Brake Controller Install

[Wolf]

First let me say that I’m bummed Kia didn’t offer the vehicle with a 7 Pin or even a harness but no vehicle is perfect.

Hopefully some helpful info as I started installing my Redarc Tow-Pro Elite brake controller. This controller is nice as you can mount it anywhere in any direction and it’ll self calibrate. The only thing that shows is a small knob with an LED. I mounted this direct to the fuse box cover inside. That way if I ever want to get rid of the brake controller I can replace that cover and haven’t made any mods any where else.

If you opted for the factory tow package you’ll find underneath the 4 pin mount a circular mount for a 7 pin which is nice. I haven’t yet installed the 7 pin yet but think that will help a lot.

When installing the brake controller I removed the dash panel under the steering while which had only one screw and then connectors. Easy to remove and gave me a lot more room to work with.

The brake pedal wiring is a plug that has five wires. The green wire is the switch brake signal you’ll need to tap into with the brake controller. (I couldn’t get in there to get a pic, sorry!) I also ran the wiring for power and the wire to the 7 pin through the outside edge of the large grommet under the dash. The only one I’m not happy with is the white ground which I think I’ll move tomorrow.

For mounting the brake controller I struggled to find a good spot and ended up using existing bolts just to the left of the grommet. Worked well with some mounting plates to close the gap and get a good secure fit.

Hope this helps! Now just need to get the 7 pin installed and I’ll be ready to tow my travel trailer.

 

[Tunes4us]

Great write up and pics . Thanks

First let me say that I’m bummed Kia didn’t offer the vehicle with a 7 Pin or even a harness but no vehicle is perfect.

Hopefully some helpful info as I started installing my Redarc Tow-Pro Elite brake controller. This controller is nice as you can mount it anywhere in any direction and it’ll self calibrate. The only thing that shows is a small knob with an LED. I mounted this direct to the fuse box cover inside. That way if I ever want to get rid of the brake controller I can replace that cover and haven’t made any mods any where else.

If you opted for the factory tow package you’ll find underneath the 4 pin mount a circular mount for a 7 pin which is nice. I haven’t yet installed the 7 pin yet but think that will help a lot.

When installing the brake controller I removed the dash panel under the steering while which had only one screw and then connectors. Easy to remove and gave me a lot more room to work with.

The brake pedal wiring is a plug that has five wires. The green wire is the switch brake signal you’ll need to tap into with the brake controller. (I couldn’t get in there to get a pic, sorry!) I also ran the wiring for power and the wire to the 7 pin through the outside edge of the large grommet under the dash. The only one I’m not happy with is the white ground which I think I’ll move tomorrow.

For mounting the brake controller I struggled to find a good spot and ended up using existing bolts just to the left of the grommet. Worked well with some mounting plates to close the gap and get a good secure fit.

Hope this helps! Now just need to get the 7 pin installed and I’ll be ready to tow my travel trailer.

 

[Mr.JB]

First let me say that I’m bummed Kia didn’t offer the vehicle with a 7 Pin or even a harness but no vehicle is perfect.

Hopefully some helpful info as I started installing my Redarc Tow-Pro Elite brake controller. This controller is nice as you can mount it anywhere in any direction and it’ll self calibrate. The only thing that shows is a small knob with an LED. I mounted this direct to the fuse box cover inside. That way if I ever want to get rid of the brake controller I can replace that cover and haven’t made any mods any where else.

If you opted for the factory tow package you’ll find underneath the 4 pin mount a circular mount for a 7 pin which is nice. I haven’t yet installed the 7 pin yet but think that will help a lot.

When installing the brake controller I removed the dash panel under the steering while which had only one screw and then connectors. Easy to remove and gave me a lot more room to work with.

The brake pedal wiring is a plug that has five wires. The green wire is the switch brake signal you’ll need to tap into with the brake controller. (I couldn’t get in there to get a pic, sorry!) I also ran the wiring for power and the wire to the 7 pin through the outside edge of the large grommet under the dash. The only one I’m not happy with is the white ground which I think I’ll move tomorrow.

