Elec Brake Controller install to D4 - Perth Area?

[DiscoDavey]

Hello Perth People (and anyone else that can help),

I am trying to find someone in Perth to install a Tekonsha P3 to my D4.
I've spoken to a couple of auto electricians and clearly they have little idea regarding the technicalities of the D4, EBC and LED's on trailers. As documented in many threads including this one: D4 Electric Trailer Brakes (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/97935-d4-electric-trailer-brakes.html)

Anyway, can anyone recommend a competent installer in Perth? Would be VERY handy if they were located in the Northern Suburbs.

I'm towing three trailers, one near or slightly over 3t so I'm keen to get it done right!

Finally, on a another matter, is anyone towing 2.5t - 3.5t on the standard LR hitch? Many people that are serious about their towing seem to use a Mitchell Bro Hitch but I am keen to hear from anyone that successfully tows at the 90km/hr limit using the standard hitch.

Thank you all in advance.

[MC D4]

Hi DiscoDavey,

I did my own EBC controller install used Redarc remote control unit and Sneigy's excellent DIY instructions. It was a relatively easy process. If you are not that way inclined then showing a decent auto sparky the steps would be the way to go. If you get stuck let me know and I will put you onto a guy I know in Bibra Lake that looks after our work vehicles. He ended up doing the diode for me nd we ran through the install as he was interested in the LR setup.

In regards to towing with the std LR hitch I tow a 2.5 tonne toy hauler and with 3 bikes on board would push 3 tonne. Been doing this for 2 years and covered a lot of kms. Had no issues to date. Sit on 105kph most of the way.

[LR D4]

Have a talk to lifestyle 4WD in Morley 4 Barnett Crt Morley WA 6062 (08) 9271 7500

I talked to the owner about fitting this to my D4

[DiscoDavey]

Thank you LR D4 and MC D4,
I like the idea of DIY... I'll give that a go and if I get into trouble I'll give one of the above a call.

MC D4 do you also use a Pulse Buster?

Thanks again.

[sniegy]

If you have any questions/queries just ask, happy to help. Shame you weren't closer!


Cheers

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

[DiscoDavey]

If you have any questions/queries just ask, happy to help. Shame you weren't closer!


Thank you Sniegy. I suspect I will be asking a couple of questions.. Ordered P3 this morning so should be starting install next week.

[john_paul_128]

Hi discoDavey

I am near Joondalup and did DIY of RedArc following Sniegys instructions. I am happy to show you my install and lessons learnt!

Let me know, John

[gotaflat]

I am keen to put mine in as well. I was thinking of asking LR to do it along with getting a permanent Pulse Busta installed, but LR may not be the way to go (nor permanent Pulse Busta? If any one in Perth is willing to led a hand I would be great full (I am in Perth some weeks/weekends). It not that I could not do it, it just the time, and I always seem to take longer than is required/I intend. And I don't want to get it wrong. Failing that MC D4, be keen to get your contact in Bibra Lake, as its close to our place in Perth.

[MC D4]

No Pulse Buster needed for me DiscoDavey as my Jayco Basestation has regular tail lights (just LED markers).

Just PM me Gotaflat if you need the Bibra Lake contact.

[DiscoDavey]

Thanks MC D4. I'll have a crack at it myself. Between everyone that has been terrific and offered their help, I think I should be able to get job done.

