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Electric brake controller

36K views 46 replies 19 participants last post by  RustyTailpipe 
#1 ·
Has anyone installed an electric brake controller in a new Armada? I am assuming it is the seven pin wiring harness above and to the aright of the brake pedal but I am not 100% certain? Does anyone have wiring diagram or know if the adapter for the QX-80 works?




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#2 ·
Brake Controller

I installed one in my 2012. Had to really dig under the dash to find the wiring loom. Used a adapter cable to connect controller to Armada wiring. Got controller and adapter cable from etrailer. One issue is that Nissan Service told me that me that the vehicle was not wired for the battery charge line (black wire in 7-pin connector). Turns out it IS wired for this line. Wasted a few bucks on a battery isolator and associated wire.
Hope this helps.
 
#3 ·
I would guess that whatever works for the QX-80 would work for the new 2nd gen Armada. They are, after all, pretty much the same vehicle.
 
#6 ·
On my 2012 Armada, the owners manual contained a very detailed description of where the connector was to plug the brake controller in. This description made doing this very easy, other than the connector was buried up under the dashboard (in our truck, just above the E-brake pedal), and my hands were too big to get up there. I've got to believe that Nissan included this same information within your owners manual. Have you looked?
 
#11 ·
Fantastic! Early this morning I looked under the dash and believe I found the connector. Taped to the harness about halfway between the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal. I didn't see any identifying tags though. This evening, I'll try to confirm the fit with the adapter cable I bought. I also noticed the pre-drilled mounting holes and wire hole previously mentioned. How easy can it get! Looks like a 15 minute install job at most. I have to compliment Nissan, they obviously put some forethought into the brake controller accommodation. I also noticed how tidy the under-dash area looked. I'm used to seeing a rats-nest of miscellaneous unidentified wires on all of my previous vehicles. The Armada looks nice and tidy under there. It's only 4 days old and I'm loving this '17 Armada more every day!

...Rev
 
#12 ·
Got the brake controller installed last night in about 30 minutes. The pre-wired connector was right where I thought it was. The only time consuming part was bolting the mounting bracket to the existing mounting holes. My hands were a little too fat to get a screw/nut combination through the mounting holes. Used the Tekkonsha kit (controller and wiring harness) from Amazon ("TEKONSHA P3 BRAKE CONTROL + WIRING HARNESS FOR NISSAN ARMADA, TITAN, FRONTIER, PATHFINDER & INFINITI QX56. CONTROLLER + PLUG/PLAY WIRE KIT")

The controller looks good there, is unobtrusive, and doesn't look like a aftermarket add on. It blends in just fine. I really wish the mounting were a little higher on the dash so I could easily adjust it while driving. Otherwise it's great.

Now I need to remove the cover plate over the hitch receiver in the rear. Having the cover plate bolt in seems a little silly to me. I'd like to keep it on as much as possible to give that clean look in the back. However, I don't want to have to carry around a wrench with me just I case I need to use it. I think I'm going to go to the hardware store and see if I can find some thumb screws the same size as the mounting bolts so I can readily pull the cover when needed.

...Rev
 
#13 ·
I agree a little low in the dash. But not too intrusive. My hands where also too fat so I drilled a new hole and used one of the existing holes. If you find an easy way of putting the cover plate on please let me know.

What are you towing? I am towing an 6500 lbs. boat and I am eager to see how the Armada will tow the load. I must say so far I am very happy with the new ride.


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#17 · (Edited)
Towed my boat for the first time last weekend. My new Armada towed the boat effortlessly. The leveller really helped to balance the weight. In my opinion my 2017 Armada towed better than my 2009 titan pro. The brake controller also worked great.

I wish the back up sensor would turn off in tow mode. I found a menu where you can turn it off but I am scared to turn it off and forget to turn it back on. It is amazing how depend I have become on the back up sensors.




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#19 ·
On my 2009 titan I had the same button that shut off the sensors and would reset on restart. Not so on the 2017. There is a option hidden on a back menu to turn off the back up sensors called " tow mode". So you would think this will only turn of the sensor when in "tow mode" but no that is not the case. It turns off the back up sensors until you turn them back on. I have been using the touch screen to turn off the sensor but every time you change from reverse to forward you have to turn it off again. To me this is a big oversight by Nissan.




