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jfreeham

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I've read this thread, and I'm sure my question has been answered therein, but I'm not very tech savvy and am confused. So, here's my story; your guidance will be appreciated.

1) I ordered the Mopar trailer brake the day it was released.

2) Soon after it arrived so did the fix for the steering issue. Both were scheduled to be installed at the same appointment. The steering fix was installed and now the JT steers properly and I don't have to worry about being pulled over for a DWI (I don't drink) or worry about killing children who wander into the street. One problem solved, but one to go. But the dealer wasn't able to install the trailer brake control because it didn't include the wiring/harness necessary for installation.

3) The next day I took to the dealer the letter/notice that has been reposted a few times in this thread. They were glad to read it and even made an appointment for the next morning. We were all filled with hope and were eager to see a successful resolution to the matter.

4) The next morning the dealer installed the brake controller, that is, it is in my dash, but they couldn't get it to work because they needed codes (I hope this is making sense). They said that they had called people (FCA - Jeep - Mopar people, I'm not sure who, exactly) and were told the people were aware of the issue, were working to solve the problem, had opened a ticket, and would be back in touch when a fix has been issued. I think they said something about February.

5) I've ascertained from this thread that the date of the build is important for this conversation. Our JT was built in December 2019.

6) I'm puzzled: Upon purchasing our JT in August I had an after market brake controller installed - it's on the lower left corner of the dash, next to the driver door. Bubba installed it in 15 minutes. It works. No problem. All for a grand total of $120.00. (As I write this I'm getting miffed.) I'm normally a patient person, but I've spend a lot of money for the purchase and installation of the Mopar brake controller. Why was it released if it didn't work? That's dishonest. Very dishonest. No, that's thievery. So, the brake control dial is in my dash. It looks nice. I sure wish it worked. I'm trying to not let it sour me on our truck, which is great and tows our Airstream with grace. But I've been taken and feel like a fool, like I've been hustled.

7) What's my next step? Is there another step? Or do I wait for a fix to become available in February, which I think probably means July, if we're lucky. The problem isn't with my dealer. They are doing the best they can with the information they're given. The problem is FCA. I'm just a consumer with no recourse except to never buy another FCA product, which I would hate to do because I have a number of family members who work at the plant in Toledo, and who are proud of their work.

8) Please help.
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ShadowsPapa

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I've read this thread, and I'm sure my question has been answered therein, but I'm not very tech savvy and am confused. So, here's my story; your guidance will be appreciated.

1) I ordered the Mopar trailer brake the day it was released.

2) Soon after it arrived so did the fix for the steering issue. Both were scheduled to be installed at the same appointment. The steering fix was installed and now the JT steers properly and I don't have to worry about being pulled over for a DWI (I don't drink) or worry about killing children who wander into the street. One problem solved, but one to go. But the dealer wasn't able to install the trailer brake control because it didn't include the wiring/harness necessary for installation.

3) The next day I took to the dealer the letter/notice that has been reposted a few times in this thread. They were glad to read it and even made an appointment for the next morning. We were all filled with hope and were eager to see a successful resolution to the matter.

4) The next morning the dealer installed the brake controller, that is, it is in my dash, but they couldn't get it to work because they needed codes (I hope this is making sense). They said that they had called people (FCA - Jeep - Mopar people, I'm not sure who, exactly) and were told the people were aware of the issue, were working to solve the problem, had opened a ticket, and would be back in touch when a fix has been issued. I think they said something about February.

5) I've ascertained from this thread that the date of the build is important for this conversation. Our JT was built in December 2019.

6) I'm puzzled: Upon purchasing our JT in August I had an after market brake controller installed - it's on the lower left corner of the dash, next to the driver door. Bubba installed it in 15 minutes. It works. No problem. All for a grand total of $120.00. (As I write this I'm getting miffed.) I'm normally a patient person, but I've spend a lot of money for the purchase and installation of the Mopar brake controller. Why was it released if it didn't work? That's dishonest. Very dishonest. No, that's thievery. So, the brake control dial is in my dash. It looks nice. I sure wish it worked. I'm trying to not let it sour me on our truck, which is great and tows our Airstream with grace. But I've been taken and feel like a fool, like I've been hustled.

