My 2007 Dakota came with everything I need for towing except the actual tow package. It came with anti slip rear axle, heavy duty supension and the 3.92 axle ratio. I have installed the factory hitch and factory tow wiring package and want to know if by installing the factory wiring, will the electric brake conector that is under the dash be actvated by this wiring upgrade?
Thanks
Rob

 

You should post this in the 3rd Gen Dakota sub forum. I will move it there for you.

 

Did you do the install or did you have a dealer do it? If dealer, they should have hooked up the connections for electric brakes that is under the dash (blue connection) Not sure what that would entail or if you would need a flash to the ECU for this to take effect. If you did the install, What did you hook up to for the 4 prong and 7 prong trailer harness? (4 prong being the standard brake lights and directionals, 7 being the electric brakes also)

 

Thanks for moving this to the right part of the forum.
Rob

I installed the tow harness myself. It is the circular 7 pin arrangement that included the relay that gets installed right under the power center under the hood. It was a plug and play installation. I checked all the lights on the trailer and they work as they should. The part of the instructions that ID the wires calls for one of them to be electric brakes. In the instructions all wires get connected except one that goes through the firewall but it just get coiled up and strapped under the dash. Not sure what that one is for. I would like to also get the optional plug and play wiring harness for the electric brake controller. It’s on-line instructions say to just plug it into the connector under the dash on trucks equipped with the “tow package”. I however don’t want to buy that optional harness if it will not prove to be plug and play.
Rob

 

Welcome to DF Rob!

I think your best bet here is to call a local dealer and speak to the service department. It ought to work but it may need to be activated by the dealer using the starscan tool, I know it's needed when adding OEM fog lights. Either way they should be able to find out for you.

 

Unless the truck came from the factory with the tow package, there is no 'plug and play' for the electric brakes...

Like you I bought the OEM hitch and wiring harness...the 'factory wiring' they are referring to is a pigtail to hook up the controller to the truck...look up by your e-brake and see if there is a blug plug...I doubt you have one...which means the harness they are trying to sell you is useless.

The blue wire that is supposed to go back through the firewall is what sends power back down to the brakes...

You can go here https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen...ontroller.html
and see what I ended up doing...not too hard...let me know if you have any questions...

 

Thanks for the info.
It's discouraging to also know that I do not have that blue female connector under the dash and I don't have the blue factory pig tail that fits it ether. So, even if I were to get the brake controllers wiring adaptor there's no place to plug it in.
OK , if the blue wire that goes through the fire wall is the power supply to the trailer brakes that's one less connection to find. I guess from there I have to tap into the trucks harness to find the other connections. I’m really not wanting to have to do that but I do need the controller hooked up.
I wonder if that blue female connector and its wiring that is under the dash can be bought and if it might just plug into the main harness or the power pack at its other end. It would make sense for the main wiring harness of these trucks to be somewhat universal? The wiring diagrams in the factory manual are rather complicated but I guess I will have to check it out closely. If I discover something easy I will post it.
Rob

 

No need to get any harness at this point...

If you already have the controller all you need is some wire to run to the POS and NEG terminals (plus a fuse), connect the blue wire from the harness to the corresponding wire on the controller and tap into the appropriate wire on the brake harness (I can tell you which one it is when I get home)...not that much of a PITA really...

I am probably the most *non* electrical person you can find and I was able to get it wired with NO problem...