2005 Dodge Ram 2500 electric brake harness

[Chain Bender]

Okay, I bought a Reese brake controller, Brought both the truck and unit harnesses into the house and spliced the color coordinated wires to each other and went out to the truck to plug it in.

Nothing at first, but then I pushed on the brake and I heard what sounded like a circuit breaker in the unit pop and it smelled like an electrical burn. I had a 20 amp circuit breaker in line with what I read to be the hot wire (black).

Will someone who owns a Dodge tell me what each of the colored wires coming out of the factory harness are supposed to do? Seems like white out from under the dash was vehicle brake, but white wire from the unit was ground.

Any guidance will be appreciated.

thanks in advance,
Chain Bender

 

[Diamondpilot]

Google R&P Carriages. Go to the help section and look up Dodge. All the info will be there.

Its not as simple as matching colors always.

Chris

 

[Dmace]

It's too bad they aren't the same colors, luckily I found a wiring diagram online. I can't find it again but this is how my 03 RAM is wired.
Truck Harness -- Brake Controller
Green /Black -- White (Ground)
White -- Red (Brakelight)
Blue -- Blue (Trailer Brakes)
Red -- Black (Power 12v+)

The blue connector is the factory truck harness.


It sounds like you may have connected the 12v power to the brake light signal wire in the brake controller ( Red to Red). Unfortunately, you probably fried the controller.

 

[RobertN]

NO!!! They probably are not color coded! Unfortunately, as Dmace mentioned, you probably fried the controller. The colors on my '01 Ram2500 do not all match up; I had to go by the charts(I have the original factory pigtail and document, as well as the book for my Tekonsha Prodigy).

Here is page I have referenced in the past. It is dated, but shows 7-wire trailer plugs/receptacles, AND brake controller wire charts/diagrams.

http://www.shorey.net/Auto/American/Chrysler/Dodge/Marksrv_com 7 way wiring diagram page.htm

Trailer Brake Controller Information | etrailer.com

Dodge Truck brake control install

 

[jeffsw6]

This is why I paid the Chevy dealer to install my TBC. They charged me for like one hour of labor plus a fair price for the TBC they sold me. I could have spent a whole afternoon figuring it out myself.

 

[Chain Bender]

The link " Dodge Truck brake control install" posted by RobertN doesn't agree with the post by Dmace.

Controller wiring diagram said black was positive, white was ground, red was vehicle brake and blue was trailer brake.

I think I'll drop by the Dodge dealership tomorrow and ask them to pull out a new one and let me look at it. If I have to buy a new one to get the info then so be it. Will get a new controller while I'm out too. Live and learn.

thanks for the input.

CB

 

[dodge man]

When I put a controller in my 2007, I was able to get a harness that allowed me just to plug it in. It came all prewired, no thinking on my part.

 

[Diamondpilot]

They are not hard to install if you have the wiring figured out. I have done probably 50 or more of them. Maybe 100. Takes about 10 minutes on average.

If you do not have the wiring figured out get out a test light. Find the ground and positive and then you just need to find the brake light signal wire. The other is the wire going out to the connector at the rear of the truck.

Chris

 

[Dmace]

The link " Dodge Truck brake control install" posted by RobertN doesn't agree with the post by Dmace.

Which part doesn't agree? The link states the same controller wiring as I did. That link also just states to use the adapter, it doesn't give the wire colors in the factory harness but I assure you mine are correct.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Which part doesn't agree? The link states the same controller wiring as I did. That link also just states to use the adapter, it doesn't give the wire colors in the factory harness but I assure you mine are correct.

Yes, your picture should tell him everything he needs to know.

Chris