INSTALLATION PRECAUTIONS
• Braking capacity is for 2, 4, 6 or 8 trailer brake applications.
• This brake control will apply the trailer brakes while in reverse.
• This brake control is inertia activated. When the vehicle is not
moving, the brake control will not automatically apply the trailer
brakes. In this event, the manual brake must be depressed to
actuate the brakes.
• This brake control is not reverse polarity protected. Reversing
the connection to the vehicle battery or the breakaway battery
on the trailer will damage the brake control.
• This brake control is designed to operate trailers with electric or
electric/hydraulic brakes.
• For best results when installing components with double sided
tape, make sure to prep the area by cleaning it with rubbing
alcohol first.
INSTALLATION GUIDE
• Smart-Box
™
Mounting:
Locate an area under the vehicle dash on center console
or kick panel to mount the Smart-Box, making sure it is not in
a position that interferes with the emergency brake or pedal
operation. Orientation of the Smart-Box Mount should be where
[SIDE A] of the Smart-Box mounts against the kick panel or
center console. Allow enough room to plug in the brake control
harness and peripheral devices easily. Mount with foam tape,
cable ties or self-tapping screws (provided).
• Flex-Control
™
and Flex-Display
™
Mounting:
1. Sit in the driver’s seat and decide where you want to install
the Flex-Display™ and Flex-Control™. Make sure that the
Flex-Display is within sight lines that will allow you
to locate it easily while driving. The Flex-Control should be
mounted in a position that it is within easy reach while
driving.
2. Once the installation locations are determined, bring the
Flex-Display™ to the area it will be mounted and begin to
run the wire either behind vehicle panels or behind weather
stripping down to the Smart-Box™. Use double sided tape
to secure the Flex-Display™ to desired mounting location.
Apply tape to the bottom of the display bracket, or remove
the display bracket and attach the tape directly to the back
of the display.
3. With the Flex-Control
™
in the desired location, run the wire to
the Smart-Box
™
using the vehicle’s dash seams and panels to
conceal the wire. Use double-sided tape to secure the Flex-
Control
™
to desired mounting location.
[Optional: Use Control Bracket and attach to dash with screws
or double sided tape. Optional mounting bracket flexes to allow
easy mounting to curved surfaces.]
4. With all wires routed down to the Smart-Box
™
location, plug all
peripheral wires into the Smart-Box
™
.
HOW TO ATTACH TO
VEHICLE FACTORY TOW PACKAGE
If your vehicle came equipped with a factory tow package, brake
control function wires may exist under the vehicle dash. Consult
vehicle manual or call for location. Purchase a vehicle specific
Plug-in Simple!
®
brake control connector and simply plug into
the factory tow package plug, or splice the wires to the function
wires under the dash.
Black wire – positive terminal (+) on battery
Red wire – cold side of stop lamp switch or brake light
White wire – ground/negative terminal (-) on battery
Blue wire – trailer electric brakes
VEHICLE MANUFACTURER
WIRING CODES
For installations on vehicles
WITHOUT
a factory
tow
package use the following procedure:
1. Be sure to use proper wire gauge when installing your control
(12 gauge for electric brakes and positive power, 16 gauge for
the stop lamp switch and ground).
2. Connect the white wire directly to the negative post on the
vehicle battery. Grounding to any other location may cause
intermittent brake control operation or failure.
3. Attach 20-amp circuit breaker (for 6 or 8 brake use 30-amp)
or in-line fuse to the positive terminal on the vehicle’s battery.
Route black wire from the brake control to the fuse or breaker.
4. Splice the red wire into the cold side of the vehicle’s stop lamp
switch located by the brake pedal. Find the wire by using a
circuit tester and probing for the wire that powers the vehicle
stop lamps when the brake pedal is pressed.
5. Route the blue wire from the brake control to the vehicle side
towing connector at the rear of the tow vehicle.
NOTES
• Some late model Ford/Mercury trucks and sport utility vehicles
have 2 or more stop lamp switch wires. For proper operation,
use the light green wire. The other wire is red with a green
stripe. This wire goes directly to ground when not in use.
