Towing-Brake Controller

oilbrnr

Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2001
Location
Connecticut
TDI
'12 Passat TDI SEL, '10 Dodge 2500 Cummins
I am researching the possibility of regularly towing a 1,000 lb camper (T@G) and wonder if there are any who have installed an electric brake controller. My specific car is a ‘12 Passat SEL with DSG. The wiring would also support charging a deep cycle battery Thoughts??
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
All depends on the braking system. Some trailer brakes are automatic not need to wire anything into the cabin, they use the trailer wiring harness to control the brakes. The more complex trailer brake controllers have a bias adjuster that can be installed in the cabin that allows you to control how much those brakes bite.

What type of brakes do those little tags have?

Also 1000lbs, maybe 1500lbs loaded, I don't think trailer brakes are needed as long as you know play it safe and not try and take the trailer up the Mt Washington auto road. If you were pushing 2,000lbs then it'd make better sense.
 

oilbrnr

Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2001
Location
Connecticut
TDI
'12 Passat TDI SEL, '10 Dodge 2500 Cummins
Looking to put a conventional controller in the cabin. You are right in that brakes are not required for this 980lb pup but my experience towing loads light and heavy tell me that they will be a welcome addition and add to the overall rig. I hope to hear from someone who has tapped leads directly from the fuse box for the low voltage portions of the harness. I’d love to see pictures of a really slick install
 

roni024

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2007
Location
Syracuse, NY
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SEL DSG
Is the camper already equipped with electric brakes? If not, have you thought about equipping it with surge activated brakes instead?
 

oilbrnr

Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2001
Location
Connecticut
TDI
'12 Passat TDI SEL, '10 Dodge 2500 Cummins
I had not considered surge brakes. These trailers do not always come from the factory with brakes but many owners put them on. The axle manufacturer (dexteraxle.com) sells kits perfectly matched to the particular axle. It is most likely Iwill pursue that route
 

Jedadiah

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2010
Location
Central Kentucky
TDI
Former: '15 Passat TDI SE 6M, '15 Golf S 6M and '10 JSW
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=473330

Here’s my thread where I wired up a brake controller in my MK6 Sportwagen. The Passat has the same fuse box as the JSW, so you could follow the same procedure as the Sportwagen. The back of fuse box on the Passat is easier to get to than on the MK6, and using the fuse panel makes for an easier/cleaner install than running power from the battery.

I still have wires that I removed from my JSW when I sold it back. If your interested, send a PM.
 

JasonG

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
Location
Warwick N.Y.
TDI
1994, 2003 JSW (sold), 2012 Jetta
I used a similar Tekonsha on our now gone Jetta.
Worked great, wired in the 7 pin flat plug on a swing down bracket that came with the Euro hitch.
You'll also need a 3 to 2 taillight converter.
 

jd14771

Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2018
Location
massachussetts
TDI
2011 cjaa jetta
I am researching the possibility of regularly towing a 1,000 lb camper (T@G) and wonder if there are any who have installed an electric brake controller. My specific car is a ‘12 Passat SEL with DSG. The wiring would also support charging a deep cycle battery Thoughts??

on my 2011 jetta, i had wired in a 7 pin connector for trailer brakes and a controller. (comes in handy when highway traffic comes to a stop). i used the rear taillight that sits behind the rear glass. you can splice into that positive power wire from the trunk. it wasn't the simplest install though, as i had to have a brake controller, 4 pin tail light splice (for turn signals) and then a 4 pin to 7 pin adapter socket that would go on the rear of the car.

basically, 3 sources of power come from the battery, one to the brake controller in the cabin, one to the 7 pin adapter socket at the hitch, and one more for the 4 pin tail light signal switch inside the trunk. you cant combine the trailer brake and tail light switch power line because the brake power is intermittent.

for brakes, a wire comes from the rear tail light as mentioned earlier and provides brake signal at the brake controller. so you need to run 2 additional wires from the cabin to the trunk. one wire providing the brake light signal to the brake controller, and then another wire coming out of the brake controller and to the 7 pin socket at the trailer hitch to activate the trailer brakes. the only additional wire is a ground wire for the brake controller, you can either do that in the cabin or in the engine bay, its up to you. so you end up wiring together a brake controller, a 4 pin turn signal indicator, and 7 pin trailer socket for wiring.
 
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