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Installing trailer brake wiring

7283 Views 5 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  MNHP
We just purchased a Passport to use towing our 17' camper. Honda doesn't install the trailer brake wiring so we took it to our mechanic to install. He can't figure it out and there don't seem to be any instructions! Has anyone installed the extra wiring needed for a trailer brake?? Thanks for any help.
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Actually, Honda does include the trailer brake wiring but it's a little bit of a challenge to find it. The 4 pin connector is located under the left side of the dash above the OBD port. It's taped down so it may be hard to see it. It's described on page 443 of the owners manual. The Trailer Hitch Harness accessory kit includes the sub harness shown on page 444 that plugs into the connector and has pigtail wires on the other end which you can splice into the trailer brake controller of your choice.

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For sure, make sure you have a 20 low profile minifuse to get power to the brake controller port. I got a 2019 Passport. Had Honda install the factory tow kit, just to be sure. Found the BC port, plugged in the correct harness for Honda and my Tekonsha P3. Dark. I couldn't figure out why the BC port wasn't hot. This is my 4th tow vehicle, never encountered that before. I went to the dealer, said I wanted them to check and see why the port wasn't powered. Guy didn't tell me anything, said it'd be next week and anyway, brake controllers are aftermarket so they don't really deal with them anyway. Only after checking the forums did I discover a fuse has to be added (Honda doesn't provide it) to power up the port. I get it, but for over $1k to Honda installing the tow kit they should figure trailer brakes might be a thing and stick a 50cent fuse in the block, or inform the customer to make sure to do that. The service writer told me "well, most people pay to have that done by someone else so it gets done". Honda service disappoints me too often.
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For sure, make sure you have a 20 low profile minifuse to get power to the brake controller port. I got a 2019 Passport. Had Honda install the factory tow kit, just to be sure. Found the BC port, plugged in the correct harness for Honda and my Tekonsha P3. Dark. I couldn't figure out why the BC port wasn't hot. This is my 4th tow vehicle, never encountered that before. I went to the dealer, said I wanted them to check and see why the port wasn't powered. Guy didn't tell me anything, said it'd be next week and anyway, brake controllers are aftermarket so they don't really deal with them anyway. Only after checking the forums did I discover a fuse has to be added (Honda doesn't provide it) to power up the port. I get it, but for over $1k to Honda installing the tow kit they should figure trailer brakes might be a thing and stick a 50cent fuse in the block, or inform the customer to make sure to do that. The service writer told me "well, most people pay to have that done by someone else so it gets done". Honda service disappoints me too often.
When you had Honda install your factory trailer wiring kit, they should have left you with the included Honda sub-harness kit to splice to your brake controller wiring. That Honda sub-harness includes instructions to install a 20-amp fuse for the brake controller, and that fuse was also included with the Honda trailer wiring kit. The harness they should have left with you is shown in this earlier post:

Also, the installation instructions included with the Honda wiring kit also specifies the installation of the required fuses:
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Looks like original installer 'misplaced' that supplied sub-harness and fuse? o_O
Glad your Passportforum search was able to find a solution the problem.
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"When you had Honda install your factory trailer wiring kit, they should have left you with the included Honda sub-harness kit to splice to your brake controller wiring"
It's partly my error then. For every tow vehicle I've had I've been able to get an inexpensive plug&play cable for my controller. Every other time the port was powered already, plug and go. I'd already purchased one for the Passport so I never looked closely at the dealer-supplied unit and it never occurred to me with a dealer full towing kit install that I'd still need to install a fuse for the BC port. When I picked it up after the factory install nobody said anything to me about the harness or fuse. Turned out the harness was in the glove box but I didn't know that for a couple of days. When I called to say the BC port wasn't powered up, nobody asked me about the fuse. Even when I went to service they didn't ask me about it. Service writer said "well it's probably a blown fuse" and gave me the name of another mechanic that they send their cars to. Didn't even offer to check it and actually seemed pissed that someone had given me an appointment. Really? I wish they'd just asked me whether I'd installed a fuse.
My sister-in-law purchased a new Subaru last year at the same time that I purchased a new Honda Insight. The amount of customer support she received and still receives is amazing. Hell, they had a class for new owners to learn everything about their cars. I finalized the purchase of the the Insight and then it was thanks, there's the door. I'm still figuring out things with that car. Same with the Passport despite purchasing from two different dealers. There were some other issues as well. So the BC port fuse is just the latest. The Passport is the 5th Honda I've owned going back 30+ years so not new to the brand.
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