7) What's my next step? Is there another step? Or do I wait for a fix to become available in February, which I think probably means July, if we're lucky. The problem isn't with my dealer. They are doing the best they can with the information they're given. The problem is FCA. I'm just a consumer with no recourse except to never buy another FCA product, which I would hate to do because I have a number of family members who work at the plant in Toledo, and who are proud of their work.

8) Please help.

Oh, boy. I have a BAAD feeling your dealer person talked to the same people mine did - and they still believe that stupid harness mentioned in the instructions is the fix. It is NOT.
February is the date they say that harness will be released is why I am thinking that.
If you have not already done so, print that star communication I and another member posted and show your dealer and explain to them - if they are believing that harness in the instruction is the fix, they are dead wrong.

Yes, Jeep IS aware. And yes, it impacts only those JTs made in 2019. There was some sort of a change that happened some time in January 2020. So best we can saw it 2019 won't work correctly, 2020 builds will work correctly (but still won't trigger the trailer brakes upon pressing that button)

The stupid part of all this is - they knew of issues, they sold controllers with very bad and misleading infrormation in the instructions - and those were printed almost a year ago, and since they know which VINs work and which do not - in other words, they KNOW the cut-off date for this issue, all the engineers need to do is see "what changed" with the JT in January 2020. It's truly that easy. They have change control documents and more - look for what changed, what's different, and design the fix around that.
This should be such a simple find for them. That communication came out a month ago, the change in the JT happened 10-11 months ago.

You are correct - your dealer techs can only go by what Jeep tells them and in my case, Jeep gave them VERY BAD, VERY FAULTY, VERY WRONG informaton! The dealer in my case spent about 2.75 hours - and charged me nothing and said sorry, until Jeep fixes this - there is no solution (not from Jeep)
You could band-aid it with a Tekonsha harness that has a diode to prevent feed back but for me, my OCD "it's a matter of principal" and "Jeep owes me because this is covered under my truck's warranty for another TWO years" I'm not spending another dollar or minute on it. I won't be towing any loads until spring, if then thanks to covid and all of the car shows being cancelled.

Anyway, take that Star Online Publication in post 184 of this thread, print it, show your dealer, and explain to them that you are concerned Jeep is suggesting the harness mentioned in the instructions is the fix - it is not. It could be that the REAL fix, their actualy true fix for this will be February, but knowing that my dealership was told BY JEEP that the fix is that harness....... it bugs me that some Jeep support people may still believe that.
 

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I need a sanity check. Bought mine the day it came out for my JT (2020 build date). No ACC, Max Tow Sport S. Install was smooth overall once I flipped the controller and realized the instructions were wrong. Pushing the button doesn't jack up my dash at all, my problem is with the dial....it only spins from 1 to 7. I was mad at myself for screwing that up and left it alone until tonight we're I pulled the dash again to double-check the install.
There is only one way to lay the knob on the dial, with little nibs to prevent incorrect placement. So WTF? Do your dials go from 1 to 10, or just 1 to 7 like mine?
PXL_20201123_224014671.jpg
PXL_20201123_224004696.jpg
Mine turns 1-10 just fine, but I did see someone who said there knob was assembled wrong in the package so they couldnā€™t select all the numbers. They had to take the knob apart and fix it. By chance does it go the other way past 1? If so Iā€™d say that might be the issue.
 

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Mine turns 1-10 just fine, but I did see someone who said there knob was assembled wrong in the package so they couldnā€™t select all the numbers. They had to take the knob apart and fix it. By chance does it go the other way past 1? If so Iā€™d say that might be the issue.
Full clockwise lock on the dial is 7 and counterclockwise is waay past one, like 10 or 9. With the knob slid into place the nubs on the knob prevent it from turning past 1. I have to inch the knob out a bit to turn it past 1 to get to full lock.

