hi all,

I've got an R/T 2012 Dodge Durango and I'm having an odd problem. I had uhaul install an after market trailer hitch on my car and a wiring harness setup. After they installed I hooked it up to a 4 prong trailer only to see that the lights would only come on when my headlights were on but brakes/turn signals wouldn't work. I'm fairly certain the uhaul parts are good. This is also a brand new car so I'm sure the fuses are fine. The Uhaul guy said some mfg's have been leaving out fuses etc. and even though all my fuses looked fine he said take to dealer and it might be something simple they need to turn on or put in fuse wise. I dont mind paying said dealer some small amount of money for consulting on fixing this issue. Of course dealer says they need to 'take off uhaul hitch' and install a 'special' wiring system which includes 'programming' my car to allow it to tow all for the low price of 1000$. The supposed programming is to allow the turn signals to work through the wiring harness????? These are just 4 wires there is nothing complicated about it. Sounds like they just want to screw me over. This car is capable of towing and towed just fine and I've never heard of ANYTHING like this before with any truck or SUV even if it was sold with or without a trailer hitch.

My question has anyone installed a trailer hitch and wiring before on these new durangos? Any suggestions as to what might be going on?

 

Depends on the wiring kit that uhaul used. if its the oem style one it is true that the dealer needs to program it. However there are simple 4 pin kits that are a simple plug and play with the tail lights.

Wow your dealer is expensive. mine was going to charge me only 500 for a hitch and wiring installed when i purchased my d. It was also for the oem style where it goes through the bumper.

 

so here is the follow up, Uhaul is just using a straight through adaptor meaning it's just a holder for the OEM connector. Let me clarify the problem a bit. From the actual Dodge OEM trailer hook up I'm not even getting any voltage at all except headlights (meaning with the uhaul part taken out of the mix). To me this is a factory issue as it should be giving voltage for all blinkers/brake lights. After Uhaul gave me info about how they run the hook up I was being fed a line from the other dealership. The bad dealership even said 'uhaul cut into the wiring, can't fix' which is completely untrue nothing is cut at all or changed.

Something does need to be either turned on (perhaps a fuse added) or possibly programmed with the TPIM but that should be turned on by default and not something I should have to 'pay' because they've disabled it and have nothing in the book about 'what needs to be done to allow vehicle to tow', IMO.

 

the dealership has to activate it in the computer in order to have voltage going back there...there is no point in having it operational with voltage running to the back if there is no hitch on the car...therefore once you add the hitch go to dealership and have them activate the wiring harness in the computer and you should have no issues, or get one of the 4 pin wiring kits that plugs a T into your stock brake light wiring harness (also plug and play) and you should have no issues...i miss the good ol days when cars didnt have all this fancy computer technology and when you opened the hood you saw a motor not all this plastic and computer parts everywhere

 

They need to go into the computer with the StarScan tool and activate the Tow Package, which for them, I believe, is accomplished by adding Sales Codes into the system.

DodgeCares may check in here and can provide that code for you.

 

I just came from my dealer and they quoted me about 340 fro the hitch (with bezel for hitch to go through the bumper) and wiring. then 1.8 hours to install (about 180).

I dont know how some dealers work, but im sure some will charge 1/2 to 1 hour of labor to program it to be on

 

it really depends on the dealer and your relationship with them...i have heard some turn it on for free while doing an oil change or free inspection...I am sure the install they quoted you includes the activation otherwise it is not installed correctly