trailer brake controller plug-in location???

[marcw]

Greets! Brand new 2009 Pilot Touring RES/NAV owner here.


Trying to install the trailer brake controller. Got the little harness with the gray connector. Where the heck does it plug in??

Page 446 of the owner's manual says "A factory installed, 4-pin gray connector is located under the instrument panel near the top of the parking brake pedal."

Ive been poking around up there for at least a half hour...cant find any such plug. The dealer, having sold only 2 or 3 of these wont have a clue either. Can anyone shed some light on this mystery? Maybe a picture of exactly where the harness plugs in?

[rocky]

Did you remove the lower trim under the steering wheel? Its probably behind that.

[marcw]

Hey Rocky: I just looked inside there this morning (didnt actually remove the lower cover) but you can see up inside the steering columb by looking into the center slot where the telescoping adjuster arm comes out. There's a large wire loom with a very large plug already connected, then a smaller one with about 30 wires going up to the buttons on the steering wheel....neither unfortunately is what we are looking for. I think Monday or Tues I am going to have to call American Honda customer service....hopefully the service manuals or other detailed tech info is available to get this figured out. This is one of the problems with owing a brand new model I suppose....

Marc

[Medic721]

This should be in the drivers area. look under the drivers front kick panel some jeeps hid them there too. probably taped up to the loom either under the dash or in the kick.....

-Mike.

[ONIJDM]

The wires connect directly underneath the lower dash where your left knee would be...

I'll try to take a pic soon...

[marcw]

ONIJDM-

That would be fantastic if you could post a picture! So far, I have spoken to Honda North America and have opened a customer service case there. They have no idea how to better locate the gray plug. They dont have the service manuals in yet. They recommended I call the dealer. I then called the dealer, and no surprise, they didnt have anyhting to add. We even had them try to look up the install instructions for the trailer wiring kit, and that didnt show anything under the dash either. The dealer doesnt have the service manuals or any diagrams either yet. They have never faced this problem yet, so all they could tell me to do was to bring the car in for them to look at it....great! Just what I want to do now!!


If you could post a picture, it would help out a lot of future fellow Pilot owners!

[marcw]

Here is what it looks like under there. If anyone can specify where to look.....?

[techgirl]

Eureka, my husband found it - he thinks I'm weird ....... making him look under the dash for something that we're not going to use.


Here is a picture (sorry it is a little fuzzy) of the elusive connector. It is tucked behind the driver's foot well kick panel trim near the parking brake (just like the manual almost said).

[Medic721]

I want my prize for the kick panel guess!

-Mike.

[marcw]

techgirl gets the prize! Thanks very much for that picture! I found the ^&!#$^&$! plug there as pictured. You actually dont have to take off the kick panel.



The owner's manual says under the instrument panel near the top of the emergency brake, which is totally wrong!

All Honda needed to say was that the plug is behind the wire harness directly above the gas door pull handle...that, folks is where it is. Hopefully, the 2010 Pilot owner's manual will have this corrected, in the meantime, I suspect this thread will come in handy for many more future 2009-up Pilot owners!

a big thank you to techgirl and her hubby!!

[techgirl]

Thanks! Make your cash payable to:




Seriously, we're glad that we could help.

[marcw]

I just got the Honda customer service follow-up survey in the mail. I reported that the rep was very nice and courteous but simply did not have access to the required information, and that the owner's manual information was really not sufficient to help locate the plug; and that the proper location for the plug is best described as simply above the fuel door lever. Let's see if the 2010 owners manuals are corrected....bets anyone?

[05EXL]

Does this plug have to be installed for the brake lights to work? Where does the wires go once you plug the connectors together? I know it's labeled but the wires under the dash are not.

Why doesn't Honda install this, doesn't make sence.

[2bz]

I'm going to bump this thread up, its very helpful. I would have been searching for another hour before finding the harness on my own.

[Bagman]

Do I have to install the E-Brake for my trailer lights to work I just want to install the Harness also do i have to install the fuses.