Factory Tow Package Problems

[6.5 Detroit Diesel]

Hopefully someone here can help in time. I am a ways from home picking up my 93 parts truck. The diesel is at home as it doesn't have a tow package and in its place I am using my dads 2000 2500HD 6.0. It has the factory tow package, (Z82) and somone has put a controller in and plugged the harness into the box. Only problem is, there is no power going to the controller. All the lights work and everything else, but the brakes aren't being activated and the control light on the Brake Controller isn't coming on when the brakes are engaged. Is there something missing somewhere here, or has someone else run into this problem? Please let me know ASAP

[DmaxMaverick]

Check the inline fuse on the controller harness. It should have one if installed properly. The truck fuses for trailer accessories (like lighting, power and brakes) are in the under hood fuse box. All of the related fuses are identified on the lid. If all the fuses are good, check the controller connector. Sometimes, a contact pin gets pushed out when connected. If so, restore it and reconnect.

If it worked before, it has to be something simple. Depending on the controller (what brand and model?), it may not indicate anything unless there are brakes on the other end. Check to be sure the trailer brakes are connected to the trailer connector.

There are diagrams of trailer connectors in my "Truck Stuff Pics" link in my sig. Use a diagram to confirm you have juice in the right places, and the trailer connector matches. Some folks wire them to match a vehicle that isn't wired standard.

[6.5 Detroit Diesel]

Okay, but I thought I had read that the trucks that came with the Factory Tow Setup didn't have that fuse. Is the fuse located under the Fuse Box in the drivers side under the hood? The other thing I am wondering, is if someone decided to hook the wires up from the controller, (Tekonsha Voyager) going by colors? From what I read, you are not supposed to do that, and all the wires are connected by color.

[DmaxMaverick]

The wire colors may or may not match. Tekonsha changes their wire colors from model to model and year to year. I won't venture a guess. The fuse I first referred to is inline, right off the controller, between the controller and underdash interface where the controller plugs in. The controller batt+ wire should be fused. I don't know of any recent controller mfg that doesn't diagram one. There are also several trailering related fuses in the underhood box. The "confusion" over the underhood box was about the 12V trailer charge circuit, which varied between gasser and Diesel models, and has nothing to do with the brakes (other than charging the trailer battery). The rest of the system is the same for the year model.

It's a PITA, but you need to verify what wires are being powered (or not), from where.

[6.5 Detroit Diesel]

Okay, I didn't know that there was an inline fuse in the controller wiring as the loom is still on it all. The other question is, do you have a picture for how the plugin to the interface should look for what color wires going where? We did test the interface plugin and found out that the one pin, I believe it would be "B" is hot. I am really hoping this comes together as I want to hit the road tomorrow with truck and trailer.

[DmaxMaverick]

The brake controller harness connector should be plugged into the top row, second (from left) connector, of the block on the firewall forward of the E-brake pedal. They changed the pinout for 2003+.

The 2002 brake controller underdash connector pinout is:

A - Lt. blue - Stop lamps
B - Red - Brake controller 12V source
C - Dk blue - Brake controller output to trailer brakes
D - Brown - Brake controller illumination
E - (not used)
F - Black - Ground

Match the wire colors of the connector harness with the DESCRIPTION of the controller wires. NOT the colors of the controller. I've seen only one controller that matched all the wire colors, and I don't think it was a Tekonsha.

The connector pin lettering is counterclockwise, starting with the lower/right pin (A), the middle/right is (B), upper/right is (C), upper/left is (D), middle/left is (E), and lower/left is (F). Lock tab is at the top, looking at the connector pin end (not the wire end) for this. The block the connector plugs into is opposite.

[6.5 Detroit Diesel]

Thanks for the help
The trip was made yesterday. Not the funnest, towing a 6k trailer through the Rockies with a travel advisory was not my idea of fun, but the truck handled well averaging a whopping 4.5 kilometers per liter, :D
Thanks again for helping make this happen
Big thanks to DmaxMaverick

[DmaxMaverick]

My pleasure.

Well? Did you fix it? What was the problem? Inquiring minds want to know....

[6.5 Detroit Diesel]

Yes it was fixed, the last person to wire it in had wired it improperly. I actually took the whole harness into a dealership and they said it was all good. Thanks again