Well - I think SeasTheDay and ConfusedOwner can confirm that this tow bar fits, but the wiring harness mentioned in that etrailer link will NOT fit. That would only work with the 2020-2022 tellys.
Awesome! It’s nice to see this, and that it matches the F45 picture I posted above.
So this all seems to be going full circle...finally. I cannot tell if "F45" is a standard in the industry or not....or if I'm going down the wrong road by even searching on "F45". Initial searches indicated that BMW uses this, but I haven't seen a diagram on those forums. I've searched the part number and vendor part name from the diagram you've provided, but both return zero hits. Given that the diagram has the wiring colors listed, it may not be too risky to wire in a standard 4 or 7 pin receiver...or both.
I wouldn't spend much time searching for "F45". That's just the connector "number" that Kia uses as an internal reference. It's the 45th connector on the "Floor" wiring harness. Searching for the part numbers listed in the F45 picture that I posted might be more fruitful, but I've not yet found anything other than the manufacturer is KOREA ELECTRIC TERMINAL and the part number is MG646490. That being said - there's no part number listed on their website that matches.
I have a feeling that the dealer that did @SeasTheDay's install had to either splice or use wire pins that plug into the female plug (8 pins) provided by KIA that is currently in that compartment. I've searched high and low looking for a plug / adapter and I seriously doubt the dealer hand them on-hand. Besides none of this being transparent from KIA, they really give you NO room to work in that compartment. There is zero play with the provided wire, making it very difficult to even inspect it and make a game plan. If my wire cable and 7 pin receiver comes in from Amazon today, I'm going to take a stab at it this afternoon and see how that goes. This entire mystery is absolutely absurd IMO. I was in hopes that @SeasTheDay would pop open his compartment and snap a pic for us, but no luck so far.
Unfortunately, I do not know how they sliced in the 7 pin. I put this issue 100% back on Kia to figure out.
Man, it's going to be really tough to get to the wires to put those ZCI's on / around. They have mine so tight / short that I can't really even see the colors of the wires. Seems they've made this difficult all around. I think I'm going to just use female push-on terminals and connect them onto the male counterparts. Should be a fun Sunday project
Good luck with the project. Please post back whether it is successful or not.I chatted with an eTrailer rep a few minutes ago and she assures me that the Tekonsha #118784 is compatible with the 2023 Telluride and that the plug connection is behind the driver-side cargo area trim…not in the jack compartment. ETrailer does not have photos nor videos of the product installation in the 2023 Telluride yet.
Well my goodness...the plot thickens. I have all my wire run and mounted my bracket at this point. I haven't yet plugged anything in b/c the wire diagram just doesn't make sense based on the tests I did with a multi-meter. Please report back with your findings b/c I was about to blindly start plugging in this morning. Here is where my project is as of now. I've left plenty of extra wire just incase this isn't the correct receiver plug.
Based on comments below, are you still convinced this F45 is the proper harness connector? There is a claim that there is yet another connector hidden somewhere else on the drivers side. I looked all over and I'm not convinced there is another secret connector. Thoughts?
I can very clearly tell you the eTrailer rep is wrong. That #118784 will not work with the 2023.
My hitch installer tested the white plug in the jack compartment and confirmed that it does not carry the trailer brake/turn signals. He looked up the Tekonsha #118784 in his parts supplier computer database and it shows compatibility with the 2023 Telluride and provides installation instructions. The instructions say the vehicle plug is behind the interior trim plate right behind the driver-side tail light. He could not get that trim off easily to confirm the location but he will on Wednesday when the Tekonsha #118784 arrives. If the plug is not there or not compatible, the installer says there will be no charge for the work.
I fear he is going to tear your panels apart only to confirm that this "F45", that is easily visible and accessible, is in fact the correct trailer connector that clearly does not fit the previous model connectors. Seems very odd that this new connector diagram we have been discussing has "TRAILER" and "E-Brake" written all over it, yet has nothing to do with the trailer system. I hope I'm wrong, but if I were you, I'd expect to have a zero charge bill and 3 to 4 hours of your time wasted.
After my experience with the Kia dealership and their salesman who sold me a Kia OEM hitch/harness that does not exist, my expectations have been low for any solution. However, my two hours of driving and one hour of waiting got me a Draw-Tite hitch that works great (thanks to U-Haul). To get the wiring, my drive is 15 minutes each way and the installer says it takes 45 minutes to do the work. If the connector is not the Tekonsha #118784, then he will make a different one work. He has that kind of reputation.
