My truck is a 2002 quad cab 1500 4.7

I am connecting a trailer brake controller. Instructions say to connect it to cold wire on stop light switch and when brake peddle pushed it will light a test light. I have used a pin to probe in the wires on the switch to connect test light to. OK, none are hot when brake peddle is mashed.I disconnected the plug and tested each pin and none are hot. However brake lights work, that doesn't seem possible.

Now back up 24 hr. I started to find the cold wire yesterday. I checked the connector and found the hot wire. I stuck a pin in the one next to it to find if it got hot when brake mashed. I dropped the switch and the pin hit ground and sparked. After that, I couldn't get it out of park. Reading on this forum I found I could disconnect a plug and be able to get it out of park. I found the plug, disconnected and sure enough it came out of park. This morning Bat. was too low to start pickup. I jumped it and it was hard to start and wouldn't run without keeping foot on throttle. FINALLY it started running right.

Did that spark cause that thing to keep it from moving out of park not work?
Why can't I find any 12v to the plug to stop light switch?
And why do the stop lights still work?
Why did it run poorly this morning?
Did shorting this switch cause all this?

 

Well it sounds like the switch that you short circuited was the 'park brake interlock' or something like that. That's the switch that normally locks the gear selector in the Park position until you press on the brake. The 02's use the CANbus electrical system, so it's very possible other electrical areas could have been temporarily or permanently damaged from that short circuit. I've never had to wire in a brake controller so I can't offer advice there, but my truck has the towing package so I think under the dash I have the wire for the controller already there. There have been several threads lately regarding brake controllers, maybe there's some info in those that can help you out. Also there's a thread in the FAQ section that has a link to download the service manual for the 02s.

 

If your truck has the factory 7way, there should be the blue wire up under the dash is my understanding. As well as available connectors for installing aftermarket controllers I thought.

 

My truck hasn't got factory trailer connectors of any kind.

 

It was fuse # 24. Hard to beleive it caused all that. It must have because I replaced it and all is well.