For mounting the brake controller I struggled to find a good spot and ended up using existing bolts just to the left of the grommet. Worked well with some mounting plates to close the gap and get a good secure fit.

Hope this helps! Now just need to get the 7 pin installed and I’ll be ready to tow my travel trailer.

I really like the write up and the pictures. Glad you picked a proportional controller. I may be picking up the same one.

 

[Vietvet]

Now the main question I have... does this kibosh any part or all of the Warranty??

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[2020Telly]

Now the main question I have... does this kibosh any part or all of the Warranty??

Assuming the brake controller didn’t cause something to break then there are consumer laws that require Kia to still honor warranty issues. Try googling “Federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act”

Etrailer.com answers this question a lot on their site.

 

[Lou Panozzo]

First let me say that I’m bummed Kia didn’t offer the vehicle with a 7 Pin or even a harness but no vehicle is perfect.

Hopefully some helpful info as I started installing my Redarc Tow-Pro Elite brake controller. This controller is nice as you can mount it anywhere in any direction and it’ll self calibrate. The only thing that shows is a small knob with an LED. I mounted this direct to the fuse box cover inside. That way if I ever want to get rid of the brake controller I can replace that cover and haven’t made any mods any where else.

If you opted for the factory tow package you’ll find underneath the 4 pin mount a circular mount for a 7 pin which is nice. I haven’t yet installed the 7 pin yet but think that will help a lot.

When installing the brake controller I removed the dash panel under the steering while which had only one screw and then connectors. Easy to remove and gave me a lot more room to work with.

The brake pedal wiring is a plug that has five wires. The green wire is the switch brake signal you’ll need to tap into with the brake controller. (I couldn’t get in there to get a pic, sorry!) I also ran the wiring for power and the wire to the 7 pin through the outside edge of the large grommet under the dash. The only one I’m not happy with is the white ground which I think I’ll move tomorrow.

For mounting the brake controller I struggled to find a good spot and ended up using existing bolts just to the left of the grommet. Worked well with some mounting plates to close the gap and get a good secure fit.

Hope this helps! Now just need to get the 7 pin installed and I’ll be ready to tow my travel trailer.

Did you tap in or find the reverse lights wire? My boat has surge brakes cannot back up trailer without the backup wire connected to the 7 pin plug! They did drop the ball on the towing. The brochure shows a big horse trailer being towed. I had horses and a trailer. You need 7 pin harness and brake controller. False advertising in my opinion. There should be a recall and a special upgraded wiring harness installed for us!

 

[utmeep]

Did you tap in or find the reverse lights wire? My boat has surge brakes cannot back up trailer without the backup wire connected to the 7 pin plug! They did drop the ball on the towing. The brochure shows a big horse trailer being towed. I had horses and a trailer. You need 7 pin harness and brake controller. False advertising in my opinion. There should be a recall and a special upgraded wiring harness installed for us!

If you look closely when they advertised 5000lbs there was a small annotation leading to the fine print. A big company like this isn't that stupid to falsely advertise. People just don't read the fine print.

 

[2020Telly]

If you look closely when they advertised 5000lbs there was a small annotation leading to the fine print. A big company like this isn't that stupid to falsely advertise. People just don't read the fine print.

https://cdn.dealereprocess.org/cdn/brochures/kia/2020-telluride.pdf

At the bottom of the page with the horse trailer is:
“See last page for endnote. No system, no matter how advanced, can compensate for all driver errors, driving conditions, accidents, and/or injury. Always drive safely and obey all traffic laws. SX WITH PRESTIGE PACKAGE SHOWN”

The note on the list page is:
“Towing requires additional equipment. See Owner’s Manual for towing capacity, and additional information and warnings.”

