• About Me
  • Best Of
  • Contact Me
  • Forum

Jay Gaulard

  • Home & Living
    • Automotive & Mechanical
    • Carpentry & Building
    • Entertainment
    • Firewood & Heating
    • Gardening
    • Home Improvement
    • Lawn Care & Landscaping
    • Pets & Animals
  • Fitness & Recreation
    • Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)
    • Bushcraft & Camping
    • Hiking & Walking
  • Nature & Outdoors
    • Trees & Shrubs
    • Weather & Seasons
  • Technology & Internet
  • Travel & Destinations
  • Writing & Blogging
    • Ramblings & Opinion
You are here: Home / Automotive & Mechanical / Installing a Tekonsha P3 Brake Controller

Installing a Tekonsha P3 Brake Controller

October 24, 2013

The trailer I’m purchasing has trailer brakes. I’m not sure when trailer brakes become necessary on trailers, but I’m guessing it’s when you jump from one axle to two. The weight of the trailer increases and the load capacity increases as well. With trailer brakes, your towing safety increases exponentially.

When I was up at B&B trailer sales, I talked to the guy who works there for some time about brake controllers. He mentioned two he liked; the CURT TriFlex and the Tekonsha P3. The Tekonsha was a bit more expensive, but from what he said and from what I read online, it’s the one you really want to purchase and use. More features, simpler setup, etc…

Earlier this week, I did a little comparison shopping online and eventually purchased the Tekonsha controller from ecustomhitch through Amazon. I got it for $144 and figured I’d save some money and install it myself. The installation is fairly simple. I found a few videos online that covered the entire process. Since I ordered the controller coupled with the wiring harness for my 2008 Ford F-250 Super Duty, I thought it would be smooth sailing.

I received the controller yesterday and headed out to the truck for the install. I took pictures along the way to post on this blog. Unfortunately, I ran into a bit of a hiccup.

Tekonsha P3 Brake Controller Box

Contents of Tekonsha P3 Brake Controller Box

Brake Controller Wiring Harness for 2008 Ford F-250

I’m going to post half of the rather simple installation process below. I had to stop right after I ran the wiring harness though the dash and after I hooked it up because once I did and turned the ignition key, I got an error indicator light and the truck wouldn’t start. There was also no power to the controller. After some research online, I realized that ecustomhitch sent out the wrong wiring harness. Apparently, the “Super Duty” in my truck matters. Super Duty’s require a slightly modified harness than other Ford trucks and vans. I contacted them last night about the error and they shipped a new one this morning. I initially received a “3036” harness when I need the “3034-P.”

The photos below include some pretty decent shots of what you need to do if you’d like to run a brake controller wiring harness for something like a Ford F-250. You need to remove the auxiliary adapter panel, the center coin panel (where the factory brake controller would be, if I had one) and the cigarette lighter panel. The factory connection for the brake controller is plugged into the back of the coin panel. Unplug it and plug it into either the pigtail plug your truck came with or the custom wiring harness you purchased with your controller. Then, run it through and connect it to the controller. I’m going to post a “Part 2” to this post once I receive the correct harness and I finish the install. For now, enjoy these pictures.

Please find Part 2 of this install here.


Remove the Auxiliary Plug Panel

Unplug the Factory Brake Controller Plug From the Rear of the Center Panel

Plug the Wiring Harness into the Factory Plug

Run the Harness Through and Behind the Panels

Two Panels Removed


Bring the Harness Behind Dash and Under Steering Wheel

Related posts:

  1. Part 2 of the Brake Controller Installation
  2. A Noise Coming From My Front Brakes
  3. Restoring a 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1
  4. The Trailer is on Order
  5. Installing Drywall Over Rigid Foam Insulation

Filed Under: Automotive & Mechanical

What’s Next? Email Updates!

If you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing it, why not sign up to receive my posts by email? It's free and you can unsubscribe at any time!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CONNECT WITH ME

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • RSS
  • Twitter

RECEIVE MY POSTS BY EMAIL!

Interested in receiving my posts by email? This is your chance! Simply place your email address in the box below and I'll deliver each and every post I write directly to your inbox.

Copyright © 2021 · Jay Gaulard My Personal Blog Blog · About · Best Of · Contact · Privacy / Terms · Sitemap