Curt bluetooth brake controller?

Have any of you used this brake controller? I have tried two different ones and neither one would power on even though there is power to the trailer lights.

I called customer support the first time and they said it sounded like a defective unit so I returned it and tried another one. The same thing is happening with the second one.

So if any of you have had success with this brake controller, what did you have to do to make it work?

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

I have one. No issues. Connects right away. What part is it stopping at, when you put in the code?

 

It won't even detect the device. It acts like it's not even plugged in. The light on the controller won't even flash or anything.

 

does another brake controller work/power up when plugged into the harness? If not, check the trailer brake fuse under the hood. if that's good, then grab a voltmeter and check that power is making it to the harness

Brakes controller is on a totally different circuit than the lights.

EDIT: having now looked up the device, i see it just plugs into the 7-pin trailer harness on the bumper. I could be wrong, but I don't think the brake pins on the trailer harness are getting power if the harness inside the cab isn't hooked up. Did it come with a jumper harness or anything to plug into the stock connector under the driver side kick panel?

 

No it didn't come with anything like that. It's supposed to just plug in and sync to the phone. I did this because I thought it would be a simple install and I'm moving from Texas to NC leaving tomorrow. This has been the move from hell with so many problems.

 

I'm going to ask a real stupid question so bear with me: are you using this to pull your own trailer or a UHaul?

Personally I have never been a fan of the Bluetooth controllers, for multiple reasons. But given you are in a time crunch, I agree with the above. Test the harness, even get a battery and a jumper wire, see if you can get the trailer brakes to engage.

 

It's my own brand new trailer.

 

Unlikely it's the trailer harness then. It's still possible, just unlikely.

Trailer dealer open today? Maybe they'll take pity and help you troubleshoot. Worst case maybe they can sell and install a wired controller.

 

I’m 99% sure what one of the guys said above is true; you won’t have power to the brake controller circuit if the pigtail inside is left open. A normal controller works by taking the constant +12 as an input and then varying the output (what you see in the 7-way plug). So I’d assume that if there’s nothing plugged into the harness inside the cab, there’s no voltage getting to the 7-way to power the Curt controller.

i bet if you put a junker wire in the cab harness from the constant +12 to the trailer OUT, then you’d get power to the Curt controller

 

That makes a lot of sense. I'll have to try that. Thanks for the replies everyone. This is my first time towing a trailer this heavy and messing with trailer brakes. It's been a learning experience for sure. I also learned how to use a weight distributing hitch.

And now I also get to figure out why my running lights on the trailer quit working. I hate electrical stuff.

 

Meant to say “jumper”, but I think you got the point. Hahaha.

As for your running lights, a multimeter is gonna be your best friend. Check for continuity/voltage then work your way back.

 

If you have the factory tow package 7 way it is fused and controlled separately from the vehicle lights, the the 12v auxiliary wire (which if your controller is plugging into the 7 way is probably using for power) is fed power with the key on by the batt charge relay and batt charge fuse in the engine bay fuse box.
Here is the standard wiring schematic of a 7 way plug, wire colors will vary but functions are always in the same places.


Trailer tail lights are fed by the towing tail fuse and relay in the engine bay fuse box.
Trailer stop/turn signals are fed by the towing fuse (engine bay fuse box) and turn signal flasher (on the steering column)
Trailer backup lights are fed by the bkup fuse (drivers side fuse box left of steering column)
The trailer brake wire is only used if you have a trailer brake control tied into the factory plug inside the vehicle (fed power by the towing brk fuse in the under hood fuse box)
Ground for the trailer plug is fed from a ground point behind the drivers side kick panel.

Check all your fuses first I bed you have some blown ones, beyond that check everything at the plug with a test light or trailer socket tester.

 

Thank you so much! The batt charge fuse was the problem. I thought I had checked all the fuses and relays related to towing but I didn't know that was one of them. The running lights problem was the towing tail relay. Now everything is working as it should.

I have to say I'm actually pretty impressed with how this truck does towing a 5,200 pound trailer.

 

No problem

 

So now that I got it working I have a question for you.

The instructions say that once it's set up if it loses connection the brakes will still work using the most recent settings.

In your experience, would it be a bad idea to set it up and then disconnect the Bluetooth so I can still listen to music using Bluetooth? Of course, I would reconnect if I'm coming up on some hilly terrain so I could apply the brakes if necessary.

 

Yes, that's a very bad idea.

It would be a good idea to get the dedicated bypass button Curt sells and stick it on the dash/somewhere easy reachable. If you disconnect your phone or it dies, you lose the ability to apply the emergency brakes. That's not just for hilly areas, that's for when the trailer starts to sway. It's what allows you to quickly apply the trailer brakes ONLY, without the truck brakes(don't hit the truck brakes in a sway situation), to help pull the trailer back in line before it takes the truck for a very unpleasant ride. Could happen with a sudden wind gust, nasty pothole, or getting passed by a big rig. Either way, it's not gonna wait for you to reconnect and apply the brakes.

The BEST idea, in my opinion, would be to pick up a regular brake controller. Especially if you're gonna be towing it regularly. I'm all for taking advantage of technology, but not sure I like the idea of a wireless bluetooth connection for such a crucial safety feature. I feel like it's much easier for that to fail or pick up interference than the standard wired connection already built into the truck. Just my two cents. Happy hauling

 

Ok. I kind of figured it would probably be a bad I idea. Unfortunately, this bluetooth controller is my only option since I can't find a tacoma adapter for a regular controller locally. I'll just keep it connected and use an aux cable for music.