Can anyone step by step the install of their P3 please? I am at going to lose it. When I ordered the P3 it came with a single wiring adapter made for Dodge that attached the brake controller to the connection behind the ebrake.

 

I have heard, but not verified, that there are actually two different connections for that connector..

I'd get a chunk of wire and an ohmmeter and see which underdash pin (if any) has continuity from the brake pin in the 7-way... and then make sure that is what's connected to the brake output of the P3.

If none have continuity, you may have to come up with a tone tracer and see if you can figure out where the connection gets lost.

 

Tekonsha tech support says the pigtail connector from the controller to the car is the only wiring necessary.

 

Right, but there are two ways to do that:
1. buy a pre-wired cable.
2. use the unterminated pigtail that came with the factory tow package, and the unterminated pigtail that comes with the P3, and splice up your own cable.

The Tekonsha catalog 3045-P is the correct premade cable for the '14 WK2/WD with factory tow, but the catalog is not clear whether the dealer installed tow is the same (I'd assume it is, but.. )

 

I used the 3045P and it was an extremely simple plug & play with the factory tow package.

 

I've had a hitch and towed before- but just lighter stuff.

Looking into getting a brake controller- and since this is all new to me- have to say i'm pretty ignorant.

so why does everyone seem to buy the Tekonsha as opposed to the mopar?

 

so why does everyone seem to buy the Tekonsha as opposed to the mopar?

IMHO, because the towing world at large knows the Tekonsha, and the Mopar really doesn't buy you anything over the Tekonsha. So, with the Tekonsha, you have a much larger support network for real towing issues.

As far as the "where to I mount the friggin thing?" - the interior designers do not know or care about where you might mount a brake controller. They don't know what a brake controller is. It might be nice if the lead project engineer had a pow-wow and said "look, some people are gonna be towing with this thing, so maybe we ought to keep in mind a cubby or something where a brake controller could be mounted..." .. but the X5 and the MDX don't worry about that, so the FCA designers don't worry about that.

major

I've had a recent personal experience as a (late in the game) consultant on an industrial product.. where it was clear that the people that did the "industrial design" (what we're really talking about here - the actual design of all the visible/touchable product features) had NO CLUE how the users actually used the product.. what I learned is that if *marketing* doesn't specify some feature, it will not exist.

We engineers like to think we rule the roost, but those days are long gone.

...tom

 

I got the Tekonsha P3 because of reviews from other truck and towing forums and places like that. I had no clue which one was considered "best" or why so I put my faith in the internet, which is NEVER wrong. haha Based on the reviews, the P3 is "smoother" than other controllers because of the inertia-based sensor, which also yields some pretty good flexibility in mounting. etrailer.com shows 4.9 stars based on 710 reviews and Amazon shows 4.9 based on 366 reviews.

I like that the manual override is a full lever that's easy to grab rather than a thumb wheel or tiny slide switch. I can blindly reach for it and find it without issue. The LED display is easy to read and uses plain language and symbols to make it easy to understand. The calibration process is easy PLUS it gives a newbie an opportunity to get a feel for the trailer and its brakes. I've never used another controller so my opinion may not count for much, but I love my P3.

 

I wouldn't think you would need brakes for that trailer; what does it weigh? Can you post the diagram?

 

The camper is listed as 2,600lbs. Loaded with my gear it weighs close to, if not more than 3,000lbs. Anything over 2,000 requires the use of brakes. I threw away the diagram because it recommended the placement of the brake controller in front of the vent. If you read back you can see that spot didn't work out for me, so I changed it. There were a couple of other options for mounting, but I wanted a permanent mount and that was the best place for me.

 

For additional data points, here's where I put mine.

And no laughing at my elderly brake controller -- she's still a peach!


I leave it "collapsed" during normal driving; when towing I will rotate it down. Need to ensure (a) you clear the airbag and (b) can still open the hood.


This was the most out-of-the-way location I could think of which is still easily accessible. As a point of reference, I tow my race car. Fully loaded I'm carrying around 5000 lbs.

 

I installed the mopar wiring harness for the 4 and 7 pin lights. One thing that I noticed about the instructions was to leave the dark green wire in the harness that was taped on the end disconnected from anything and leave it under the fuse box under the hood. I have no clue what this wire is for or if it may need to be connected to something used for the brake controller harness plug under the dash.

I can also post the Mopar harness instructions if anyone needs them.

 

well after some testing , I found out the green wire that the harness instructions say to leave rolled up under the fuse box is the wire for the brake controller signal. I tested this by running a long wire from it to the blue wire from my controller and the electric brakes worked. Does anyone know if i'm suppose to hard wire that green wire to my controller harness under the dash or is there a location it taps into under the fuse box.