When I read my owners manual if you don’t believe it is falsely advertised you could at least agree it is falsely marketed. There is no configuration in the manual that shows that towing 5,000lbs is acceptable unless you ditch the factory hitch which by the manual is only rated for 3,510 lbs (351lb TW). The only option, today, is to get a custom made aftermarket hitch rated for 500lb tongue weight and add an aftermarket 7-pin harness and a brake controller. There has to be some level of reasonable expectation that a consumer has that Kia Marketing should communicate with Kia Engineering and Kia Documentation. People are buying the tow package because a 5,000lb towing max is being HEAVILY advertised, and the manual says to consult an authorized Kia dealer for the towing package. However the towing package from Kia #1 will not allow for a brake system without aftermarket parts and #2 the factory tow hitch is not rated for 5,000lbs. By these low standards, anyone can make any claim that implies with nonexistent additional equipment all things are possible. If Kia claimed that under ideal conditions with additional equipment you can get 50mpg, but that equipment doesn’t exist yet then they would be held accountable.

I'm very happy with every other aspect of the Telluride and pleased with my purchase, but this towing issue still bugs me. I came really close to buying a diesel VW years ago simply because of the impressive gas mileage that was advertised. I think it is reasonable to expect that an auto manufacturer's product is marketed and advertised to at least meet safety and governmental requirements when you buy what you think are buying to the specs that are being advertised. VW didn't put in the owner's manual, by disabling the emissions controls and breaking the law you will maximize your gas mileage and they were found at fault.

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[CAsuKiHy]

If you look closely when they advertised 5000lbs there was a small annotation leading to the fine print. A big company like this isn't that stupid to falsely advertise. People just don't read the fine print.

Ok, it’s not false advertising? Man, can we stand on the side of little people and hold those greedy corporations accountable to something. Once. At least.

 

[utmeep]

Ok, it’s not false advertising? Man, can we stand on the side of little people and hold those greedy corporations accountable to something. Once. At least.

I agree that we should stand for the little people and fight the big corporations. I just hate it when people complain because they don't read or understand the fine print. If you're going to spend thousands of dollars on something then at least do your research, or you're just rich and don't care how much it cost, but still complain about the fine print lol.

 

[2020Telly]

I agree that we should stand for the little people and fight the big corporations. I just hate it when people complain because they don't read or understand the fine print. If you're going to spend thousands of dollars on something then at least do your research, or you're just rich and don't care how much it cost, but still complain about the fine print lol.

I read the fine print and went to the manual and it provided no clarity. What I do understand is that it is not clear to a reasonable person. As a result I personally chose not to get the tow hitch add on at this time. I think the point is that Kia should be more responsible and correct a mistake by providing an answer to a misleading feature with questionable documentation.

 

[CAsuKiHy]

We can all read fine print, but if not for this forum I would not have an idea. When I saw towing in Ascent and imagined myself renting camper and going to Yosemite, and then I saw same thing on Tellurode, I didn’t know what “extra equipment” is needed. I just see my self going places. Not everyone is highly automotive educated. You see people paying 10k over for KiA like it’s Maybach. I’m just saying it’s lame to deceive people like that, to me it’s like scam, not better than a robotcall trying to steal money from people...

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[utmeep]

Look at it this way. Pretty much almost every manufacture "falsely" advertises their 5000lb towing capacity. Look at the 4Rnr for example, they also need additional equipment.

 

[CAsuKiHy]

Look at it this way. Pretty much almost every manufacture "falsely" advertises their 5000lb towing capacity. Look at the 4Rnr for example, they also need additional equipment.

Didn’t know this being a rookie. Could’ve been fooled . Now, I’m Educating myself. It’s a shame that they do that, should be pretty straight forward maybe government should regulate them better on behalf of citizens/customers.

 

[utmeep]

Didn’t know this being a rookie. Could’ve been fooled . Now, I’m Educating myself. It’s a shame that they do that, should be pretty straight forward maybe government should regulate them better on behalf of citizens/customers.