Thinking my knob is shit lol. I will add photos when I get home as the dash is still apart on my baby til I get this figured out

Also not really any noticible detents. Super faint.
 
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ShadowsPapa

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Full clockwise lock on the dial is 7 and counterclockwise is waay past one, like 10 or 9. With the knob slid into place the nubs on the knob prevent it from turning past 1. I have to inch the knob out a bit to turn it past 1 to get to full lock.

Thinking my knob is shit lol. I will add photos when I get home as the dash is still apart on my baby til I get this figured out

Also not really any noticible detents. Super faint.
Then you have one of those dials assembled incorrectly from the box - and like mine, mush for detent. It's just plain an extremey cheaply done dial assembly.
In the end I think I'm going to see if they'll replace my whole dial/knob assy under warranty. If it's supposed to have detents you can easily notice and that have some feel to them - mine is bad.
 

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jfreeham

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Oh, boy. I have a BAAD feeling your dealer person talked to the same people mine did - and they still believe that stupid harness mentioned in the instructions is the fix. It is NOT.
February is the date they say that harness will be released is why I am thinking that.
If you have not already done so, print that star communication I and another member posted and show your dealer and explain to them - if they are believing that harness in the instruction is the fix, they are dead wrong.

Yes, Jeep IS aware. And yes, it impacts only those JTs made in 2019. There was some sort of a change that happened some time in January 2020. So best we can saw it 2019 won't work correctly, 2020 builds will work correctly (but still won't trigger the trailer brakes upon pressing that button)

The stupid part of all this is - they knew of issues, they sold controllers with very bad and misleading infrormation in the instructions - and those were printed almost a year ago, and since they know which VINs work and which do not - in other words, they KNOW the cut-off date for this issue, all the engineers need to do is see "what changed" with the JT in January 2020. It's truly that easy. They have change control documents and more - look for what changed, what's different, and design the fix around that.
This should be such a simple find for them. That communication came out a month ago, the change in the JT happened 10-11 months ago.

You are correct - your dealer techs can only go by what Jeep tells them and in my case, Jeep gave them VERY BAD, VERY FAULTY, VERY WRONG informaton! The dealer in my case spent about 2.75 hours - and charged me nothing and said sorry, until Jeep fixes this - there is no solution (not from Jeep)
You could band-aid it with a Tekonsha harness that has a diode to prevent feed back but for me, my OCD "it's a matter of principal" and "Jeep owes me because this is covered under my truck's warranty for another TWO years" I'm not spending another dollar or minute on it. I won't be towing any loads until spring, if then thanks to covid and all of the car shows being cancelled.

Anyway, take that Star Online Publication in post 184 of this thread, print it, show your dealer, and explain to them that you are concerned Jeep is suggesting the harness mentioned in the instructions is the fix - it is not. It could be that the REAL fix, their actualy true fix for this will be February, but knowing that my dealership was told BY JEEP that the fix is that harness....... it bugs me that some Jeep support people may still believe that.

Thank you. I've done as you suggested. The dealer understands that the harness isn't necessary. It wasn't a harness that was in question. It was a code to enable the brake controller to communicate with the truck. The day of installation I spoke with the tech, an experienced tech, and he was flustered and embarrassed about the situation. I don't blame him, it's not his fault. But as it is there is no one with whom I can speak about this. I contacted Mopar, and they said to speak with the dealer. My auto mechanic skills are the ability to check the fluids and check air pressure in the tires. Unfortunately I'm learning that those who do care, the dealer, are in the same situation. They can only make a phone call.

So, ShadowsPapa, tell me if I understand the situation correctly:

1) My JT is a 2019.

2) Mopar sold, through my dealer, a brake controller that doesn't work in my 2019.

