Member Since: 11 Mar 2007
Location: Adelaide Hills
Posts: 30
My Tekonsha P3 Brake Controller Installation
Hi All,
I just finished the installation of my new Tekonsha P3 Brake Controller after studying all material to that topic that I could find on disco3.co.uk. I particularly would like to express my thanks to Sniegy with his post http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-zone/51521-el...photo.html and catweasel with his post http://www.disco3.co.uk/forum/topic32077.html?highlight=tekonsha. I used both posts as a basis for my installation. I also used reference material provided in http://www.landrovertechinfo.com, in particular the wire diagram. I have posted all required images (including the wire diagram for exterior lighting) in my gallery.
When trying to find a suitably location for the actual Tekonsha P3 unit, I considered the location of all the posts I saw on this site but found that they are were all a compromise for what I wanted to achieve. After long time contemplating all my options and initial prototyping, I found that the Ashtray would make a great little location for my new P3. The key requirements were that I didn't want to drill any holes into the dash nor did I want an awkward location in anyone's leg space. Further, I wanted the option to remove the brake controller easily and restore the original condition. Needless to say that I don't smoke and would never allow smoking in my car.
Further to all my planning I tried to understand why Sniegy used the driver's side channel (right side) to get to the 1/4 left side rear panel. I did like the idea of having all the wires coming together at one point but I didn't see the need to take the cable to the right (under the steering column) then to the back of the vehicle only to pull the wire across to the other side in order to end up on the 1/4 l/h/r panel. Anyway, all of that is what went through my head.
I am sure there are many other ways of installing the unit but I found it working really well and it is a breeze to get the P3 in and out.
All images are posted as fullsize in my gallery.
The finished product:
So, after all the above blurb, here some pictures and explanations. I would be very keen to see how other people have installed their Brake Controller.
1. Remove the Ashtray unit by removing the middle console. There is only one screw holding the middle console, which is located under the Electronic Hand Brake. Following the instructions in this forum for how to remove the centre console http://www.disco3.co.uk/forum/topic18496.html. After you have removed the centre console, remove the tray under the Ashtray unit. Now remove the two torx screws of the Ashtray unit and gently but firmly remove the Ashtray. There are three points where the Ashtray is fixed to the plastic frame, two at the top and one at the bottom. Congratulations, you now have your Ashtray in installation mode.
2. The next step is to remove the ashtray sliding cradle. This is a bit tricky but can easily achieved with patience. The top of the ashtray unit holds one side of the rollup spring that pushes the ashtray cradle out of the unit. Push the ashtray until it slides half-way, then grab the frame and the bottom part of the spring and squeeze your finders together and pull out the spring. When you pulled it out of it's slot let go and make sure you are holding your hands at the rear of the ashtray unit so it doesn't jump out of the entire unit.
3. Now you are holding the ashtray unit without the slide out cradle:
4. This is the part where you are on your own to cut part of the sliding track to fit the brackets of the brake controller. Coincidentally, the standard brackets that came with the P3 fit the ashtray hole almost perfectly. I managed to cut 1.5cm of track, using my Fein Multimaster (http://www.feinmultimasterfmm250q.com/). Really the best tool for the job. Did I tell you I love my Fein Multimaster . Be very careful that you don't damage any other parts of the sliding mechanism. I also ended up sanding the cuts to make them smooth.
5. The next step is to prepare the bits and pieces to create brackets that can slide in and out of the existing ashtray shaft. For that I used standard PC extension slot covers. I had a lot of those due to all the PC I had over the years. If you don't have any, I am sure you can easily obtain them through your local PC store. The usual throw aways then find a new life as a bracket sliding arms. I then cut the end part of using tin snips or a bolt cutter. See before & after pics below:
6. Now take the large bracket the P3 came with and push it into the ashtray shaft. Then take the new sliding arms and fix them onto the brackets so that they slide in and out with the main bracket attached.
