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Trailer Brake Controller

squireofgothos88
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squireofgothos88 Enthusiast

squireofgothos88

Posted
Posted

Can this be installed on a 2019 Silverado? I need to help someone tow a horse trailer but haven’t set up my truck for towing yet. The truck came with a wiring harness for trailer brake controllers. I like the OEM look.

 

IMG_6447.JPG

 

 

"I know I can do it," Todd Downey said, helping himself to another ear of corn from the steaming bowl.

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jeremyp
jeremyp

I recently traded in my 2017 Sierra Denali for a 2020 Sierra Elevation that didnt have the factory brake controller. After some research, and my dealer's recommendation, I ended up putting in a Curt S

bkilx1
bkilx1

Factory unit can be installed by the dealer. Having one installed today on my 2019 Silverado with tow package. Cost is $224 installed.

eppieguy
eppieguy

No, it cannot. 

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JR09country Enthusiast

JR09country

Posted
Posted

From other members and from what i heave read you cannot add oem trailer brake after the fact. You will be able to add an aftermarket one though.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

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UncleDave Enthusiast

UncleDave

Posted
Posted

Is there a good aftermarket TBC that will fit in the stock location? That would be much cleaner than having some box hanging down under the dash.

ChinkySuperman Enthusiast

ChinkySuperman

Posted
Posted
15 hours ago, UncleDave said:

 That would be much cleaner than having some box hanging down under the dash.

 

I wholeheartedly agree with this, this is what I had on my last truck and it looked super tacky.

KEEPER OF SECRETS Enthusiast

KEEPER OF SECRETS

Posted
Posted
21 hours ago, UncleDave said:

Is there a good aftermarket TBC that will fit in the stock location? That would be much cleaner than having some box hanging down under the dash.

As of today, no sir, nothing exists to bolt into the factory spot covered with the push in blank piece of plastic.

Box with wires is all we get. The top smaller glove box mounting location might be an option, or the rarely used top dash cubby hole.

A lot of us are in the same boat with no TBC from factory.

 

-Patrick-

 

  • 4 months later...
Bradg New Member

Bradg

Posted
Posted

The blank push in cover has a harness behind it where the stock trailer brake controller goes. Can’t you just buy a stock controller and plug into that?  Why would there be the harness there if it doesn’t work?

AlaskaErik Enthusiast

AlaskaErik

Posted
Posted
22 minutes ago, Bradg said:

The blank push in cover has a harness behind it where the stock trailer brake controller goes. Can’t you just buy a stock controller and plug into that?  Why would there be the harness there if it doesn’t work?

Because what you think is a stock controller is in reality nothing more than a mechanical switch.  The brains are elsewhere in the truck and if your truck didn't come with a factory controller you don't have the brains.  An aftermarket controller is the mechanical switch and the brains all in one package.

Bradg New Member

Bradg

Posted
Posted (edited)
29 minutes ago, AlaskaErik said:

Because what you think is a stock controller is in reality nothing more than a mechanical switch.  The brains are elsewhere in the truck and if your truck didn't come with a factory controller you don't have the brains.  An aftermarket controller is the mechanical switch and the brains all in one package.

Yea I get that. Just wondering why they would run a wire and harness to that blank box if it cannot be used?  Doesn’t that wire go to something?

2B1E5ED9-6840-4B81-8931-B7C5DE39C77E.jpeg

Edited by Bradg
Added pic
davester Senior Enthusiast

davester

Posted
Posted

It's there because, most likely, it's cheaper to just have one part with that connector, than to have two parts, (one with, one without), make sure the right one is installed, and to stock two parts for 5+ years.

2016 Sierra Owner Senior Enthusiast

2016 Sierra Owner

Posted
Posted
13 hours ago, davester said:

It's there because, most likely, it's cheaper to just have one part with that connector, than to have two parts, (one with, one without), make sure the right one is installed, and to stock two parts for 5+ years.

BINGO! And it's not just the trailer wire harness that way. If your truck does not come with it. They just don't use the plug and put a blank over the hole. 

TJay74 Senior Enthusiast

TJay74

Posted
Posted
18 hours ago, Bradg said:

Yea I get that. Just wondering why they would run a wire and harness to that blank box if it cannot be used?  Doesn’t that wire go to something?

2B1E5ED9-6840-4B81-8931-B7C5DE39C77E.jpeg

 

 

Because several years ago GM decided it was cheaper to only make the minimal amount needed of parts, one area this happened in is the wiring harness. For the most part now they use 1 harness for each cab configuration for the trucks. That harness has plugs for features that vehicle doesnt have, IE the factory trailer brake controlled.

To answer your question, can you plug a TBC you buy into that plug, yes. Yes you can.

The caveat is it wont work, as said there are multiple things needed. Wiring harnesses, hardware and software. The problem you are going to run into is the software side, the programming for the TBC is not loaded into the trucks modules. It cant be added after the fact either GM addressed this on the K2xx (2014+) when the same question was brought up.

If you want the OEM TBC then buy or order a truck with it from the get go, you cant add it after the fact no matter how hard you try. I dont care what any dealership tells you, what the bosses boss tells you or what your favorite service tech or service manager tells you. The OEM TBC can not be added to the truck after the fact, GM wont allow it and has came out and said so several times now.

BlancoSilverado Enthusiast

BlancoSilverado

Posted
Posted
On 8/18/2019 at 11:58 AM, JR09country said:

From other members and from what i heave read you cannot add oem trailer brake after the fact. You will be able to add an aftermarket one though.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk
 

This is true. Tried it myself.

bamorris2 Enthusiast

bamorris2

Posted
Posted

I’m new to the GM scene with my new Sierra. But coming from an F150, there’s a software program called ForScan that lets you turn these types of features on or off or reprogram almost any of the modules, with just an OBD reader and the free software. Does nothing like that exist for GM vehicles?

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