Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

[Gary H NC]

Any of you guys know much about the relay box under the dash on my 99 Tahoe?
I was wiring up a new Sirius radio and the black power wire from my Reese brake control came unhooked.
I don't know what terminal it was on...
Looked on about 10 websites and they show this wire needs to be wired direct to the battery through a 20 amp breaker.
Who ever installed this had it plugged in under the dash..

I think it was plugged into the lower left area of this panel...
Any help would be great! Thanks

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

Oh,The center terminal on the lower left that says DRK GRN is hot with a test light...Just don't know what that plug in was actually made for..
I have to tow my travel trailer to the dealer Monday for warranty work so this was bad timing!!

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

What brake controller you got Gary?

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

A Reese digital Spinner. The big red wire is correct,it is hot when brake pedal is pushed,white is going to ground and blue to the trailer brakes.It just stumps me as the 20 amp feed thats supposed to go to the black wire.
The Reese website shows the black going direct to the battery unless the vehicle has the connection under the dash.They do not show a Chevy diagram..

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

Black wire is for middle pole on plug.
It is hot all the time.
When plugged in it will charge the house battery/s on the travel trailer.
Least that is the way mine is.
It's an envoy.
It came with the plug to just plug in under the dash, no wiring needed.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

Thanks Spinner,Thats the middle pole on the lower left of my picture correct?

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

Thanks Spinner,Thats the middle pole on the lower left of my picture correct?

No, middle pole of your trailer plug on your truck, sorry.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

OH,Ok Spinner.Thats all wired back there.
I think i will run the black power like the Reese website says unless someone knows if it being plugged into a 12 volt source under the dash is ok...
The black wire going to the brake control is the main power feed.

 

[bjcsc]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

What's on the end of the black wire? Female spade?

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

What's on the end of the black wire? Female spade?

Yes....
That center connector on the lower left part of the box is the only thing that is hot all the time.Just wish i knew for sure...

 

[bjcsc]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

I'm looking hard for you as we speak...I haven't been able to find a diagram for the convenience center...

 

[newbie4life]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

Hook it up to 'yer windshield wipers -- everytime you flip on your wipers, the brakes lock up.

I'm thinking it needs to be to a 12v power source -- hot all the time. I don't believe that's the one with the ignition switched power -- can you get on the website for a diagram?

 

[bjcsc]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

Certainly its a 12V power, the question is whether the terminal he found is fused for the brake controller or just hot...

 

[bjcsc]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

Gary, the best I can find is that the red wire is correct. More than likely, whoever wired the controller had the black wire wired to that center terminal. That will probably be fine to take your trailer in for service. But, remember that the brake power feeds through the black line and not the red (the red is the trigger). You'll need a spool of same gauge primary wire and an inline self-resetting 20 Amp fuse and a terminal to connect it to your battery. It's important to use a self-resetting fuse as you'll be wanting your brakes back ASAP if it trips from the load...

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

Thanks Bjcsc!
I could not find any online diagrams either.
I'll hook my TT up and see,if it works it will get me bye until i can run a 10 gauge wire to the battery with the relay.
That center terminal had to be where it was plugged in.The wire is too short to reach anywhere else.
I pulled that trailer 900 miles home from upstate NY like that..
The truck has the factory tow package except for the brake control,the PO added it..

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

Hmmmmm......
Chevys must not be like a Dodge.
On a Dodge, the tow package includes a plug under the dash that you plug the brake controller into.
The plug comes with the truck and you just wire the plug onto the controller and plug it in the truck's plug.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

Spinner,
I have installed those brake controls on the newer GM and Dodge trucks at work.They had the plug in under the dash.Thats what had me confused on mine.All the wiring that goes to the plug in on the back bumper is there and has the plug under the dash.....Strange.
I even had the build sheet pulled on the truck and the hitch,oil and trans cooler was factory installed..

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

Yea the trucks come with the plug.
Someone has throwed yours away.
I'm sure Chevy does the same thing on a factory installed tow package.
Maybe a trip to the chevy dealer and ask them if they have the plug available for yours.

 

[bjcsc]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

Spinner: He has the old style GM convenience center (no 6-pin plug). The new styles (late '99 on) have a 6-pin connector in the convenience center...

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Chevy Techs! Brake wiring help!

Spinner: He has the old style GM convenience center (no 6-pin plug). The new styles (late '99 on) have a 6-pin connector in the convenience center...

Yea I know. His is a '99 so I thought maybe his had it.
Guess his is an early '99.