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jwilson2899

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That's weird because at least two of us have problems.
I wonder if they shipped the WRONG harness with some of these?
I don't suppose you noticed if there was a diode in the wiring harness supplied?

It's normal to have no light on the controller with no trailer connected.
But it's not normal to push the button and have dash/cluster errors and features of the truck disabled.
At least 2 of us have seen this problem and we aren't first time controller installers.
These simply plug in so it's not like you can wire it incorrectly in any way.
This is my question exactly. I know you and I have ACC problems, but it sounds like Pitch is fine and there is another guy on the Gladiator Facebook group who says he has no issues with ACC as well.

maybe we can get someone who has there’s but not installed to test for a diode yet. I know for sure mine doesn’t have it, I tested to make sure.
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Big letdown.
It doesn't have the diode in the brake light wire - indicating it was never tested on a real JT with options. There is no way any test engineer, even a beta tester ever used this. I'd bet it was designed, made, and shipped - not tested.
It's mounted backwards from the instructions. No one caught that in beta testing?
The instructions are also not precise in a couple of ways (you can't insert the wires first and then mount it - at least I could not after an hour (no kidding) of trying)
It adds no features at all over the Curt or Redarc controllers.
It costs twice as much as either one of those.
The control knob itself is really fragile, IMO. Be VERY careful installing it, don't force anything and absolutely don't drop the part with the plastic light guide! It would easily snap off as it's smaller than a typical tooth pick.
For almost 300 bucks I'd expect some neat features and integration.
The Redarc does exactly anything this one does - and more if you get the dual mode version for much less.
For the price, it should integrate, the knob and plastic bits should be built at least as well as the Redarc or Curt units.
If I hadn't spent so much time trying to get it installed and make it work - I'd have ripped it out by now and tossed it in among my other stuff I can't figure out why I keep.

IMO, if you have ACC, an optioned JT - it's not usable.
Another thank you for the write-up!

I've been following your posts on controllers. I have a Tekonsha that I was going to put in, but was thinking of installing the Mopar instead. Looks like I'm going with the Redarc now.
 

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Put me on the lucky (and good looking) list it works fine, on a 2021 Mojave, without ACC, Did the install about three hours ago after reading all the negative posts, checked out ok, hooked up a 1500lb. (GVW5500) landscape trailer, and went for a two hour shake down, put it in and out of FWD, used cruise control, lights on. I did have to flip controller on the plate to be correct, installed then plugged in wires no issue.....Jack
 
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@ShadowsPapa @jwilson2899 I have one sitting in the box and rethinking after reading all the negative, how would I check for a diode?
 

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I have one sitting in the box and rethinking after reading all the negative, how would I check for a diode?
I have one sitting in the box and rethinking after reading all the negative, how would I check for a diode?
Once again information overload. Some say it has a problem and needs a diode. Others say no problem and works perfectly as advertised and supplied. I think the only way to know is do the install and test Yourself. Operator error can be the cause of many issues. Sometimes a second pair of hands and a fresh eye can catch issues the initial installer did not catch. Especially following the poorly written Mopar instructions. I drove by my dealership today and talked to the parts manager. They have sold several this week with no reports of issues by either their shop or the customer doing the install. They have 4 more in stock and 5 more on order.
 

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Once again information overload. Some say it has a problem and needs a diode. Others say no problem and works perfectly as advertised and supplied. I think the only way to know is do the install and test Yourself. Operator error can be the cause of many issues. Sometimes a second pair of hands and a fresh eye can catch issues the initial installer did not catch. Especially following the poorly written Mopar instructions. I drove by my dealership today and talked to the parts manager. They have sold several this week with no reports of issues by either their shop or the customer doing the install. They have 4 more in stock and 5 more on order.
No way this is install error or operator error LOL
This was an issue with other controllers until we discovered the need for the anti-feedback diode.
There's two connections, can't miss.
What's to mess up??????
If the power wire isn't making contact, it can't operate
If the ground wire isn't making contact, it can't operate
If the trailer brake power wire isn't making contact, all that happens is you get nothing to the trailer brakes.
If the wire to the brake lights isn't connected, you would get no errors as there could be no feedback into the system.
If the customers of your dealer have never bothered pressing the button, then they have no clue whether or not it works correctly. Just installing it and starting your truck won't show a danged thing. So if all of those others installed it and never pushed the button, that proves nothing.
You must try to use the manual mode to see the issue.

