Video is very helpful! But one thing I would add is, the Atlas I just did this week, had no signal through the Brake Signal wire when Brake peddle was applied! Tested all fuses, found all were good! After a bit more investigating, found that a Trailer has to be plugged into 7Pin plug on the Vehicle, before signal would be sent through wire & activate the Controller! Just thought it would be helpful info. As I have installed Hundreds of Brake controllers, in all types of Vehicles, over the 20+ years as an RV Tech. & have never had this issue.every other Vehicle I have had to hard wire in & determine the wiring, the Brake signal wire has always had power through it when the peddle was pushed, without a Trailer plugged into the 7Pin Plug.
That is something I kinda realized later on. Mine have a minuet milivoltage off it. The atlas will disable all driver assist when trailer is hooked up too! Good thing to remember if you really Ray Charles around with the blind spot warning light!!!
@@JTVLIFE Good to know. VW are a Pain in general, in all aspects, no doubt with wiring is a big one. I do appreciate your Video though, it did help me, especially with that 30 amp fuse location. What a stupid spot for it.
@@turnerco.b2p515 Delership-Techniker müssen auch essen! Lmao. But yeah I’ve leased a ton over the years and dumped them before they even needed whippers. Great cars off the lot but have their quirks. Depending on where the market is next summer when this lease is up we might actually buy the Atlas. It has been a solid vehicle. I have towed so much stuff with it (maybe a reason to ditch!?!?)! Cheers - Jason
Thanks for taking the time to shoot this video. Looks like you are out in Alameda. That service bulletin was a great find and I learned mine had a second 30 amp fuse way under the dash - 2021 Atlas.
This is a great video and you did an excellent step by step job showing how I can connect one of those to my 2018 Atlas SE, I only have one other problem. My Atlas does not have the factory tow package so I am worried about the other end of the car. I have installed a VW receiver tow bar, and I have installed the VW Trailer Hitch Electrical Installation Kit, the kit has a module that goes in the rear and a wiring harness for a 4 pin connector. I also have the wiring harness for the 7 pin connector which came with the tow bar but it is not connected to anything. The harness that came with my hitch has the 7 pin connector on one end and the other end 2 connectors, one is long enough to reach the module that came with the kit and has a plug which looks to fit into the module, this plug has 5 wires 12v,reverse, Right turn/brake, Left turn/brake, running lights, and reverse. The other plug only has 2 wires going back to the area where the module is, one will be for the ground and the other is for the brake controller. I can't find anywhere back there to plug the wire for the brake controller in. I am worried that there might not be a wire back there for the brake controller I also have not tried the 7 pin harness to see if it works with the module yet. I can see them leaving out the module in cars without the factory tow package but I would think the cars wiring harness would be the same. I wish I had access to a car with the factory hitch to see where the controller wire is on it.
@@JTVLIFE I was able to install my redarc into my Atlas this past weekend. I did not see any voltage on the brake signal (when testing the built in harness). Does the trailer need to be connected in order to enable these outputs? I know that is what is needed for the actual brake lights.
@Dan Wright. I though I replied to this months ago. Sorry. The signal voltage is very low. Like millivolts. Unless you have a good meter and have it dialed in to read small signal voltage you might not have scene it. I hope all is well and you are towing like a boss!
2023 SEL. How do you get the side kickplate over the hood release!?! Its all free but doesn’t look nearly as easy as your 2 second reinstall coverage. Showing how tis comes off would have been helpful. Great video in all other regards, esp since my dealer is clueless! Couldn’t begin to tell me where the wiring was. And im still not sure till I get the plate off!
@bdumais1 I tugged on it and bent it a little. Ended up punching the tripod and just didn’t get a good view of it so left the footage out. The plastic is pretty rugged. Hope that helps.
This was a great video and finding the part # of that OEM plug was exactly what I was looking for...but you made the install look easier without it now I have a hard decision to make. Question: If you had to do it again, would you go 1" opening or still go 7/8"?
Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I’m sign in on one of my other channels right now(having internet issues at home). I would still do 7/8 because the little insert they give you isn’t quite perfectly round. A little extra time but it was worth a tight fit. You can always shave it down but no adding that material back. However, if you dont have a die grinder or selection of hole saws on hand and need to purchase one for the project go 1”. I’m all about cutting unnecessary time and cash on projects. Finding the time/money/quality/fun balance on DIY is the name of the game in 2021! Yeah I ended up just cutting it. Really didn’t see the point of buying all that OEM stuff to make a harness that is tucked away. If the device was something you take in and out on the regular I get it. But, for something permanently mounted it seems silly to spend extra money and effort to create a harness. Butt connectors make just as good if not better connection than the harness would. I really think the only reason they offer those parts is to comply with safety standards on dealer installs. It’s only four basic wires not rocket science so I went YOLO! If you really want a harness I would hit a junk yard or surf the HELP section of an auto parts store for a male/female 4 wire harness combo and wire that in. Great resourceful way to make harnesses on the cheap! Thanks for watching!
Video saved me a trip to the dealer. Thank you!! Quick question, I don’t see voltage on the small brake signal wire when pushing the brake. Do I need to have the trailer plug in?
