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A 2021 updated Trailer hitch & brake controller thread
Reality check #1. Using a Curt hitch (cost: around $100 shipped) rated at 5k/6,000 lbs (depending on engine size) can work as it uses heavy duty square tube steel and has beefy welds throughout, but the hitch has a couple caveats: 1) The riv-nut that attaches the longitudinal stabilizer bar and rear subframe is difficult to mount properly without tack welding it in 3 spot to keep it from spinning while tightening it up so it expands/sets properly. 2) Scuff and coat the entire hitch with epoxy bedliner spray twice, which keeps it rust free for a long time overall. From the factory, it is shipped without a package and gets some coating removed around the edges. Its a standard coating which is weak rust control by BMW standards. $5 worth of Bedliner solves this issue. Reality Check #2 Brake Controller is pretty straightforward, but with one important issue yet to be solved: 1) Clean brake pedal trigger wire: that needs to posted freely on the web and it should be on a sticker and the wire itself- which should located inside the spare tire area and also where the tail light wiring is, to avoid serious injury or death: The exact location and color of wire to signal the brake controller to brake CLEANLY, and the color codes for the 4 flat adaptor installation (brake, turn, tail). 2) I used what was available, which was a brake light wire which due to its BMW bulb checking circuit, makes the trailer brake controller go crazy- sporadic braking on its own, eventually controller calls a short circuit message, and then no brakes on trailer! It was so unruly it caused the vehicle to go into limp mode twice! 3) Right now, the Hopkins brand Impulse model works perfectly without the headlights on, so I guess its not checking or throwing random testing voltage thru the circuit while the tail light markers are not lit. It's soft upscaling of brakes keeps the braking from being jerky, but there is a small release jerk upon releasing the brake pedal. *** 4) in conclusion, BMW and these brake controller manufacturers should have this type of thing standardized for the consumer since American consumers have been towing tons of trailers for 60+ years, and buying a trailer of sorts on a whim and safely towing it home in a matter of hours is has been considered 'the norm' for most Americans, so it should be an embarrassment and their legal fault to these manufacturers to not have the ability to readily identify the necessary wiring and safely install a brake controller without a degree in electric engineering. *** I would like to complete this thread and make it a DIY article for e53 owners, any input would be appreciated!
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2007 M5 V10 ESS Supercharged 750chp SMG 2001 X5 Topaz Blue/Tan 3.0 2005 X5 V8 M Sport Black on Black 2001 530i 5 Speed Turbo Project and a number of other vehicles... Last edited by HansBimmers; 10-01-2021 at 01:44 PM. |
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The reason that BMW didn't have the brake module figured out is because this was their first SUV and was also one of the very first "crossover" SUVs. I don't think anybody making unibody vehicles of any kind had towing very well figured out at that time (1999).
I have one more thing which I can universally recommend: buy a reproduction wiring harness from this ebay seller (https://www.ebay.com/usr/bahgelsson who is a member here) along with a used towing module. It is easier to get this working than it is to wire up an aftermarket wiring for a towing harness (i.e. no coding required, it is plug-and-play at least for pre-facelift cars). It is also very easy to add a brake controller using the factory setup. (The harness has been OOP for several years and this is the first reproduction one available. I towed for several years with aftermarket wiring and just got used to the errors on the dash. I can heartily recommend doing it the "right way" with this equipment.) I don't even have a degree in electrical engineering! I'm just a simple-minded mechanical engineer.
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2003 3.0 5MT Topasblau Purchased in 2016 and surprisingly still running |
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also trying to piece together a tow package substitute
I recently traded my old drag-racing '66 Chevelle (+ dovetail trailer w/all-wheel brakes) for a '01 X5 3.0i (+ 4.5x12 single axle utility trailer, no brakes); the previous owner had installed a used Drawtite X5 hitch, plus the rudimentary 4-pin plug in order to tow the trailer with, at my request. There is no brake controller or tow package installed.
He just ran the wires to the taillights/brakelights (surprised he did it using red-neck engineering, since he is a degreed EE), and not thru the LCM. I found this statement somewhere, somehow on a BMW forum??: Quote:
Perusing etrailer.com, I found that they say I just need an electric brake controller, a 4-pin to 7-pin adapter, and their universal installation kit; but on ebay I found a kit that uses an additional "circuit-protected" 4-pin wiring harness. Somehow, I suspect that BMW has something hidden that will not like the add-on aftermarket wiring (assuming I get the correct combination of parts). $260, plus $120 for the circuit protector wiring. It was much easier on the plug & play wiring-up my (old model) Hopkins Impulse brake controller on my '04 Chevy 2500HD.