[DirtDigger]

Please make sure the auto sparky KNOWS what he is doing and has prior LR Disco experience. I just engaged an auto sparky thru Ace electrics with specific instruction that he was to know what he was doing. Well he did not have a clue and said he had very little D4 experience nor had put on a P3 onto a D4 before - he said could not work out why there was tail light power at Pin 5 and 7. He did not have a D4 workshop manual.
After he finished there was no more tail light volts at pin 7, and pin 5 was not working properly. I went thru sniegy's notes again and then it made sense to me. I completely reversed all the sparky's work - reconnected the divided blue and brown wires in the loom and started again. I check the trailer connector with a trailer plug tester (that the auto sparky did not have!!) ..and all pins worked as they should with tail lights power at Pin 5 and 7

I did not need to remove the LHS tail light. The sparky was working on the trailer loom inside LH rear corner. He cut the blue wire? why. Can someone tell me what the blue wire does in the trailer loom??
Sparky cut the brown wire BEFORE it divided into the black and brown wires. No wonder why the Pin 7 tail light did not work any more. He connected the P3 thin red wire (brake sense) extension to the divided brown wire (this would then connect to pins 5 and 7, then fed the P3 thicker blue wire extension onto the red (brake) wire. The P3 blue wire is the power wire to activate the electric brakes, and the P3 red wire (brake sense) is connected to the brake light wire in the loom on its way to Pin 6. The sparky had the P3 red and blue wires the wrong way round ( i dont think he knew what each wire did or he forgot that he had wired the extension cable the other way round - P3 red wire to the cable black wire and the P3 blue wire to the cable red wire) and divided the trailer loom blue wire (? why) and the brown wire too early.
Sparky's P3 connection
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=60711&stc=1&d=1368965350

My repair to P3 end - notice I have changed over the wire colour connections - not critical if one knows whats going on at the loom end
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=60709&stc=1&d=1368965027

Sparky's loom connection - note blue wire cut, and brown wire severed too high before the black wire comes off. Result no tail light to Pin 7. Note that the loom red and brown have the wrong wires from the P3 connected also - wrong way around
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=60713&stc=1&d=1368965784

My repair work - reconnected the blue and brown wires that were cut earlier ( had to use some orange wire to join them back up again). Then cut brown wire after the black wire comes off. My black wire that is joined to P3 blue wire is now connected to the trailer connector end of the brown wire.
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=60714&stc=1&d=1368966395

If someone can tell me how to properly add photos to this Post I would love to add them here to show the botched job and the repair work that I had to do. I'll give the attachment a go but not sure I am doing it correctly.

[Fatso]

Gday , Done my install to RSS following Sniegys intsructions and after a few re-reads of some steps got it done ok , you can get the diode from any electronic shop, cheap as .
Been using my standard LR tow hiych to tow my 1200kg camper with no probs , i have the D4 style hitch insert not the hang down (plough) type . People say they can fall out but imho i can not see how it can if correctly put in .

[Scary]

If you have any questions/queries just ask, happy to help. Shame you weren't closer!


Cheers

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

Does anyone have the link to the DIY Instructions? And what do I need for the LED trailer lights on a D3?

Thanks

[sniegy]

Please make sure the auto sparky KNOWS what he is doing and has prior LR Disco experience. I just engaged an auto sparky thru Ace electrics with specific instruction that he was to know what he was doing. Well he did not have a clue and said he had very little D4 experience nor had put on a P3 onto a D4 before - he said could not work out why there was tail light power at Pin 5 and 7. He did not have a D4 workshop manual.
After he finished there was no more tail light volts at pin 7, and pin 5 was not working properly. I went thru sniegy's notes again and then it made sense to me. I completely reversed all the sparky's work - reconnected the divided blue and brown wires in the loom and started again. I check the trailer connector with a trailer plug tester (that the auto sparky did not have!!) ..and all pins worked as they should with tail lights power at Pin 5 and 7

I did not need to remove the LHS tail light. The sparky was working on the trailer loom inside LH rear corner. He cut the blue wire? why. Can someone tell me what the blue wire does in the trailer loom??
Sparky cut the brown wire BEFORE it divided into the black and brown wires. No wonder why the Pin 7 tail light did not work any more. He connected the P3 thin red wire (brake sense) extension to the divided brown wire (this would then connect to pins 5 and 7, then fed the P3 thicker blue wire extension onto the red (brake) wire. The P3 blue wire is the power wire to activate the electric brakes, and the P3 red wire (brake sense) is connected to the brake light wire in the loom on its way to Pin 6. The sparky had the P3 red and blue wires the wrong way round ( i dont think he knew what each wire did or he forgot that he had wired the extension cable the other way round - P3 red wire to the cable black wire and the P3 blue wire to the cable red wire) and divided the trailer loom blue wire (? why) and the brown wire too early.
Sparky's P3 connection
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=60711&stc=1&d=1368965350