Since all wires are in a single connector and these are well made connectors, there's literally no way a mistake can be made.
Jeff has done brake controllers before - he's one of the first to use a Redarc controller and knows all about the feedback issue, the diode use and so on. He's also finding this issue.

Here's the wiring for both Redarc and Mopar. The Redarc version for the JT uses the Ram harness which has a diode in the red wire preventing feedback into the truck's brake light system.
The Mopar controller harness does NOT have a diode in the white wire. If it did, there would be no problem at all.


Mopar -

Black - ground
white - brake light sense
blue - power TO trailer brakes
yellow/red tracer - power to controller

Redarc -

Black - power
white - ground
blue - power TO trailer brakes
red - brake light sense
 
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@ShadowsPapa @jwilson2899 I have one sitting in the box and rethinking after reading all the negative, how would I check for a diode?
Check for a diode in the white wire which connects to the trucks brake lights. Check using an ohm meter - check for continuity, then reverse the leads and check again. Should show continuity only one direction.
 

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Can confirm that this also caused errors on a Launch Edition JT (which has the ACC option). Same errors as mentioned here, causes all sorts of lights to go off on the dash when you push the manual brake center button of the controller. We did not test with a trailer hooked up though. Only other issue as others mentioned is needing to flip the controller on the mounting plate so the plugs faced the rear of the vehicle when the plate is mounted.
 
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Can confirm that this also caused errors on a Launch Edition JT (which has the ACC option). Same errors as mentioned here, causes all sorts of lights to go off on the dash when you push the manual brake center button of the controller. We did not test with a trailer hooked up though. Only other issue as others mentioned is needing to flip the controller on the mounting plate so the plugs faced the rear of the vehicle when the plate is mounted.
Thank you for that info.
Confirmed at least 3 of us have the issue.
Yeah, that controller facing the other way bugs the heck out of me. Next warm day I'm flipping it around and forcing my wiring harness out of the way to get it plugged in.
I tried it as the drawing and there was NO WAY to connect the wires with it flipped as the pics shows. My harness was too stiff and won't move.
 

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Did you pull the clip out of the plate that held the harness, there are two, I had no problem mounting the plate first then putting the connectors in, can it be a simple thing that plates are assembled backwards and for some bizarre reason I can’t imagine, it causes a problem installed reversed as it was sent? My harness was not that stiff or unable to be moved easily, perhaps the ACC option swells the size of that harness.....Jack
 

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@ShadowsPapa @jwilson2899 I have one sitting in the box and rethinking after reading all the negative, how would I check for a diode?
Check for a diode in the white wire which connects to the trucks brake lights. Check using an ohm meter - check for continuity, then reverse the leads and check again. Should show continuity only one direction.
What @ShadowsPapa said. One of the wires, if it has a diode, should have continuity with the leads one way but not the other. All 4 of my wires have continuity both directions, so no diode. Maybe tomorrow I can grab my old Redarc harness and show.
 

jwilson2899

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Put me on the lucky (and good looking) list it works fine, on a 2021 Mojave, without ACC, Did the install about three hours ago after reading all the negative posts, checked out ok, hooked up a 1500lb. (GVW5500) landscape trailer, and went for a two hour shake down, put it in and out of FWD, used cruise control, lights on. I did have to flip controller on the plate to be correct, installed then plugged in wires no issue.....Jack
If you don’t have ACC then you will be good to go. It’s only the ACC vehicles that have issues with the brake loght circuit back feeding.
 

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If you don’t have ACC then you will be good to go. It’s only the ACC vehicles that have issues with the brake loght circuit back feeding.
What exactly is ACC? The more I read the more confused I get
 

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What exactly is ACC? The more I read the more confused I get
Adaptive Cruise Control.
It is a cruise control box on the windshield that will keep you at a certain distance from a vehicle it detects in front of you. This way on the freeway you don't have to cancel it as it will decelerate/accelerate up to your desired speed. It's an option you can get that's part of the safety features.
 

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Adaptive Cruise Control.
It is a cruise control box on the windshield that will keep you at a certain distance from a vehicle it detects in front of you. This way on the freeway you don't have to cancel it as it will decelerate/accelerate up to your desired speed. It's an option you can get that's part of the safety features.
Thank you, I have that.
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