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01 BMW X5 E53,3.0i-5L40E, 7/13/01 topas-blau,Leder-grau,"resto-project car" Here: 14 Lexus ES350,3.5L-U660E 09 HHR Panel,2.2L-4T45E 04 Chevy 2500HD,6.0L-4L80E 98 GMC Sierra 1500,5.7L-4L60E Gone: 66 Chevelle Malibu 2dr ht.,327>441c.i.-TH350>PGlide/transbrake 08 Cobalt Coupe,2.2L-4T45E 69 & 75 C10s,350c.i.-TH350 86 S10,2.8L-700R4 73 Volvo 142,2.0L-MT4 72 & 73 VW SuperBeetles,1.6l-MT4 64 VW,1.2l-MT4 67 Dodge Monaco 500 2dr ht.,383c.i.-A727 56 Chevy 210 4dr,265c.i.-PGlide Last edited by workingonit; 10-01-2021 at 03:35 PM. Reason: added photos |
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The "brake signal wire" should be pulled from the HMCSL wire at the LCM in the passenger footwell. I dont recall the color.
If you get a aftermarket light control module, you need to get one that is PWM compatible, I used a reese one on mine. The brake control you are talking about, hopkins impulse is a timed brake controller, meaning when you step on the brake, it activates the trailer brakes for a period of time, I would never use those types of controllers, I have seen too many of them fail or burn up the trailer brakes. It is best to use a proportional control, they are more expensive, but they work better. I used to do hitch and wiring on vehicles and RV's I have installed hundreds of systems, make sure you put circuit breakers were applicable and use the proper gauged wire. As far as the hitch itself is concerned, when I was looking for mine about 6-8 years ago, there were only 2 types, the type that installs like the factory hitch at the bumper mounts, and the type that has the bar that runs under the car past the spare tire. I dont like the look of the bar running under the car so I opted for the OEM type. Looking now I cannot seem to find the style I got. One of the things that the factory hitch does, it replaces the bumper mounts with hardend, and Longer ones, which you cannot get with the aftermarket ones. So I fabricated my own, as well as installed steel plates where needed to stiffen up the body. I used the highest grade bolts, and put lock tight on everything. I went this way because as you have found out, finding an OEM hitch has become impossible, and when you do they want a fortune |
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sounds like a better plan
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01 BMW X5 E53,3.0i-5L40E, 7/13/01 topas-blau,Leder-grau,"resto-project car" Here: 14 Lexus ES350,3.5L-U660E 09 HHR Panel,2.2L-4T45E 04 Chevy 2500HD,6.0L-4L80E 98 GMC Sierra 1500,5.7L-4L60E Gone: 66 Chevelle Malibu 2dr ht.,327>441c.i.-TH350>PGlide/transbrake 08 Cobalt Coupe,2.2L-4T45E 69 & 75 C10s,350c.i.-TH350 86 S10,2.8L-700R4 73 Volvo 142,2.0L-MT4 72 & 73 VW SuperBeetles,1.6l-MT4 64 VW,1.2l-MT4 67 Dodge Monaco 500 2dr ht.,383c.i.-A727 56 Chevy 210 4dr,265c.i.-PGlide |
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The hopkins Impulse is not activated for a period of time, as that is only a misunderstanding of its name.
When setting it up, you can choose 99 intensity levels for braking, and once set it remembers that. When you activate the brakes, it takes 3 seconds to go from 1 and steps up to the maximum preset intensity, so for shorter corrections in traffic slowing, you don't need full braking but if you need to come full stop from 75, it will hold the max power after 3 seconds indefinitely. In theory it sounds just okay, but in reality it works just fine and has some advantages over proportional braking, such as if your tow vehicle had braking power fade, or suddenly has partial/full brake failure, proportional isn't going to know to stop harder to compensate for it. I made a wiring harness out of a brake controller wiring kit and a couple extra wires as well, then spirally wrapped the bundle with that fuzzy harness tape just like BMW does, it took about 20 minutes. I grabbed all the necessary electrics from the spare tire area and utilized the factory fuse block. Ground went to the trailer hitch frame itself. That may be where some improvement could be made, and run a short ground wire off the controller, to decrease feedback issues. Thanks for the replies, but to repeat- Does anyone know where and which wire gives a clean brake pedal signal for hard wired controllers? Mine is pretty much done and towing/braking fine in daytime. Thanks Again!
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2007 M5 V10 ESS Supercharged 750chp SMG 2001 X5 Topaz Blue/Tan 3.0 2005 X5 V8 M Sport Black on Black 2001 530i 5 Speed Turbo Project and a number of other vehicles... Last edited by HansBimmers; 10-01-2021 at 05:19 PM. |
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Quote:
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2007 M5 V10 ESS Supercharged 750chp SMG 2001 X5 Topaz Blue/Tan 3.0 2005 X5 V8 M Sport Black on Black 2001 530i 5 Speed Turbo Project and a number of other vehicles... |
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Quote:
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2007 M5 V10 ESS Supercharged 750chp SMG 2001 X5 Topaz Blue/Tan 3.0 2005 X5 V8 M Sport Black on Black 2001 530i 5 Speed Turbo Project and a number of other vehicles... |
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Quote:
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2007 M5 V10 ESS Supercharged 750chp SMG 2001 X5 Topaz Blue/Tan 3.0 2005 X5 V8 M Sport Black on Black 2001 530i 5 Speed Turbo Project and a number of other vehicles... |
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X5's are coming into junkyards and pick and pulls at a steady clip these days. If you are quick, you might find one with a factory hitch and harness.
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