Installing Brake Controller and 7-Way Wiring on 2012 GMC Acadia without Tow Package

Question:

I am installing a 7-way camper connector with brake controller on a 2012 Acadia without factory trailer package. Under dash there is a connector for brake controller and there is the factory wiring in rear passenger side bumper for wiring harness connection. Using Curt 51170 Brake Controller and tekonsha 118271 from Etrailer. I have installed the provided relays and fuses in fuse panel. I am getting power to brake controller but cannot find any power at 7-way plug on any circuit. Does body control module need reprogrammed or am I missing something? Another thing to note, in the fuse panel, there are no terminals in place for the trailer left turn, trailer right turn, or trailer reverse positions. There is for trailer brake, trailer charge, and trailer parking lamps so I figure that I should see power on those circuits but am not. Please help!

asked by: Jim M

Expert Reply:

It can seem really random what vehicle manufacturers decide to include and exclude on vehicles without tow packages in terms of circuits they do install and those that aren't there. So you for your 2012 Acadia you have the brake controller power, ground, and stoplight circuit but basically everything else is non-existent.

So what you are going to need to do is install the 4-way kit part # 118451 to give you the taillight circuits you'd then need to wire to your 7-way directly after cutting it from the vehicle harness and then you'd need to run a length of 10 gauge wire like # 10-1-1 from the blue wire of your brake controller wiring to the pin in the 5:00 position of the 7-way and you'd be set.

expert reply by: Jameson C