Brake Controller Does Not Power On When Connected to 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500 Factory Harness

Question:

I plugged in the factory wiring harness into the panel behind the emergency brake. connected it to the aftermarket brake and the unit wouldnt turn on. Is there a wire under the hood that needs connected?

asked by: Troy

Expert Reply:

The factory brake controller wiring harness likely does not have the same functions on the same wires as the brake controller does. On a brake controller, the black wire is 12 volt power to the controller, white is ground, red is input from the brake switch, and blue is output to the trailer brakes.

If your factory harness is labeled check to see which functions are associated with each wire and attach to the brake controller accordingly. Or you could use harness # 3016 for a Tekonsha brake controller such as # 39523.

It is possible that you will need to make some connections under the hood. Check the fuse panel legend to see if there is a fuse in the brake controller location. If your truck came with the factory tow package and not all of the connections where made under the hood, I recommend taking it to the dealer and getting it set up the way it should have been prior to purchasing the truck.

expert reply by: Michael H