If only the US government actually did something that benefits it's citizens and not it's leaders...

 

[CAsuKiHy]

If only the US government actually did something that benefits it's citizens and not it's leaders...

Haha we’re not gonna go there. I hope we can get what we need and not needing to break a bank.

______________________________

 

[Lou Panozzo]

https://cdn.dealereprocess.org/cdn/brochures/kia/2020-telluride.pdf

At the bottom of the page with the horse trailer is:
“See last page for endnote. No system, no matter how advanced, can compensate for all driver errors, driving conditions, accidents, and/or injury. Always drive safely and obey all traffic laws. SX WITH PRESTIGE PACKAGE SHOWN”

The note on the list page is:
“Towing requires additional equipment. See Owner’s Manual for towing capacity, and additional information and warnings.”

When I read my owners manual if you don’t believe it is falsely advertised you could at least agree it is falsely marketed. There is no configuration in the manual that shows that towing 5,000lbs is acceptable unless you ditch the factory hitch which by the manual is only rated for 3,510 lbs (351lb TW). The only option, today, is to get a custom made aftermarket hitch rated for 500lb tongue weight and add an aftermarket 7-pin harness and a brake controller. There has to be some level of reasonable expectation that a consumer has that Kia Marketing should communicate with Kia Engineering and Kia Documentation. People are buying the tow package because a 5,000lb towing max is being HEAVILY advertised, and the manual says to consult an authorized Kia dealer for the towing package. However the towing package from Kia #1 will not allow for a brake system without aftermarket parts and #2 the factory tow hitch is not rated for 5,000lbs. By these low standards, anyone can make any claim that implies with nonexistent additional equipment all things are possible. If Kia claimed that under ideal conditions with additional equipment you can get 50mpg, but that equipment doesn’t exist yet then they would be held accountable.

I'm very happy with every other aspect of the Telluride and pleased with my purchase, but this towing issue still bugs me. I came really close to buying a diesel VW years ago simply because of the impressive gas mileage that was advertised. I think it is reasonable to expect that an auto manufacturer's product is marketed and advertised to at least meet safety and governmental requirements when you buy what you think are buying to the specs that are being advertised. VW didn't put in the owner's manual, by disabling the emissions controls and breaking the law you will maximize your gas mileage and they were found at fault.

Here Here! If not false advertising then it was a deception for sure! I’m not sure I can safely tow my boat without adding another $1000 in aftermarket options and running wires, relays, fuses and crap under it!

 

[2020Telly]

Here Here! If not false advertising then it was a deception for sure! I’m not sure I can safely tow my boat without adding another $1000 in aftermarket options and running wires, relays, fuses and crap under it!

My last vehicle was a Toyota Sienna. The manual said that in order to get to the spec to tow the advertised 3,500lbs I should have the towing option which I had purchased that included engine oil cooler along with a heavy-duty radiator and fan upgraded radiator and a properly rated tow hitch receiver.

When I compare that to the Telluride manual it says to consult the Kia dealer who is selling you a package that includes self leveling shocks and a tow hitch neither of which can get you to 5,000lbs. But the marketing is telling dealers to tell us that the Telluride can do 5,000.

 

[CAsuKiHy]

Seriously. Dealers don’t know basic options for this car, how are they going to know anything about towing. And I wouldn’t be sure that Kia would honor aftermarket modifications. Unless you hire a lawyer to go after them.

 

[Mr.JB]

I'm a little upset about the towing capacity as I'm reading this forum. The dealer told me it was 5,000 pounds and came with trailer wiring and self leveling. There wasn't anything to look at, no electronic owners manual online, no towing package to look at. So no fine print to read! Had I known that the capacity isn't what is stated, wiring was only 4 flat, and self-leveling was a shock absorber, I wouldn't have added this option. Let me be clear... I would not have ordered it with towing package!!!