Can Curt Echo Power be Connected to 12V Outlet in Back of 2004 Volkswagen Passat

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Question:

Hi, I have a 04 passat wagon and it has two constant power cigarette style outlets in the back. Your instructions say to connect direct to the battery positive post, any chance I could splice into a outlet in the back?

asked by: Miles

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Expert Reply:

Great question!

The 12V power wire that comes with the 7-Way RV Upgrade Kit # ETBC7L will need to be wired directly to the battery on your 2004 Volkswagen Passat for safety reasons. The Curt Echo Wireless Trailer Brake Controller # C51180 pulls power for the trailer brakes through that 12V circuit so if you were to connect the power to those cigarette style outlets in the back you would overdraw what they are rated for.

It's not as easy running it up to the battery but it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to overloading your vehicle wiring. Attached is a review video on this for you to check out!

expert reply by: Jon G

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Answer 1

If you'd be towing at your vehicle's capacity a brake controller would be a very good idea. You will need to start with a 4-way (if you do not have one). For that you would want the #118753. From there you would need to convert the 4-way to a…

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Answer 2

We have a pretty simple kit designed specifically for use with the Curt Echo #C51180 to convert a 4-way to a 7-way and have all of the needed circuits active for the Echo to function with the #ETBC7L which is a simple 4-way to 7-way adapter that also…

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Answer 3

I have exactly what you need to add a 7-way trailer connector to a 2016 Honda Odyssey. For this, you'll need to start with a 4-way trailer connector and I recommend the T-One Vehicle Wiring Harness part #118521 which is plug-n-play. Then you can…

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Answer 4

To use the Curt Echo Wireless Trailer Brake Controller #C51180 your vehicle only needs 12 volt, ground, and turn signals connected to its 7-way socket. What this means is you do not need the brake signal from the 7-way. For example, if you used a…

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Answer 5

For the most reliable and safe connection possible, Curt recommends obtaining the power for the controller directly from the vehicle battery and running the circuit through a 30 amp breaker like what's provided with the #ETBC7. This way, you can…

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Answer 6

The reason you want to run the power wire of the #ETBC7L up to the vehicle battery is because this is the circuit that the brake controller draws power from and you want it to bypass all of the vehicle wiring so as to prevent a short from damaging…

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Answer 7

The Curt Echo Trailer Brake Controller #C51180 won't itself provide any charge to your trailer mounted battery, but you certainly can still have a 12V power wire ran from the 7-Way to the battery for this purpose with the Echo in place. The Echo…

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Answer 8

The Curt Echo part #C51180 draws power from the 12 volt accessory circuit of the vehicle which is also the same circuit that charges a trailer battery. The Curt would not draw power from the trailer battery and especially not when the trailer is…

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Answer 9

We do have what you are needing, with a 7-way kit that does not have brake wire since you aren't going to be using electric trailer brakes, and only want the 12 volt power. What you can use is the following kit: - 7-Way RV Upgrade Kit #ETBC7L…

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Answer 10

Correct, the Curt Echo Wireless Trailer Brake Controller part #C51180 does not require splicing into the stop light switch circuit. It simply requires the power lead be hooked up to the battery. It gets the brake signal from the lights and then uses…

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Answer 11

The Curt Echo Mobile Trailer Brake Controller #C51180 gets its power from the 12 volt connection on the 7-way of your car, which is also outlined in the linked instructions. Please note that some vehicles may require a trailer to be connected in…

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Answer 12

The Curt Echo Mobile Trailer Brake Controller part #C51180 will require that you have a 7-way installed on the tow vehicle with 12 volt power. There is no way around this unfortunately. The trailer's battery would not be able to power the brake…

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Can Curt Echo Power be Connected to 12V Outlet in Back of 2004 Volkswagen Passat

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