Thread: Brake Controllers???

Ok, so Ive ordered a P3 - should have it in the next day or so.

If possible though I need the thing working before friday night, ready for an event this weekend.

I suspect the unit will need a 12V feed & earth and also a feed from the cars brake pedal / stop light circuit. The other wire(s) I believe will be to the trailer plug.

So in the interest of a quick install, Ive been thinking... The trailer plug has been covered earlier in the post, but how do people normally wire these things up in a Defender - Where is the easiest place to splice into the existing car loom - Im specifically thinking about the stop light circuit rather than the 12v feed to the P3.

Thx,
Jon

Ive just answered my own question! I can take the stop light feed from the trailer plug, no need to splice C0029 plug behind the brake servo!

Ive got another question after reading a post on here about controllers flattening your battery while vehicles left standing...

I was going to feed the 12V direct from the battery (permanent live & fused etc), but now I'm thinking it should be a switched live. Question is where can I take a switched live from that would be capable if delivering another 20A without melting wires?

I'm thinking a normal / low current switched supply via a relay??

How does everyone else feed the controller with enough juice?

Thx
Jon

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Originally Posted by Yorkshire_Jon

Ive got another question after reading a post on here about controllers flattening your battery while vehicles left standing...

I was going to feed the 12V direct from the battery (permanent live & fused etc), but now I'm thinking it should be a switched live. Question is where can I take a switched live from that would be capable if delivering another 20A without melting wires?

I'm thinking a normal / low current switched supply via a relay??

How does everyone else feed the controller with enough juice?

Thx
Jon

Sent using Forum Runner

my p3 controller turned off after 15mins (wired to main battery) so little chance you battery would be flat, but thats in a d2 that has all the other electrickery you fender owners miss out on.

From another, current brake controller topic on the forum:

The controller needs to fed directly from the battery with a self-resetting breaker (to be legal)

My Prodigy goes into a low power sleep-mode if the brakes have not been touched for several minutes. I don't have the documentation handy, nor have I done any measurements, but I would be surprised if the controller draws more than a few mA in sleep mode.

Pretty sure Tekonsha would have been quite careful about that.

I believe the D2 ABS module has a continuous load significantly greater than that even with ignition off. As long as the vehicle gets driven at least once every few weeks you should be fine. If you were parking it for 6 months then I would disconnect the battery regardless of vehicle type.

Pete

Thanks.

Pin 7 and Pin 5 are my tail light circuits on the car.

Should I connect the cable that currently goes to pin 5 to pin 7 (two 12v feeds would then go into pin 7), or just disconnect pin 5 to make way for the trailer feed?

Thx
Jon

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Jon,
All LR vehicle wiring has 2 park light circuits as you have said (Pins 5 & 7)
Just cut/disconnect the wire that goes to pin 5 & join/connect the blue wire into pin 5.
We have had many Newer vehicles that have had ETB wired to them & the 2nd park light circuit has NOT been disconnected! On the Newer vehicles they have a wonderful thing called Auto lights.
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So when a client connects his wonderful new trailer, sets off on his journey, has the lights set to Auto...
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And then hits the fisrt bridge he goes under & the lights turn on (which just happens to feed pin 5)...
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All hell brakes loose as the brakes LOCK up on the trailer, smoke pouring from the little magnets...

Ahh the joys...