My repair to P3 end - notice I have changed over the wire colour connections - not critical if one knows whats going on at the loom end
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=60709&stc=1&d=1368965027

Sparky's loom connection - note blue wire cut, and brown wire severed too high before the black wire comes off. Result no tail light to Pin 7. Note that the loom red and brown have the wrong wires from the P3 connected also - wrong way around
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=60713&stc=1&d=1368965784

My repair work - reconnected the blue and brown wires that were cut earlier ( had to use some orange wire to join them back up again). Then cut brown wire after the black wire comes off. My black wire that is joined to P3 blue wire is now connected to the trailer connector end of the brown wire.
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=60714&stc=1&d=1368966395

If someone can tell me how to properly add photos to this Post I would love to add them here to show the botched job and the repair work that I had to do. I'll give the attachment a go but not sure I am doing it correctly.

Holy Shugar Crystals Batman.
WTF was this guy thinking?

I am so glad you have figured this out.
The blue wire is the for the rear fog lights & goes to pin no. 2.

I see this a lot with clients taking the vehicle to their chosen Auto Sparky & then coming back to me to repair as the Auto Sparky just looks at colours & think's just match the colours & all will be fine. Unfortunately that is incorrect.

Cheers

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

[sniegy]

Does anyone have the link to the DIY Instructions? And what do I need for the LED trailer lights on a D3?

Thanks
Scary search this heading.
Electric Trailer brake wired-photo.

This is the heading of the post specifically for the D3.
If you have LED's then there are plenty of posts on this also. I use a module from Linear Electronic Design mounted permanently in my vehicle.

HTH
Cheers

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

[Scary]

I saw in another thread that if I run the trailer without the brake controller it will lock the brakes (ie apply full brake force) all the time via the 12N plug connection.

Is that correct? I am picking up our trailer on Saturday and I won't have the controller fitted by then. It is only 680kg unloaded so I don't have to have the brakes working on the trailer to get it home.

Is the theory correct above? If so I guess I can get under the trailer and disconnect the brakes.

[sniegy]

I saw in another thread that if I run the trailer without the brake controller it will lock the brakes (ie apply full brake force) all the time via the 12N plug connection.

Is that correct? I am picking up our trailer on Saturday and I won't have the controller fitted by then. It is only 680kg unloaded so I don't have to have the brakes working on the trailer to get it home.

Is the theory correct above? If so I guess I can get under the trailer and disconnect the brakes.

Scary,
Does the trailer you are picking up have trailer brakes as it is under 750Kg? Or did you specify that you wanted them?

If it DOES have them, then DO NOT turn on the lights (&/or switch the headlights off the auto option)
As the 2nd park light circuit is run to pin no. 5, this is where the blue wire for the trailer brake feed will eventually go.

HTH
Cheers

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

[Scary]

Scary,
Does the trailer you are picking up have trailer brakes as it is under 750Kg? Or did you specify that you wanted them?

If it DOES have them, then DO NOT turn on the lights (&/or switch the headlights off the auto option)
As the 2nd park light circuit is run to pin no. 5, this is where the blue wire for the trailer brake feed will eventually go.

HTH
Cheers

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

Thanks sniegy that is what I needed to know.

The trailer comes with brakes as dry weight is 680kg add the gear, water in the water tank and jerry cans and it won;t be long before it is well over the 750kg mark.

I am picking up during the day so I will make sure the lights are off auto!