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Brake Controller for 2020 5.7L Laramie WithOUT Tow Package

Willwork4truck

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I bought the OEM integrated trailer brake controller. installed myself (very easy). I then took truck to dealer and they updated computer to see the controller and now it appears on my screen.
Total cost?
 

saylor

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got out there and did the needful today
20210207_143152.jpg
so in the middle top dash sunglasses tray, lift up the rubber tray mat, and under there are 2 8mms, undo those and grab the console and pull it towards you, with some force, the console will let go at the top. then you can grab each side and pop it the rest of the way loose. this is the backside of a 8.4 console.


next, look at the harness behind the console. there is one with a lump on it. that lump is the connector you need, its just taped up. fish it out of there, thusly:
20210207_150308.jpg

20210207_150408.jpg
 

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saylor

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next, you have to get the delete piece plastic out of the spot where the brake controller goes on the lower left console.
20210207_144308.jpg
Not Shown: is 2 torqs screws holding this in on either side. remove those 2 screws. rear side.
next, using a trim removal tool, pop loose the keepers - as pointed at in the pic. there are 2 on top and 2 on bottom. if you look where this thing slides into, you can see the bottom ones. it slides out towards the cabin.
 

saylor

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next, remove the delete plate out of the thing you just slid out previous:
20210207_145451.jpg
it has 2 hooks on top and 2 on bottom. see pic where the keeper holes are. Undo the bottom ones and make sure your hand is out of the way and it will click outwards and upwards.
snap in your controller right back into this spot downwards and inwards and it clicks in.
the wire you undid earlier with the red end goes into this controller.
dont zip up the dash yet.
 

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saylor

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next you have to mount the brain and the mount bracket for the brain. and there are 2 more wire connectors you need up in the dash.
leave the center console loose, and pull the fuse panel cover from under the steering wheel.
20210207_150923.jpg
this is looking from the removed center console downwards towards the gas pedal - you can see the wire we need taped up to the harness.

you have to get in there and get em. i nicked the tape edge with a blade, then picked at it like a bandaid til i got it loose. its kinda halfway from the bottom and halfway from the top.

20210207_151451.jpg
once you got em, straighten out the harness and bring the connectors down towards the fuse panel area
 

saylor

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the bracket that the controller module brain mounts down low, sort of by the gas pedal/console area. the kit comes with 3 square keeper nuts - if you ever built a server rack - they are rack nuts basically. put 1 each keeper nut into each square hole, and the LOWER top hole. there are 2 squares at top - put the keeper into the LOWER square.

20210207_151559.jpg

i forgot to take a pic at this moment - probably the old lady yelled at me or something... click the square nuts in to the holes, then mount the bracket feet down/feet facing the passenger side.
I got the left side threaded enough to hold the bracket, then got the top one going - its a pita - use a small socket extension - then the right side one I dropped and i heard it go inside the console....I fished for a long time with a magnet on a stick and never got it.

20210207_153225.jpg
 

saylor

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mounted bracket. I left the factory P/N tag on it, and also signed and dated it myself on the backside. for posterity. 20210207_153647.jpg
 

saylor

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the actual brain module clicks into the bracket you just mounted.
3 prong side to left, and 1 prong side to right. took real effort to snap it into place.
20210207_154434.jpg

then hook up the 2 wires you brought down earlier. they are different shapes so you cant mix them up. 20210207_154444.jpg

so now I just have to get programmed and there you go.
 

Burnzie

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Well, they lied. Big surprise there coming from a dealership, right? I picked up my truck yesterday and the final price was $408! $12 bucks LESS than the original quote! Nice!
$12 dollar tip?
 

saylor

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just a note i found about programming DIY.

All total is was 5 settings that had to change (enable brake controller module, then enable the 4 CSM menu items to see the trailer settings menus). Odd, it takes a few minutes before the Trailer Settings menu showed up, at first I didn't think it worked.
 

Bossdog421

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My truck didnt come with the package, but i wanted the OEM break controller installed right after i brought my truck. MY sales guy new and set it up for me. Dropped off my truck and come back to an after market unit not fastened to anything and the box for it sitting on my center console. They said the mopar part was on backorder and the salesman told them to do this instead. They didn't fasten it because then didnt want to drill holes in the brand new truck (im glad they didnt) I ended up getting some double sided adhesive and sticking it in a good spot.

Here's how this relates to your question. They tell me all they had to do was plug it into the harness. Well **** I could have dont that, the only reason i had them do it was so the original part would be installed int he right spot and get programed to come up in the HUD. I couldn't wait for the mopar part, i was picking up a trailer in 2 days. The unit I got works pretty well so not point in changing how, still it would have been nice to have the actual part made for the truck.
 

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