farmfuel

All,

Just wanted to tell about my findings regarding the factory tow package if you're intersted in wiring/pulling a trailer with your receiver.

In an effort to pull my trailer- I installed a 44 in the rear last last year. Bigger brakes, better gearing, etc. In pricing out a receiver, I found them from 200-250 dollars. That sucks. I'm cheap. The generic trailer wiring harness connector is 25-50 bucks. My trailer has a 7 pin "RV" connector. One day at a junkyard,(the cheap bastard hangout) I ran across a real gem. A 96 XJ with the factory tow option- it had a 7-pin connector connected to the receiver frame. I asked how much with the wiring harness, and the guy said 15 bucks. "Okay", I said. After I removed the driver's side rear kick panel, I found the "daisy chain" plugged into the rear light harness. The daisy chain incorporates 3 relays: left and right turn, and stop. It also has a circuit breaker and blue wire that runs to the brake controler box. Simply unplug your rear light pigtail, and install the 7 pin/relay wiring harness aka daisy chain. You'll have to pull out the driver's side taillight housing. There's a grommet plug you'll have to knock out as well down low.

Once you plug it in, you're only going to have tail/license lights and ground. To get the brakes and turn signals to work, you'll need to install a 15A fuse in the fuse Box under the column. (The fuse is towards the right hand side- stands vertical) My block had the buss pins, but no fuse.

The factory receiver incorporates a nut plate that is cherry-max riveted onto the subframe. I chose not to bring the sheet metal tools to the junkyard in an effort to remove the rivets. Cherry-max rivets have to be drilled out due to a stainless center. (an air chisel would be nice, but that ain't happenen at a jy) My friend told me to go to U-Haul to get carriage bolts and square plates. Sounds easy and all, but it took me almost all day to install. Total hassle. Once you drop the rear bumper, you'll see the pre-drilled holes in the subframe. The Uhaul guy says they use something like fish tape with a heil-coil end to drag the bolts through the holes in the frame. I used a scribe and magent antenna. If you can get the nut plate, it would save time.

This was pretty easy really, and the factory wiring harness can be had for super cheap. Plus, if you have a 7 pin, you can always reduce to a 4 pin flat connector. I wouldn't splice in anything unless you're 100% for sure that it is correct for your application.

MPETE

I did this same thing on my 99. I got the hitch for free from a local shop that trail-ify's XJ's alot and they had one layin around. its the same style as you mentioned with the 7 pin adapter on the hitch but it didnt have the wiring with it. I spent MONTHS tryin to find a 97+ XJ in the junkyards (I'm also a cheap bastard) that had the factory tow package. once I finally found one I was hell bent on getting the wiring from it.
I bought a hood latch, 4 practically new leaf spring clamps to use on my bastard pack lift and the wiring and it cost me a grand total of 15 bux and I charged my roomate 10 bux for the hood latch since it was for him. so I feel like the wiring harness was basically FREE since I needed the clamps but didnt ned the harness at that point.
on a side note I did not need to add any fuses to my 99 once it was all hooked up behind the trim panel everything functioned as it was supposed to.

on a 2nd side note I HATE the factory placement of the 7 pin plug. with a typical adapter its fairly close to the receiver. it also is kinda weak and since I wheel primarily in the rocks the black metal box the plug is housed in takes a REAL BEATING. I am wanting to relocate it but haveing quite decided on where or how I would like to do that although I am thinking I am just gonna cut a hole in the bumper itself and just attach the plug straight through the bumper itself.

86gtstang86yota86rokee

i was thinkn of getting one off the several xj's at the bone yard here, some have the connector some dont others are a non removable hitch.

farmfuel

On a factory tow application, the 7 pin connector can be removed using a 1/4" socket- 4 screws. You can buy a mount to clock it whichever way you want. (this being done to use the factory harness on an aftermarket receiver)

italianjeremy

i like the black one.. but every time i deal with one of these small wholesalers, i have to pay ACTUAL sales tax (you know what i mean) and also they barely speak english ( IF you know what i mean... ) hopefully the black one wont be like that . the one with the white one was fine, just a hillbilly like myself .