7. Screw the P3 to the bracket and slide the brackets with the P3 attached into the ashtray shaft:
Congratulations, you have finished the first part of the job
Now, the other tricky part; running the cable
You will need approx. 6-7m of either a four core 6mm cable or two twin core cables, if you want to follow my cabling instructions below. There are other methods of connecting the brake controller, which are also mentioned on this site. Some of them involve connecting the red cable of the brake controller directly to the brake switch. I decided to have all cables coming together at the back. I also considered what catweasel mentioned. You want the brake lights to come on when you use the manual override lever on the brake controller. In terms of the 3amp diode that is apparently prescribed by LR, I decided to fit one but not the way Sniegy described it in AULRO. So here it goes:
1. Open the glove box compartment completely so that the fuse panel is exposed. Open the glove box, the push the right side of the glove box side wall to the left and push down the arm on the left to release the glove box completely. With the Ashtray unit removed I pushed the cable that came with the P3 from the inside of hole where the ashtray unit normally sits to the glove box fuse compartment.
2. Now remove the left passenger side kick panel by removing the torx screw of the bonnet opener lever.
3. Carefully pull and remove the trim from the front passenger tread plate to the rear passenger treat plate, which is one plastic panel held in place by metal clips. Before you can remove the entire tread plate trim you must also remove the trim of the 'B' Pillar trim, which is also one plastic part that can be remove very easily and is also held in place by clips. You have now exposed the side channel that already has one wire harness running through to the back. You will be added your cable to that.
4. Also gain access to the the rear/left boot plastic box compartment area by loosening the main bolt that holds the front of this box to the chassis. You can see my two white twin core cables going through:
5. I gained access to the bottom wheel arch side of the plastic cover near the rear left passenger side by gently pulling the plastic where the cover touches the carpet. I then pushed the wire through this gap. You can do this step before you pull the cable through the gap as explained in step 4 above. (That's what I did). You then push the cable(s) through to the back of the vehicle so they are coming out at the left hand side trailer fuse compartment covered up by the 1/4 cover.
5. The easiest way to run the cable(s) through the left side front and rear passenger treat plate channel is by working your way through bit by bit. Take a smaller trace wire/cable to push through from the front passenger kick panel half way until the cable comes out at the 'B' Pillar. After that make you way through to the remainder of the rear passenger tread plate channel. If you have married it up the trace cable with the real cable(s), tape them together with duct tape smoothly so that you can pull the bigger cable(s) through with the trace wire attached. I hope all that makes sense. Pulling the cables through was a tricky part that cost me 1.5 hrs. Don't rush the job and just take your time. It worked for me and I am sure it will also work for you.
Congratulations you have successfully completed part 2 of the installation
Now we are coming to last part, which is connecting the wires up correctly and installing the 3amp diode and 30amp circuit breaker. You will need to go your local auto parts dealer and pick up the auto resetting circuit breaker as well as to an electronic store to pick up the diode.
I knocked up a quick wiring diagram. I hope it makes sense. I marked the spots where you need to cut with scissors. All connection are soldered. Below the wiring diagram a photo of the finished wiring job. I also uploaded the wire diagrams from LR, which I used to identify the required wires into my Gallery for our perusal.
So basically here's what you connect where:
P3 White: to Earth Bolt
P3 Black: Take off from thick Purple wire into the 30amp circuit breaker bolt. The other side of the circuit breaker bolt goes back to the P3
P3 Red: Cut the Green/Purple wire that goes from the brake switch into the trailer fuse so there is enough usable length on both ends. Connect the anode side of the diode to the end that comes from the brake controller. Connect the red P3 cable to the cathode side of the diode in parallel to the green/purple wire that goes back to the trailer fuse block. This will allow the trailer brake lights to go on when you use the manual override lever to calibrate the P3 with the trailer brakes.
P3 Blue: Cut the brown wire that goes from the trailer fuse block to the RH Tail light. Now connect the P3 blue wire to that. There is no need to connect the other end of the brown wire as it is no longer used.
Of course you make sure that the other side of the four wires is connected to the wire harness that came with the P3.
That should be it. Congratulations you are finished. Job well done . Now just put all the panels and covers back where they came from.
After I was finished I went to the camper trailer place and tried my new P3 out and everything worked as it should.
Please feel free to ask questions or give me feedback how you went.----------------
TDV6 S White
27th Sep 2009 2:16 pm
caverD3
Member Since: 03 Jul 2006
Location: Oberon, NSW
Posts: 6922
Very neat install.
Much better than next to your knee.“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely gamesâ€
Ernest Hemmingway
D4 3.0 Active Diff, Adaptive Lights, High Beam Assist, Surround Cameras, Privacy Glass.
