12 Volt Brake Light Circuit Only to Install a Brake Controller and 7-Way on a 2012 Dodge Journey

Question:

Hello I am inst. a 7 point connector on a 2012 dodge journey rt so far I have had to hard wire everything the question that I have is that I can not get 12 volt off the brake pedal switch I only get 4.6 volts at the pedal.I managed to hook up on to the brake light with a 12 volts on the cold side.Should I have any problems with this. I havent tried this yet but its working with the tester.

asked by: Claude L

Expert Reply:

When connecting something that needs a brake light signal, like a brake controller, it has to be a dedicated brake light circuit. This means that it cannot have any other function other than brake lights. The easiest location to access this is on the brake switch.

Normally, the process to find the correct wire is to use a circuit tester like # PTW2993 and probe the brake switch wires until you find one that only has a brake light signal and not a signal that has brake lights and any other function. That may be what you have found. If the wire at the brake switch you found also has power with the turn signals or head lights it is not the correct wire.

If you cannot find the right wire at the brake switch then an alternative location would be the CHMSL fuse (center high mount stop light). You could tap into it using a fuse tap. Find its location using the vehicle owners manual. Or if you can find another brake light circuit only, that would work.

expert reply by: Michael H