HadesHubs

My wife's '01 XJ Limited has the towing package. She bought a camper with electric brakes. We got a Prodigy controller and ready to wire it in. Found the blue wire from the back (factory marked 'trailer brakes'). Now we must find the 'cold' side of the brake switch. There are 7 wires going to the brake switch. Does anyone know which of these wires is the 'cold' side that is energized when the brake pedal is depressed?

cdub97xj

I did precisely the same thing on my 99 as well. Found a factory hitch off of a 2000 limited and I pulled everything off of it. The wires really just plugged right in, no splicing or fuse placing required. The electric brake wire was even present under the dash. It was pretty sweet.

bomeister

i came across 7-pin factory harness at the jy the other day and thought I had taken the whole harness but after i came across this thread it looks like i'm missing the turn relays. Could someone describe what the left turn/right turn relays on a oem trailer tow harness ('00 xj) looks like or maybe post a pic?
It's in the fsm electrical diagrams but I can't seem to find an actual image of it anywhere.

Thanks.

farmfuel

Did you pull off the driver's side kick panel? That's where the relay harness is. At least that's how it is on my 93 model.

the_big_h

On my '96, if I remember right, it was the white one with red (or orange?) stripe.
You can check with a meter or test light, push into the back of the connector, should have power only when you step on the pedal.

bomeister

The panel behind the spare tire, right? Yeah, I took that off and I guess I went for the first connector (green) coming off the 7-way plug. It connected with a cable coming from the left tail light. There was a bunch more cabling in there that led to the front. I didn't see anything that looked like a relay though, but then again I didn't really look. So I'm thinking there was a lot more to the harness than the segment I got?

I'll have to go back to that JY for the rest. If someone could describe how the turn relays look like (black box, cylindrical plasstic, etc) I'll know what to look for.

farmfuel

My trailer wiring harness had 3 relays. These are rectangular, and very small. 4 pin I believe. They're all 3 right next to one another. They're way smaller than the traditional 5 pin cubed relays that are found under the hood on the passenger's side inner fender.

My Jeep is 7 years older than yours, and the wiring may be totally different. One time, I had hell getting it running, and needed to chase wires. I needed a wiring schematic that was actually worth a ****, so I went to the dealer. I've bought so many parts up at the Jeep/Crapser dealer that I got a commercial account set up! Anyway, the parts manager let me borrow a FACTORY powertrain manual. I was able to check contunity on all the wires, and finally found the short to open circuit that failed. My point is that these guys at the dealerships HAVE the books with the wiring schematics that you need, you just need to ask to have a look at them. You're not going to want the powertrain manual though- go look for the chassis manual. Remember; the authors of these books are the engineers themselves, not Chilton, or Haynes, or any BS like that.

If you don't find what else you need at the JY, go ask the parts manager if you can browse their chassis wiring books. If he tells you to pound sand, go to the next Jeep dealer. These guys have the books, they just don't use them.

cdub97xj

When I hooked up the 7 way on my 99, I believe there were 3 different connectors on the daisy chain. It seems like I unplugged something and it went between the taillights and the wiring coming from the front. I am currently on my way back for college but when I get my Jeep emptied out I will take that panel off and snap some photos for you. Hey, send us some pictures of what you have and I'll see if we can get you hooked up.

bomeister

Thanks for the responses, guys. much appreciated.
Well, I finally got a chance to go back to the jy and whaddya know, the xj I was feeding off of is gone.. so now i'm stuck with this partial tow wiring.

i did get a chance to look at the oem wiring diagrams (and got a copy) so i'm thinking of modifying the connectors i have from a four-way t-wiring and incorporate the partial oem 7-way wiring to it to make the clean connection.

i'll try to get some pics and upload as soon as i can for illustration purposes..

Roblaza

Bumpin it up...

I have a 99 xj with what I assume is a factory hitch... But only a 4 pin flat connector. I was asked to haul a trailer next week, and it may be a 6 or 7 pin round...

Is there an adapter available that will take it from a flat 4 to a 7, or do I have to buy a 7 pin harness and wire it into the jeep?