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#20 ·
I have used the Tekonsha 90160 Primus IQ brake controller in my Yukon XL for many years and it works excellent. I have two tandem axle enclosed trailers with brakes and moving between them is a snap. You simply move the wheel on the unit until you feel the trailer brakes engage, set the amount of boost you would like to have (if any) and you are on your way.

The only reason one would need the higher end units is for specific functions like more than 3 axles or additional mounting capability - beyond 90 degrees vertical for example. This unit also has a nice slider switch on the right side to actuate the brakes manually. This works really good for those times you want to apply the trailer brakes manually. Often use this feature when towing my largest enclosed trailer with heavy loads down steep inclines.

Purchased the Primus IQ controller and Tekonsha 3050-P brake controller adapter wiring harness for $85 shipped from Amazon Prime.
 
#21 ·
Installed the controller in mine last night. Took all of 30 minutes and most of that was figuring out exactly how and where I wanted to mount it. The Tekonsha controller I like to use comes with two mounting brackets. A traditional metal bracket that screws into the sides of the controller unit and a plastic bracket that allows you to easily remove the controller and store it if you don't need to use it that often. The plastic bracket is the one I used so I can store it away when I am not towing. The controller just snaps out of the bracket, unplug the power harness and stow it in the console. Here are some pics of where I mounted it. The cable you see in the close-up is not the brake harness. It's the optional lighting kit wiring which I had to work around. If you do not have that option in your Armada it will be a bit easier to mount.
 

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#22 · (Edited)
Here are the actual products I ordered from Amazon. If you specify your vehicle on Amazon's site the adapter cable below will come up as "Does not fit your 2017 Armada" but that is incorrect. This is the adapter cable you will need to make the install a breeze.

Controller:

https://www.amazon.com/Tekonsha-90160-Primus-Electronic-Control/dp/B001P11SCM/ref=lp_3044556011_1_3?srs=3044556011&ie=UTF8&qid=1491058473&sr=8-3



Nissan wiring adapter harness:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NZMBVC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 
#23 ·
This is a very timely project for me and I appreciate folks blazing the trail and posting about their experiences.

I have a Tekonsha Prodigy P3 that was in our old tow vehicle and is moving to our Armada. Just got the adapter cable from etrailer dot com yesterday, so with any luck I will get it installed this weekend.

Don't need to tow for a month or so, but I like to be prepared.

Thanks,
Brian
 
#27 · (Edited)
Installed mine. I did not have to remove the panel. The connector was accessible by peeking under the dash. It was wrapped in black electrical tape.

There were two holes already present where the controller was supposed to go, but they were very large. The screws that came with the controller didn’t work. And the holes on the bracket are small. I bought two 4x25mm bolts, 4mm locking washers and 4mm wing nuts to complete the install.

I think the controller is way too low. I won’t be able to reach the manual control easily in case of an emergency. I need to rethink the install location.

 
#29 ·
I have the wire harness connected but having the same issue with the P3 brackets. There does not seem to be anything behind the panel so I'm thinking of moving it up some and making new holes for the smaller metal bracket.

CEH in MD
 
#31 ·
If you install the trailer brake controller yourself, be sure you there is a trailer brake relay installed under the hood. I think it's blue or brown usually. The panel cover should have labels telling which location is for the trailer brake. I put one in on a 2005 Titan years ago, I'm assuming it's similar.
 
#32 ·
Brake Controller & Wiring Adapter for 2018 Armada

I recently installed a Reese Towpower 8507111 Brakeman IV Brake Controller in our 2018 Armada. I purchased the wiring adapter from Amazon for $10.00. Below are pics of where to find the factory connector under the steering column. I found the connector rolled up and taped directly above the gas pedal. I mounted our controller to the plastic molding directly in front of the gas pedal. Installation was simple and took about 30 minutes. The controller works great with our travel trailer. Hope this helps.
 

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#33 ·
I'd like to put a brake controller on the QX56 and not have to solely rely on my pickup for towing bigger trailers. But for the QX I'd want the controller to be super clean and accessible. What I'd really like is the integrated setup from the Titan XD. I'd put it right in front of the automatic shifter facing up. Probably just end up with a Tekonsha though.
 
#34 · (Edited)
This is what I did for Trailer brake setup on my 2018 Armada. Its pretty clean.. The wires are run inside the steering wheel column plastic cover and the brake control is right at finger tips.

I'm thinking of 3d printing a hood for the display so that it blends nicer with the upper portion of the steering column and looks more factory. That is still on the to do list.
 

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#35 ·
Slick, I like that :nerd:
 
#40 ·
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