I don't want to spend an hour running a wire to the controller if it's as simple as connecting/splicing the green wire into the correct place under the fuse box.

 

Have you ever found out about the green wire connection?
I just got a 2017 SXT with the V-6, but without the trailer tow package. The trailer wiring harness appears to be standard now, and I had the dealer install the hitch. I purchased the Prodigy connector and plugged it into the grey connector under the dash. My prodigy controller is getting power, but it shows the NC for not connected whether I hook up to the trailer, or to the prodigy 7 pin tester. All my lights work on the trailer (turn signals, brakes, backup, running).
Only thing I can think of is that something between the under dash connector and 7 pin connector is not connected. Any connections between those two points that I should check?
I verified the correct fuses are where they are supposed to be, does the computer have to be flashed for the electric brake controller to work?

 

I believe if you don't have the factory row package. You need to have the dealer update the Uconnect to recognize the controller.

 

JT. Which air bag are you talking about? I see on specs that a 2014 D has "knee" airbags. Is this what you mean?

 

My 2017 electric brake controller finally works

Happy to say I got my electric trailer brakes working on my 2017 SXT. I have the dealer installed 7 way/4 way wiring harness, and everything worked except my Prodigy P2 brake controller. It powered up fine but showed "not connected".
I used the recommended Tekonsha 3045 connector, which fit right into the factory grey connector under the dash, but the green wire on the factory connector is not connected to the electric brake wiring. Perhaps the factory tow package has a connection, but not the dealer installed harness. I even looked at the dealers instructions for the wiring and it illustrates just tying the dark green electric brake wire off under the fuse box in the hood.
I ended up clipping the blue wire off the 3045 connector, and then running a wire from there, under the dash, and then through the firewall on the passenger side to the dark green wire that was left dangling under the fuse box. That dark green wire is the only wire that runs to the brake pin on the 7 pin controller.
That was the solution for me, and I now have my brake controller working. The other three wires in the factory connection work fine with the 3045 Tekonsha connector, just had to run the blue wire to the dark green wire under the fuse box. (I never did find where that green wire in the factory connector goes, but it definitely wasn't to the 7 pin connector)
Took a photo of the under dash connector, the place where I put my brake controller (clears the seam of the shin airbag) and a photo showing the dark green wire under the removed fuse box.

 

I have the same issue. I installed the hitch, the new wiring harness that goes from rear of Dodge to under-hood fuse box. Used Mopar factory brake controller. Everything works but no signal getting from brake controller to rear trailer connector. I know instructions talked about not connecting green wire. Suspect that green wire needs to connect to brake controller some how. I will check connection tomorrow. Trying to get factory wiring diagram. About ready to spend hundreds $ to get factory manual. 2015 Dodge Durango Limited.

 

what you'll probably want to do is get a short-term techauthority subscription..
the FSM I bought for my '14 doesn't even have wiring diagrams.. dunno about the '15..

but the online stuff does..

...tom

 

Problem Resolved. Ran a 12 Gauge wire from Dark Blue wire on output of Brake Controller across and out threw firewall grommets behind Glove Box to under-hood Fuse Box and connected to Light Green Wire from Trailer Plug. Presto, Trailer Brake now operational. Yeah!

 

Ding! I'm in the same situation. Radar 1 and Rocketman59's posts is the most helpful so far, because they informs us about the firewall grommet location. I'm doing this today.
Thanks! -- Greg

 

Copied from electrical hitch harness install directions.

 

Thank you everyone. This thread was very helpful in finding a reasonable mounting location for the P3 controller in 2017 R/T. I hate drilling into the dash, but did so reluctantly. Honestly I don't think there is a good mounting place in the Durango, and on the left side was the best of bad choices. It clears both the door and the airbag, while still being able to access the fuel door button and hood latch.

 

Little late, but here is how I did mine. I don't need mine all the time and didn't want it down but my knee.

I used a spare GoPro setup I had and some 3M VHB.

It's an easy reach, is totally adjustable, and just pop it out when not needed.

 

Made a more compact mount for the brake controller....

Suction cup is about an inch smaller in diameter, it all sits a few inches lower on the windshield and is pushed back a few inches on the dash.

View attachment 96978

 

I'm trying to figure out how to mount my brake controller too.

Has anyone used this for mounting their Tekonsha P3? I like that it doesn't obstruct the air bag or get in the way of your legs.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/253846258645

 

I like how this brake controller was mounted on top of the dash using velcro.