Splicing into this wire will short circuit your brake control and
possibly damage the unit.
• For Chevrolet vehicles 1999-06, if your vehicle does not have
a towing package, only the ground and stop lamp switch will be
active in the function wires under the dash. The electric brake
wire and 12-volt power lead will be terminated outside the
firewall. These will have to be routed to the trailer connector and
battery on the vehicle.
• For Chevrolet vehicles 2007 New Body Style-13, only the
ground and stop lamp switch will be active in the function wires
under the dash. The electric brake wire and 12-volt power lead
will be terminated outside the firewall. These will have to be
routed to the fuse block on the vehicle. 20-amp fuses will need
to be installed to power these functions.
• For Dodge 2005-06, to find the cold side of the stop lamp
switch, you must have the key in the “on” position.
• Ford and Dodge tow packages come with a 20-amp battery
feed wire system that will accommodate 2 and 4 brake trailer
magnets. An upgrade to a 30-amp (12 gauge) battery wire
system will be needed for 6 brake systems.
OPERATING AND SETTING
YOUR CONTROLLER
1. RED DOT
A red dot on bottom-right hand corner of the
digital display indicates trailer is connected.
2. BLANK
A blank display (no dot) indicates trailer is not
connected.
3. POWER
Power adjustment buttons (+/-) on top of the
control adjust power sent to the trailer brakes.
Pressing the (-) button decreases power.
Pressing (+) increases power. Power will be
displayed as a percentage on the digital display
from 5 to 99 in increments of 5%.
4. SENSITIVITY
This feature makes your trailer braking
response more or less sensitive. A setting of 1
indicates least sensitive. A setting of 7 indicates
most sensitive. Adjust the sensitivity by pressing
the button labeled “S” on the side of the unit.
5. SHORT CIRCUIT
SC indicates that a short circuit has occurred
TESTING / ADJUSTING
THE BRAKING RESPONSE:
Connect to your trailer and test drive on a dry open area at low
speed (20 to 25 mph). Apply vehicle brakes aggressively.
1. If trailer brakes lock-up, adjust down the power setting to just
below brake lock-up by pressing the (-) power button.
2. If the braking performance from the trailer feels as if it is
pushing the tow vehicle, adjust the power setting higher by
pressing the (+) power button. Repeat process until smooth
braking is obtained.
BRAKE CONTROL
WIRE COLOR
BLACK
RED
WHITE
BLUE
MAKE
MODEL
& YEAR
VEHICLE WIRE COLOR
CHEVY
& GMC
2007
(New
Style)
- 2013
RED
LIGHT
BLUE &
WHITE
WHITE
DARK
BLUE
CHEVY
& GMC
1999 - 2007
(Classic Style)
RED
LIGHT
BLUE
BLACK
DARK
BLUE
DODGE
2009-2012
RED &
YELLOW
WHITE &
VIOLET
BLACK &
DRK GREEN
DARK
GREEN
DODGE
2003-2008
RED &
WHITE
BLUE &
WHITE
BLACK &
GREEN
BLUE
DODGE
1997-2002
RED
WHITE
BLACK
BLUE
FORD
F-250 / 350
2009-2013
RED &
BROWN
BLUE
ORANGE
BLACK &
GRAY
BLUE
FORD
F-150 2009-
2013
RED OR
RED &
GRAY
GREEN
OR YEL
GRN
WHITE &
BROWN
BLUE
FORD
F-150
1994-2008
RED
LIGHT
GREEN
WHITE
DARK
BLUE
TOYOTA
&
LEXUS
2003-2012
BLACK
GREEN &
YELLOW
BLACK &
WHITE
BLUE &
RED
I
n
SIGHT
FLEX-MOUNT
™
TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL
™
IMPORTANT
Read the following instructions carefully before installing
and/or operating the brake control.
(blank)
FLEX-DISPLAY
™
FLEX-CONTROL
™
SMART-BOX
™
CAUTION
DO NOT MOUNT ON DASH
ONLY MOUNT ON KICK PANEL OR CENTER CONSOLE
CONTROL BRACKET
(optional)
KICK PANEL
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