Hi all,

I have a 2019 Acadia with some generic trailer brake control unit
installed (by the trailer dealer) under the dash. I'm getting a
new Acadia on Friday, and am wondering how hard it is to take out
the controller so the RV dealer can install it in the new vehicle.

I've looked at youtube videos, and have a good sense of how to
take off the panels to get at things, but I'm not sure about the
wiring. Is it safe to just clip off the controller wires short of
where they (presumably) have been soldered into the exisiting car
wiring? I don't want to affect any of the normal vehicle
functions by taking out the controller.

Thanks for any tips!

--
Ted Heise <theise@panix.com> West Lafayette, IN, USA

On Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 5:45:07 AM UTC-7, Ted Heise wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I have a 2019 Acadia with some generic trailer brake control unit
> installed (by the trailer dealer) under the dash. I'm getting a
> new Acadia on Friday, and am wondering how hard it is to take out
> the controller so the RV dealer can install it in the new vehicle.
>
> I've looked at youtube videos, and have a good sense of how to
> take off the panels to get at things, but I'm not sure about the
> wiring. Is it safe to just clip off the controller wires short of
> where they (presumably) have been soldered into the exisiting car
> wiring? I don't want to affect any of the normal vehicle
> functions by taking out the controller.
>
> Thanks for any tips!
>
> --
> Ted Heise <the...@panix.com> West Lafayette, IN, USA

If it was installed without cutting the wires it should be easy to remove it without cutting wires. This is all just basic 12 volt wiring. I wouldn't expect to encounter any solder. This wiring is usually done with standard connectors. I would suggest talking to the technician who is going to do the installation before you cut anything. They might have a different opinion. You can probably find a new wiring harness for a cleaner installation. Sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do.

TB

On Wed, 26 Apr 2023 07:11:37 -0700 (PDT),
Technobarbarian <technobarbarian@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 5:45:07???AM UTC-7, Ted Heise wrote:

> > wiring. Is it safe to just clip off the controller wires short
> > of where they (presumably) have been soldered into the
> > exisiting car wiring? I don't want to affect any of the normal
> > vehicle functions by taking out the controller.

> If it was installed without cutting the wires it should
> be easy to remove it without cutting wires. This is all
> just basic 12 volt wiring. I wouldn't expect to encounter
> any solder. This wiring is usually done with standard
> connectors. I would suggest talking to the technician who
> is going to do the installation before you cut anything.
> They might have a different opinion. You can probably
> find a new wiring harness for a cleaner installation.
> Sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Thanks for the feedback. The youtube video I watched (for same
vehicle) showed wire stripping and soldering, but it also looked
like there could have been connectors nearby. I guess I'll find
out when I pull the panel off tonight!

--
Ted Heise <theise@panix.com> West Lafayette, IN, USA

On Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 12:57:08 PM UTC-4, Ted Heise wrote:
> On Wed, 26 Apr 2023 07:11:37 -0700 (PDT),
> Technobarbarian <technob...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 5:45:07???AM UTC-7, Ted Heise wrote:
>
> > > wiring. Is it safe to just clip off the controller wires short
> > > of where they (presumably) have been soldered into the
> > > exisiting car wiring? I don't want to affect any of the normal
> > > vehicle functions by taking out the controller.
> > If it was installed without cutting the wires it should
> > be easy to remove it without cutting wires. This is all
> > just basic 12 volt wiring. I wouldn't expect to encounter
> > any solder. This wiring is usually done with standard
> > connectors. I would suggest talking to the technician who
> > is going to do the installation before you cut anything.
> > They might have a different opinion. You can probably
> > find a new wiring harness for a cleaner installation.
> > Sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do.
> Thanks for the feedback. The youtube video I watched (for same
> vehicle) showed wire stripping and soldering, but it also looked
> like there could have been connectors nearby. I guess I'll find
> out when I pull the panel off tonight!
> --
> Ted Heise <the...@panix.com> West Lafayette, IN, USA
Most of todays brake controllers are plug and play. You might find that the one that is installed MAY be plug and play. If not, you can cut the wires as long as the battery is disconnected and you make sure the wires in your vehicle are not exposed (bare) to shorting out (Block/tape them off).

On Thu, 27 Apr 2023 01:26:59 -0700 (PDT),
Hank <trailblazer876@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 12:57:08???PM UTC-4, Ted Heise wrote:
> > On Wed, 26 Apr 2023 07:11:37 -0700 (PDT),
> > Technobarbarian <technob...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > On Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 5:45:07???AM UTC-7, Ted Heise wrote:
> >
> > > > wiring. Is it safe to just clip off the controller wires
> > > > short of where they (presumably) have been soldered into
> > > > the exisiting car wiring? I don't want to affect any of
> > > > the normal vehicle functions by taking out the controller.
> > > If it was installed without cutting the wires it should be
> > > easy to remove it without cutting wires. This is all just
> > > basic 12 volt wiring. I wouldn't expect to encounter any
> > > solder. This wiring is usually done with standard
> > > connectors. I would suggest talking to the technician who is
> > > going to do the installation before you cut anything. They
> > > might have a different opinion. You can probably find a new
> > > wiring harness for a cleaner installation. Sometimes, you
> > > gotta do what you gotta do.
> > Thanks for the feedback. The youtube video I watched (for same
> > vehicle) showed wire stripping and soldering, but it also
> > looked like there could have been connectors nearby. I guess
> > I'll find out when I pull the panel off tonight!

> Most of todays brake controllers are plug and play. You might
> find that the one that is installed MAY be plug and play. If
> not, you can cut the wires as long as the battery is
> disconnected and you make sure the wires in your vehicle are not
> exposed (bare) to shorting out (Block/tape them off).

Perfect, thanks! I did not get to it last night, and I may not
tonight either. So whoever gets the vehicle after me may get a
free controller with it. If I get a chance to look at it tonight,
I'll report back on what I find.

--
Ted Heise <theise@panix.com> West Lafayette, IN, USA

On Thu, 27 Apr 2023 12:39:48 -0000 (UTC),
Ted Heise <theise@panix.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 27 Apr 2023 01:26:59 -0700 (PDT),
> Hank <trailblazer876@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 12:57:08???PM UTC-4, Ted Heise wrote:

> > > Thanks [TB] for the feedback. The youtube video I watched
> > > (for same vehicle) showed wire stripping and soldering, but
> > > it also looked like there could have been connectors nearby.
> > > I guess I'll find out when I pull the panel off tonight!
>
> > Most of todays brake controllers are plug and play. You might
> > find that the one that is installed MAY be plug and play. If
> > not, you can cut the wires as long as the battery is
> > disconnected and you make sure the wires in your vehicle are
> > not exposed (bare) to shorting out (Block/tape them off).
>
> Perfect, thanks! I did not get to it last night, and I may not
> tonight either. So whoever gets the vehicle after me may get a
> free controller with it. If I get a chance to look at it
> tonight, I'll report back on what I find.

FWIW, the device wires all terminated in a singlr connector that
easily disconnected from the car wiring. The panel on the side of
the console was pretty easy to take off and put back on too (the
youtube video was helpful in this regard).

I brought home the new vehicle last night, a newer model Acadia by
some four years. I was able to get the console side panel off
okay (though it was a different configuration), but did not see
anything that looked appropriate for plugging the controller into.
I'm guessing it's a different wiring config too, but have an
inquiry in to the dealer.

--
Ted Heise <theise@panix.com> West Lafayette, IN, USA