3) There is nothing that can be done until FCA makes a fix.

Oh, for those who are interested, I was able to get this information:

FCA US LLC Customer Care
P.O. Box 21-8004
Auburn Hill, MI 48321-8004

https://www.chrysler.com/webselfservice/mopar/EmailPage.html

The next time we are home in Toledo, I'm tempted drive the hour up to Auburn Hills and do a "Roger and Me," you know, from the movie. Show up in the lobby and demand to speak with the boss man about this matter. Before I do that I'll contact local television stations to accompany me for documentation.

Fact: FCA has stolen from us.
 
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ShadowsPapa

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Thank you. I've done as you suggested. The dealer understands that the harness isn't necessary. It wasn't a harness that was in question. It was a code to enable the brake controller to communicate with the truck. The day of installation I spoke with the tech, an experienced tech, and he was flustered and embarrassed about the situation. I don't blame him, it's not his fault. But as it is there is no one with whom I can speak about this. I contacted Mopar, and they said to speak with the dealer. My auto mechanic skills are the ability to check the fluids and check air pressure in the tires. Unfortunately I'm learning that those who do care, the dealer, are in the same situation. They can only make a phone call.

So, ShadowsPapa, tell me if I understand the situation correctly:

1) My JT is a 2019.

2) Mopar sold, through my dealer, a brake controller that doesn't work in my 2019.

3) There is nothing that can be done until FCA makes a fix.

Oh, for those who are interested, I was able to get this information:

FCA US LLC Customer Care
P.O. Box 21-8004
Auburn Hill, MI 48321-8004

https://www.chrysler.com/webselfservice/mopar/EmailPage.html

The next time we are home in Toledo, I'm tempted drive the hour up to Auburn Hills and do a "Roger and Me," you know, from the movie. Show up in the lobby and demand to speak with the boss man about this matter. Before I do that I'll contact local television stations to accompany me for documentation.

Fact: FCA has stolen from us.
But that makes no sense either as the 2020 models don't have any flash to them that allows it to work - if it did, all they'd need to do is tell the dealer to add a code.
These aren't integrated controllers like with RAM. They have the exact same 4 wires as Redarc, Curt, Tekonsha and so on.
If it was a flash that was different, then it means the 2020s already have it? But they also don't get anything on the screen or cluster.
I used jscan and tried enabling the "integrated brake controller" bit even though I know this isn't integrated - result - no difference.

I'd love to see them explain - why do these work without fail or flaw on 2020 built JTs........ no one flashed those trucks, many guys installed it themselves. They didn't even visit a dealer.
 

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Then you have one of those dials assembled incorrectly from the box - and like mine, mush for detent. It's just plain an extremey cheaply done dial assembly.
In the end I think I'm going to see if they'll replace my whole dial/knob assy under warranty. If it's supposed to have detents you can easily notice and that have some feel to them - mine is bad.
Okay, home, snapped pics. Dial full left goes to 7, full right goes to nearly 8 if I lift a little to get the nub out of the way. Nub is lines up around '2' which makes sense when you see the base of the dial where the stops are molded. 'skinny' slot on the knob is around 10, and the knob only goes on one way. So, either the knob was manufactured wrong, or the dual was pressed into place incorrectly.

PXL_20201124_223519585.jpg


PXL_20201124_223537436.jpg


PXL_20201124_223602481.jpg


PXL_20201124_223613573.jpg


PXL_20201124_223640500.jpg


PXL_20201124_223706014.jpg
 

jfreeham

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Yeah, we didn't have to flash the
But that makes no sense either as the 2020 models don't have any flash to them that allows it to work - if it did, all they'd need to do is tell the dealer to add a code.
These aren't integrated controllers like with RAM. They have the exact same 4 wires as Redarc, Curt, Tekonsha and so on.
If it was a flash that was different, then it means the 2020s already have it? But they also don't get anything on the screen or cluster.
I used jscan and tried enabling the "integrated brake controller" bit even though I know this isn't integrated - result - no difference.

