Factory manuals had what I needed

[martin]

Everyone,

I just wanted to say my 88 XJ electrical troublshooting manual had the information I needed to hook up a trailer brake controller. I was trying to find where to get a continuous 12 volt. I did not want to run another wire to the battery POS terminal.

I read the manual and found where the factory tow kit got the power for the tow kit. The factory installed a 30 amp circuit breaker on the fuse block and fed the trailer circuit. I decided to see if that terminal was on my fuse box, sure enough it was and it was hot with the switch off!!!

So in the next week I'll install the brake controller and run 12 inches of wire to connect the controller to 12 volts and a like length to attach to the dash board ground. I also found the ground for the dash board from the manual.

I just wanted to make the case for purchasing the factory manuals for your XJ, jobs like this they are worth what you paid for them 10 times over.

 

[WB9YZU]

Then you can also find the existing brake controller output run under the drivers side kick panel, coiled up and labeled "Brake", and on the drivers side rear, there is a connector it exits at for the factory trailer harness.

 

[martin]

Let me state my 88 XJ did not have the towing wiring installed. I spent part of the weekend running the blue wire up to the kick panel and then installed a 7 pin round & 4 pin outlet on the rear of the vehicle.

Back in 1999 I installed a draw-tite isolation box to combine turn & brake signals for the trailer. I ran a #10 from the battery to the isolation box so the trailer would not pull power through vehicle.

I have been considering renting a boat or a travel trailer and they geneally have electric brakes, thought I'd finish the job I started in 1999.

Right now I have to fix the cruise control, I have it isolated down to the brake light switch and/or the turn signal stalk. I purchased the cruise control test tool so I could keep the system working. The tool so rare my dealer mechanic called me at work and asked if he could barrow it.

 

[Matthew Currie]

Let me state my 88 XJ did not have the towing wiring installed. I spent part of the weekend running the blue wire up to the kick panel and then installed a 7 pin round & 4 pin outlet on the rear of the vehicle.

Back in 1999 I installed a draw-tite isolation box to combine turn & brake signals for the trailer. I ran a #10 from the battery to the isolation box so the trailer would not pull power through vehicle.

I have been considering renting a boat or a travel trailer and they geneally have electric brakes, thought I'd finish the job I started in 1999.

Right now I have to fix the cruise control, I have it isolated down to the brake light switch and/or the turn signal stalk. I purchased the cruise control test tool so I could keep the system working. The tool so rare my dealer mechanic called me at work and asked if he could barrow it.

Actually, a boat trailer is more likely to have surge brakes, since boat trailers tend to go under water. A few manufacturers have started fitting electrics with up-to-date weatherproof connectors, etc., but I think it's still pretty rare.