Need to install a 7 Pin wiring harness on my 02 Sport
- Thread starter Rancho5
- Start date
tvpierce
New member
+1 on the Tekonsha -- P2 or P3. The best on the market.
A quick primer on trailer brakes: Trailer brakes are electric, not hydraulic. So they are activated by electricity supplied by a brake controller. The amount of braking applied is determined by the voltage level being fed by the controller.
Brake controllers come in two varieties: 1) Proportional 2) Timed/Time Delayed
Both kinds are initially activated by tapping into the towing vehicle's brake light power source. When the tow vehicles brakes are applied, the brake lights come on, causing the brake controller to activate. What happens next is dependent upon which kind of controller you have.
Proportional is the kind you want. As the name would indicate, it gives proportional braking to the trailer based on the braking force within the tow vehicle. It does this with a pendulum (or some electronic variant like an accelerometer). Imagine a pendulum hanging vertically from the rear view mirror in your car. When you apply the brakes, that pendulum will move forward. The harder you brake, the more it will move. Proportional brake controllers use this same principle -- the more their "pendulum" moves, the more voltage they send to the trailer brakes. These brake controllers are great because your trailer is always braking in unison with the tow vehicle.
Timed/Time Delayed controllers are a blunt instrument. IMHO, don't even consider one of these. They supply a pre-determined voltage level to the brakes whenever they are activated. Before you set out, you adjust how much braking you want (based on your load, vehicle, etc.) and the amount of delay you want. For the sake of discussion, let's say you choose half power, and two seconds. Every time you apply your brakes (brake lights come on) two seconds will elapse, and the trailer brakes will be applied at half power. (You can see the potential for problems already, right?)
So if you begin gently braking while approaching an intersection, two seconds from the time you apply the brakes, the trailer brakes are going to come on hard -- not good. Alternatively, if someone cuts you off and you have to slam on your brakes, you need 100% braking from your tow vehicle -- which you get. Unfortunately, you get no help from the trailer brakes for the initial two seconds, then they only come on at half force.
So as you can see, the Timed/Time Delayed controllers are always a compromise -- and a bad one at that.
A little long-winded... but I hope it helps.
A quick primer on trailer brakes: Trailer brakes are electric, not hydraulic. So they are activated by electricity supplied by a brake controller. The amount of braking applied is determined by the voltage level being fed by the controller.
Brake controllers come in two varieties: 1) Proportional 2) Timed/Time Delayed
Both kinds are initially activated by tapping into the towing vehicle's brake light power source. When the tow vehicles brakes are applied, the brake lights come on, causing the brake controller to activate. What happens next is dependent upon which kind of controller you have.
Proportional is the kind you want. As the name would indicate, it gives proportional braking to the trailer based on the braking force within the tow vehicle. It does this with a pendulum (or some electronic variant like an accelerometer). Imagine a pendulum hanging vertically from the rear view mirror in your car. When you apply the brakes, that pendulum will move forward. The harder you brake, the more it will move. Proportional brake controllers use this same principle -- the more their "pendulum" moves, the more voltage they send to the trailer brakes. These brake controllers are great because your trailer is always braking in unison with the tow vehicle.
Timed/Time Delayed controllers are a blunt instrument. IMHO, don't even consider one of these. They supply a pre-determined voltage level to the brakes whenever they are activated. Before you set out, you adjust how much braking you want (based on your load, vehicle, etc.) and the amount of delay you want. For the sake of discussion, let's say you choose half power, and two seconds. Every time you apply your brakes (brake lights come on) two seconds will elapse, and the trailer brakes will be applied at half power. (You can see the potential for problems already, right?)
So if you begin gently braking while approaching an intersection, two seconds from the time you apply the brakes, the trailer brakes are going to come on hard -- not good. Alternatively, if someone cuts you off and you have to slam on your brakes, you need 100% braking from your tow vehicle -- which you get. Unfortunately, you get no help from the trailer brakes for the initial two seconds, then they only come on at half force.
So as you can see, the Timed/Time Delayed controllers are always a compromise -- and a bad one at that.
A little long-winded... but I hope it helps.
Thanks for taking the time to explain all of that
Any suggestions on where to get matching wire to run from the controller to the rear bumper?
mountain mike
New member
Pretty much any hardware store, napa or similar, Radio shack (if you still have any in your area). It doesn't need to be anything specific. I think for the break controller I used a 14 gauge? Maybe 12? I would try and match the gauge that the brake controller comes with.
tvpierce
New member
Thanks for taking the time to explain all of that
Any suggestions on where to get matching wire to run from the controller to the rear bumper?
Etrailer.com is fantastic for parts and info. Here's a great tutorial on a controller install on a Tacoma.
https://www.etrailer.com/tv-install...ke-controller-2008-toyota-tacoma-tk90160.aspx