I'd love to see them explain - why do these work without fail or flaw on 2020 built JTs........ no one flashed those trucks, many guys installed it themselves. They didn't even visit a dealer.
Yeah, I didn't have to flash the aftermarket brake controller installed in our JT shortly after purchase. It was plug and play. It works perfectly.

What gives, Mopar/FCA?
 

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Okay, home, snapped pics. Dial full left goes to 7, full right goes to nearly 8 if I lift a little to get the nub out of the way. Nub is lines up around '2' which makes sense when you see the base of the dial where the stops are molded. 'skinny' slot on the knob is around 10, and the knob only goes on one way. So, either the knob was manufactured wrong, or the dual was pressed into place incorrectly.

Jeep Gladiator Mopar factory trailer brake controller - my impressions and review PXL_20201124_223706014


Jeep Gladiator Mopar factory trailer brake controller - my impressions and review PXL_20201124_223706014


Jeep Gladiator Mopar factory trailer brake controller - my impressions and review PXL_20201124_223706014


Jeep Gladiator Mopar factory trailer brake controller - my impressions and review PXL_20201124_223706014


Jeep Gladiator Mopar factory trailer brake controller - my impressions and review PXL_20201124_223706014


Jeep Gladiator Mopar factory trailer brake controller - my impressions and review PXL_20201124_223706014
Sounds like you have an incorrectly assembled knob. @Markkabureck ran into that too, hereā€™s his thread on how he took the knob apart and fixed it:

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...d-the-oem-brake-controller.36503/#post-591939
 

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Today I installed the Mopar Break Controller, the hardest part for me was getting the cigarette lighter outšŸ˜” did not have the tool so had to sacrifice a fork and made one.
My Gladiator was built 5/2019 and have the issue when I push the button to actuate the trailer brakes it disables traction control and start/stop. But, if I barley push on the truck brake and then push on the trailer brake button the errors do not happen. any ideas?
does this mean the trailer brakes are working?
 

jwilson2899

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Today I installed the Mopar Break Controller, the hardest part for me was getting the cigarette lighter outšŸ˜” did not have the tool so had to sacrifice a fork and made one.
My Gladiator was built 5/2019 and have the issue when I push the button to actuate the trailer brakes it disables traction control and start/stop. But, if I barley push on the truck brake and then push on the trailer brake button the errors do not happen. any ideas?
does this mean the trailer brakes are working?
Even when you get the errors, the trailer brakes are working. The barely pressing the brake pedal is enough to have the system expecting to see voltage on that wire, so the truck doesnā€™t freak out.
 

Jtleng

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Even when you get the errors, the trailer brakes are working. The barely pressing the brake pedal is enough to have the system expecting to see voltage on that wire, so the truck doesnā€™t freak out.
Thank you for the quick reply, the parts guy at the dealer today didnā€™t say anything about there being an issue with the 2019 Gladiators and the brake controller, I guess the engineers have not informed them yet and they keep selling them.
ā€˜hopefully they have a fix soon.
 
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Dardvl

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Sounds like you have an incorrectly assembled knob. @Markkabureck ran into that too, hereā€™s his thread on how he took the knob apart and fixed it:

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...d-the-oem-brake-controller.36503/#post-591939
Fixed it! The black dial attachment has three tabs to connect it to the main board. Mine was assembled wrong. Surprise! LoL. I disassembled it, made the adjustment, snapped it back together and all is well now. I get to put my baby back together and lesson learned....never buy Mopar parts the day they come out, give it time for the bugs to be worked out first

16063234551434360673522756529316.jpg


16063237285414230553421126143102.jpg
 

Jtleng

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Sorry for the stupid question but, where does the controller mount under the dash? I see the holes on the far drivers side but cannot get it to fit.

WIN_20201125_09_34_34_Pro.jpg
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