D3 2.7:Adaptive Headlights,Electronic Rear Diff,ARB Bar,Blaupunkt Speakers,JVC Powered Subwoofer,Removable Snorkel,Mitch Hitch,Pioneer After Market Head Unit,Steering Wheel Control Adaptor,Remote Adjustable Supension Rod System, Taxside Dual Battery System.
30th Sep 2009 12:51 am
thesettler
Member Since: 11 Mar 2007
Location: Adelaide Hills
Posts: 30
Thanks caver3D.
The idea was to provide the expert as well as the novice with all details required to perform an installation themselves. Some of the WIKI's and explanations on Disco3.co.uk are good but lack detail.
I am really keen to see how other are going with their Brake Controller installation.
Settler - thanks for taking the time to document the install so well and share it with us
Cheers...'11 TDV6 - Stornoway Grey.... still lovin' it!!
REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASSES.......Eat more BEEF!!
Addendum: Red wine goes REALLY well with BEEF
30th Sep 2009 2:11 pm
bmalpass
Member Since: 20 Aug 2009
Location: Sydney
Posts: 41
thanks...
Settler - just wanted to say thanks for the instructions. I have just finished my install today as per you notes and it has worked out great...thanks again
Ben
7th Nov 2009 4:51 am
thesettler
Member Since: 11 Mar 2007
Location: Adelaide Hills
Posts: 30
Hi Ben,
Hey that's good news. Do you have some pictures to share? Would love to see what your install looks like.
Cheers
Stefan----------------
TDV6 S White
8th Nov 2009 12:15 pm
bmalpass
Member Since: 20 Aug 2009
Location: Sydney
Posts: 41
Hi Stefan,
I only just took my camper trailer out in the weekend to test the brakes and they are not working. this could be a number of things however I dont think it is the actual P3 but wanted to check with you on something.
when you go through the trouble shooting menu on the P3 it displays a number of volt and amp readings which i get for each setting, however i was woundering if my readings are the same as yours. Do you think that this could be a cause of the brakes not working???
The other thing is that my trailer has LED lights so i needed to get a converter for them not to pulse and was thinking that this may now be a cause of the breaks not working!!
Thanks
Ben
25th Nov 2009 12:49 am
thesettler
Member Since: 11 Mar 2007
Location: Adelaide Hills
Posts: 30
Hi BMALPASS
Sorry for the late reply, I just saw your message, for some reason, I didn't get notified. Do you still have a problem with the installation?
Cheers
Stefan----------------
TDV6 S White
13th Jan 2010 10:44 am
airstream
Member Since: 11 Feb 2011
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 20
As a uk owner I've had real difficulty with trailing a us airstream but ended up fitting a tekonsha voyager in the rear by the towing fuse box and have used pin 2 on the uk 12 n lead ( normally fog light ) and wired the brake control cable for the trailer into this pin
Seems 2 work fine
5th Mar 2011 4:23 pm
doddsy72
Member Since: 04 May 2011
Location: Exmouth WA
Posts: 29
The Diode !
Well, I have fitted my brake controller, but I cannot find a way to fit the diode and have the manual override bring on the brake lights.
Fitting the diode as described blocks all voltage out of the P3 red wire, I am sure ( almost) that was not supposed to be the case.
Whilst looking at the logic of the diode, I am confused at what exactly we are trying to stop by inserting it ? I know a spike !
But what , from the controller itself down the brake light wire ?
If we are concerned the spike would come from the trailer wiring for say a river crossing, it would be better to fit the diode on the wire running from the trailer hitch to the car. Now this would make sense, nothing to block except a spike. Current flowing only to the trailer. Return blocked by the diode.
If anyone has he actual land rover diagram that recommends this diode I would love to see it, and see exactly where it is supposed to go into the system.
Both of the locations mentioned in Aulro so far seem to "T" in high up the circuit, stopping the brake light function in manual override..
No flamers please, I am asking a logical question. I understand the current instruction do "work", i'd like to see a solution the allows the lights to work too. As it does without the diode in situ.
If I connected the red wire from p3 in directly behind the brake light input then placed the diode to stop backflow of current to the car I think this would work, but you would need to tee in twice in this instance. once for each light..
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. Be very careful that you don't damage any other parts of the sliding mechanism. I also ended up sanding the cuts to make them smooth.
