20 amp (2 to 4 brake trailers) or a 30 amp (6 to 8 brake trailers) fuse in the slot closest to the stud. This will provide power to the brake controller. You should now see power on the black brake controller wire in the cab.

The blue wire is what carries the electric brake signal from the front of the vehicle to the trailer. Snip the plug off the blue wire, and connect it to a piece of wire that is long enough to run to the front of your vehicle. This long wire will then be run along the vehicle frame back to the electric brake wire on the 6 or 7-Way plug, which will usually also be blue. We sell wire by the foot if needed, part # 10-1-1.

If you also need to run a 12V power wire to your 7-Way plug for a trailer accessory, I would recommend instead going with a jacked 2 wire like our part # 10-2-1 so you can run the electric brake wire and 12V wire in one trip. Inside the jacket of the bonded wire will be a black wire and a white wire. Use the black for the 12V lead, and connect it to the other auxiliary stud on your fuse block, like you did with the red wire earlier. Put a 40 amp fuse in the slot closest to this stud. Connect the blue wire to the white wire, and you are ready to run both back to the vehicle plug. The black wire will connect to the 12V wire on the 6 or 7-Way (usually black), and the white will connect to the electric brake wire (usually blue).

If you have not yet wired the truck with a 7-Way plug, you could use part # PK11898. I would recommend checking above your spare tire for a round cap. If you see wires running into a plug with a round cap, you would instead be able to use wiring # 30955, which would plug right in.

I am including some links to reference that should help you. If you could provide the model of brake controller you have, I would be glad to make any other necessary suggestions.

expert reply by: Sarah L

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