Finding Brake Light Wire

KennyG · Feb 28, 2011

I've got an '04 Dodge Dakota without the factory trailer wiring and I'm in the process of installing a brake controller. I've got everything sorted out except for tapping into the brake light wire. I figured I'd just look under the dash, find the brake light switch and pick out the output wire.

Shows how long I've been out of game. The brake light switch seems to have about 8 wires coming out of the connector.

I haven't been able to find any definitive wire color for the brake light and I don't want to spring for a shop manual to hook up one wire. Any tips on an easy way to find the wire?

chevy292 · Feb 28, 2011

Use a test light. One end clips to a ground and the other end you use to test each wire when you find the right one the test light will light up. Worked well for me on a chevy I did a brake controller in.

Diamondpilot · Feb 28, 2011

Last Dodge I did was a white wire with a tan strip.

Here is the instructions I used. Its for a 05 Durango but I bet they are the same.

trailer Brake Controller Jeep Grand Cherokee

Hope this helps.

Chris

grsthegreat · Feb 28, 2011

er....most dodge trucks have the wiring harness already in place for a brake controller. there usually zip tied under the dash. its a 6-9 hole female plug. If your doesnt have this, find the switch that the brake bracket makes contact with, and use an electrical test light to find which leg is hot and which leg is switched (hot when brake is pressed). And there you have it.
have fun

KennyG · Mar 1, 2011

Thanks for the ideas. This should help me along this weekend. I'll look again for a spare terminal, but I couldn't see on at first look.

Diamondpilot · Mar 1, 2011

KennyG said:
Thanks for the ideas. This should help me along this weekend. I'll look again for a spare terminal, but I couldn't see on at first look.

If you mean the wiring pigtail for the brake controller when you say "SPARE TERMINAL", you will not have it if the truck is not tow package equipped.

Take a look at the link I posted above. I know its labeled Jeep but its Dodge. Just found it in the Jeep section of his site.

Chris

KennyG · Mar 5, 2011

Thanks everyone. I looked today and found a white/tan wire and tested it and it was the brake light. That tip saved me from checking the other 5 or so from the switch. Looks like I can use the boot around the hood release cable to run the wires through the firewall. This is looking a lot easier now.