Thread: Help finding Auto electrician to fit Tekonsha electric brake controller to my D3

From a big lot of trouble having an inexperienced autolec fit a p3 in our freelander all I'm going to say is get someone who knows what they are doing (ie - has installed in d3 before)
The long & short is
It's straight forward.... Except for the pesky "red" wire which the p3 uses to sense brake (light) activation. The p3 instal instructions say pick up the brake light at the trailer plug, but unless you have it connected with reverse polarity protection on the brake light wire, the p3 sends 12v down the red wire to illuminate the trailer brake lights when you use the manual lever. If the trailer brake light circuit (where it is still in the car - before the trailer socket) is not protected the p3 12v will possibly blow something in the car ;(

The way landrover wired up the freelander2 (to correct the bad installation by someone else) was to install a diode protected relay that had the car brake light wire connected to the pull on the relay with a 12v source and the p3 red wire joined to the brake light wire running to the trailer socket coming off the relay. So if you braked the relay pulled in @ shot 12v to the trailer socket (which the p3 red wire "sensed" ) if you hit manual lever on the p3 the 12v went to the trailer socket but could not affect the car because relay is open & it's diode protected so you don't get reverse current across the relay when it releases.

Hope that explanation is as clear as mud - I can post a drawing if you want.

A bit late in relying as I haven't been able to get van out until this weekend.

Schultz Automotive Electrical in Willetton did a very good, neat job installing to P3 into my D2 and wiring up a 12v line to the trailer plug. Works beautifully! After this I also left the Alfa with them and they were able to get the aircon working half decently again after the Alfa specialist admitted defeat. So it would be well worth having a chat with them about D3s and brake controllers.

Cheers

Steve

I took mine to the shop I always take it to, but I printed out the thread on brake controller from here and have it to him. So far so good it seems to all have worked fine.