connecting brake controller to brakes and lights

[scoota]

I've just fitted a Redarc electronic brake controller to my '97 defender 110 - running the wires to the battery was easy enough, but now I'm not sure where to connect the wires that will run to the vehicle brake lights and the blue trailer brake wire. The defender already has a working 7 pin flat socket with existing wiring. Cheers, Scoota

[waynep]

You can connect the brake sense ( red ) wire to either the "cold" side of brake light foot switch, but it's probably easier to connect it to the brake light line i.e. just tap into the red wire that should go to pin 6 of your trailer connector.

The Blue wire goes to pin 5 of your 7 pin trailer connector. You'll probably find a spare blue wire in the trailer plug harness, just join to that. This should activate the electric brake solenoids. Be aware though that this line should be fairly heavy copper all the way. ( 14 AWG minimum )

This is the best diagram I have found :

www.myswag.org/downloads/Crazy%20Dog/.../Trailer%20wiring.doc

[PhilipA]

I had an old Tekonsha in my car and I removed it.
The funny thing was that it was wired so the brake light circuit live side went through the controller, and when I removed the controller there was no power to the brake lights.
Now the only reason I could see for this was to give trailer brake while the ignition was off, which to me is a pretty dubious advantage.
I wired the brake switch back to normal which in an RRC is no lights with Ign off.

BUT I still have no idea whether there is some legal requirement to have trailer brakes active with ign off. Logically seems crazy, as I cannot imagine a scenario.
Regard sPhilip A

[scoota]

Thanks Waynep,
I found where the trailer wires tap into the lighting loom behind the wheel arch - red wire from trailer plug is tapped into green wire of defender so I assume this is the brake lights. Seems easier to join the controller brake light wire here rather than going through the dash to the brake switch in the engine bay.
cheers, Scoota

[waynep]

Thanks Waynep,
I found where the trailer wires tap into the lighting loom behind the wheel arch - red wire from trailer plug is tapped into green wire of defender so I assume this is the brake lights. Seems easier to join the controller brake light wire here rather than going through the dash to the brake switch in the engine bay.
cheers, Scoota

yep that's what I did