Can a Trailer with Electric Brakes be Towed by a Cadillac SRX Without a Brake Controller
Question:
I currently have a 2006 Cadillac SRX with a 7-way connector. Can I tow a trailer with electric brakes without having the SRX setup for towing a trailer with electric brakes? That is, the SRX tow system was setup for a trailer without electric brakes but I need to tow a trailer with electric brakes just a short distance and wanted to know if this is possible? If so, what do I need to do to SRX and / or trailer. Not sure I can de-activate the electric brakes on the trailer so they do not lock up when being towed. Have not been able to find this information online. Thank you for your time and effort.
asked by: Charles P
Expert Reply:
It is possible to tow a trailer with electric brakes if your tow vehicle is not setup to tow a trailer with electric brakes. The brakes simply would not work. Electric trailer brakes are powered by a brake controller. Brake controllers are separate units that are installed on the tow vehicle.
Most states have laws that require brakes on the trailer to be functional if the trailer exceeds a certain weight. If you will be driving the trailer on any main roadways, I would recommend checking the laws for your state. Also, unless you are towing a small boat or utility trailer, I would recommend installing a brake controller on your SRX. Since it already has a 7-way trailer connector, you will only need a brake controller like the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 Brake Controller, # 90195, and a brake controller wiring kit, part # 5506.
To install a brake controller on your SRX, you will need run 4 wires. The P3 or any other brake controller you choose will have a white wire for ground, black wire for 12 volt power, blue wire for brake output power and a red wire for the stop light switch signal.
The white and black wire should be routed to the vehicles battery. The black wire should be ran to the positive terminal via the 30-amp circuit breaker from the wiring kit and the white wire from the brake controller should be ran to the negative battery terminal. You can use the duplex cable included with the wiring kit to run these wires. With the remaining wire, you will want to run the blue wire from the brake controller back to the 7-way trailer connector. This wire should be ran to the pin in the 5 oclock position on the trailer connector to provide power to the trailer brakes.
At this point you should only have the red wire left. The red wire carries the signal from your vehicles brake light circuit to the brake controller. This will tell the brake controller when you are stepping on the brake pedal so it knows when to send power to the trailer brakes. For your SRX, you will find the correct wire coming from your body control module (BCM) under the dash. We installed a brake controller on a 2007 SRX and found it was the light blue wire coming from a brown connector.
I recommend testing the wires using a circuit tester, like part # PTW2993, before making your connection. There is a possibility that Cadillac used a different color wire for this on different model years. We have found that vehicle manufacturers were not always consistent when it came to wire colors.
I have attached a few help articles on brake controllers and brake controller installations for you to check out.
Products Referenced in This Question
Wiring Kit for 2, 4, 6, and 8 Brake Electric Trailer Brake Controllers
- Accessories and Parts
- Trailer Brake Controller
- Installation Kits
- etrailer
more information >
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Tekonsha Prodigy P3 Trailer Brake Controller - 1 to 4 Axles - Proportional
- Trailer Brake Controller
- Proportional Controller
- Electric
- Electric over Hydraulic
- Automatic Leveling
- Under-Dash Box
- Dash Mount
- Up to 4 Axles
- LCD Display
- Up to 360 Degrees
- Tekonsha
more information >
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