Troubleshooting Trailer Wiring On 1996 Toyota Tacoma

Question:

INTERESTED IN INSTALLING THE ETBCT 7/4 WAY TRAILER KIT. I UNDERSTAND THAT I NEED TO INSTALL THE 4 WAY KIT FIRST IN ORDER TO INSTALL THE 7-WAY BRAKE PLEASE NOTE I HAVE TAKEN THE TACOMA TO SEVERAL TOWING TRAILERS SPECIALISTS AND I HAVE HAD MULTIMPLE ISSUES WITH TACOMA TRAILER WIRING. MY QUESTIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS CAN A 12V POWER BLOCK - FUSE BLOCK BE INSTALLED WITH ETBCT KIT? WHAT WOULD CAUSE BATTERY TO DRAIN DUE TO TRAILER BRAKE WIRING INSTALLATION? WHAT WOULD CAUSE THE TRAILER WIRING TO SHUT TRUCK OFF WHEN BRAKE IS APPLIED- SHORTING OUT FUSES and WIRING. AND WHAT CAUSES FUSES TO SHORT OUT- STOP FUNCTIONING, OR REAR and EMERGENCY LIGHTS STOP WORKING - ALSO TRAILER LIGHTS STOP WORKING ALL DUE TO TRAILER WIRINNG INSTALLATIONS. NOTE TRAILER WIRING AND LIGHTS HAVVE BEEN REPPLACED AND ARE NEW. DO YOU RECOMMEND ANYONE IN EITHER NV OR CA FOR TRAILER WIRING INSTALLATIONS?

asked by: GIL

Expert Reply:

The Universal Installation Kit for Trailer Brake Controller - 7-Way RV and 4-Way Flat - 10 Gauge Wires # ETBC7 already comes with a circuit breaker for protection, so you would not need to install an inline fuse. That said, it would not hurt anything to install an inline fuse if you really wanted to.

Your tow vehicle's battery should not be draining if the trailer wiring is installed and connected to the tow vehicle properly, and the tow vehicle has a properly working battery and alternator. If you are having this issue then check your tow vehicle's electrical system and then make sure the trailer wiring is connected properly and make sure you have no current draw when the vehicle is off. There should not be any draw when the vehicle is off, unless you have some sort of accessory on the trailer that is drawing from the tow vehicle's battery.

The only way your vehicle would shut off after hitting the brakes with a trailer connected is if you have a serious electrical problem. As mentioned above, make sure you battery and alternator are in check and then make sure you have no clipped or broken wires that could be shorting out and blowing fuses, which would prevent illumination of any lights in that circuit. You can use a circuit tester such as # PTW2992 to test the circuits and determine the function of each wire, but if you are not proficient in this type of task then I recommend taking it to an auto repair shop. We do not have a list of repair shops to recommend so I would try to find a reputable shop nearby.

I attached demonstration videos and wiring diagrams for you to check out in case you decide to tackle it yourself.

expert reply by: Andrew N