I put the meter on millivolts to see anything. It was such a small amount of voltage but enough to trigger the controller to start doing its thing. Hope this helps. - Jason
I'm having trouble finding the harness to fit the atlas. I'm on my 2nd harness that doesn't plug in to my VW even though the packaging says it fits all atlas models. Do you have a part number I can order for the entire harness -- i don't want to splice.
I have not searched for the harness since I put this controller in so there my be more options on market now. I bought a Q7 harness that supposedly fit but it didn't. That is why I ended up splicing. Check out this link here to the dealer service bulletin for the install of break controllers on the Atlas and Touareg - ruclips.net/user/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbm51bUxteWVYWC00dXRjZUZNZ0VBTTlyOElYQXxBQ3Jtc0tscTFFNVN1WUk0RlZCek9yTmtvUzk2bDZJSGlvcmkzZGhmbEJ3SWE4WF9VU29wQzZCNGtMdWRoclZMTXhxV3hHOW53WlpVS3lkY0IwVTY5bmN6cWRKaVd6NHNqcWplTmpWM01VWXJiVlBHU1NZQjktOA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.nhtsa.gov%2Fodi%2Ftsbs%2F2019%2FMC-10163371-0001.pdf&v=jdhLfSHTMXg - It shows the necessary parts needed to create the controller side of the harness. But it does involve some wire work to pin out the harness. When I was looking into that option all the parts were about $60 from the dealer. The cost had me not care so much about hard splicing it. If you just want to be able to take the controller on and off you could always buy a generic harness that had four wires on both sides and make a custom one with that. I lease my vehicles so as long as I can get a clean break at end or up in the middle of lease they can keep the $200 controller lol - Hope this helps - Jason
There is a model about $50 cheaper that support single axle trailers. This one is supposed to be better suited for 2 and 3 axle trailers according to manufacturer. The prices always fluctuate and I ended up getting this one because of lack of availability of basic one
This is the slightly more affordable one - amzn.to/3YxcWz6. If you’re just only gunna row single axle trailers you could save a few bucks but for work involved might as well just put more capable one in. Not like atlas tows a lot but most car haulers and larger utility trailers will be tandem axles so worth the investment.
Sorry for taking so long to get back. You just need to buy the control and have a few basic tools. A drill and hole saw 7/8 or 1 inch to drill hole for knob. Some butt connectors (assortment of blue and red) to make connections, Some zip ties to dress all the wires in, and a crimper to crimp butt connectors. I had a couple butt connectors that had blue gauge on one side and red on the other (bigger on one side, smaller on the other) that made connecting the two different gauge size wires together easy. The screws are T15, so you'll need a bit or T15 driver. Bike tire levers make it easy to pry the dash panel off although they do make interior tool just for this task. I just happened to have the bike levers on hand. Hope this helps. - Jason
How to make it complex and invasive. I would not choose this controller. VW does not make it easy but this makes it more Tom-Lexi than necessary. I would choose a traditional controller where the wiring and access is simpler.
Michael Dobson - what controller has a simpler wire scheme and access? I almost did the Bluetooth one that required no wiring but decided it might not be as reliable as a hardwired one. As far as I could find most use the four wire scheme and that was the only point to wire the controller using pre-installed leads that went to where they needed to go.
It's very simple. Getting the panels off is the hardest part. There is only four wires. 2 of which are the positive and negative for the power supply to controller. Then you have one wire from break signal (tells controller when you are applying breaks) and one wire out back to your 7 pin connector. All four wires present themselves in a harness right under that kick plate.
Video is very helpful! But one thing I would add is, the Atlas I just did this week, had no signal through the Brake Signal wire when Brake peddle was applied! Tested all fuses, found all were good! After a bit more investigating, found that a Trailer has to be plugged into 7Pin plug on the Vehicle, before signal would be sent through wire & activate the Controller! Just thought it would be helpful info. As I have installed Hundreds of Brake controllers, in all types of Vehicles, over the 20+ years as an RV Tech. & have never had this issue.every other Vehicle I have had to hard wire in & determine the wiring, the Brake signal wire has always had power through it when the peddle was pushed, without a Trailer plugged into the 7Pin Plug.
That is something I kinda realized later on. Mine have a minuet milivoltage off it. The atlas will disable all driver assist when trailer is hooked up too! Good thing to remember if you really Ray Charles around with the blind spot warning light!!!
@@JTVLIFE Good to know. VW are a Pain in general, in all aspects, no doubt with wiring is a big one. I do appreciate your Video though, it did help me, especially with that 30 amp fuse location. What a stupid spot for it.
@@turnerco.b2p515 Delership-Techniker müssen auch essen! Lmao. But yeah I’ve leased a ton over the years and dumped them before they even needed whippers. Great cars off the lot but have their quirks. Depending on where the market is next summer when this lease is up we might actually buy the Atlas. It has been a solid vehicle. I have towed so much stuff with it (maybe a reason to ditch!?!?)! Cheers - Jason
Thanks for taking the time to shoot this video. Looks like you are out in Alameda. That service bulletin was a great find and I learned mine had a second 30 amp fuse way under the dash - 2021 Atlas.
You are welcome! That 2nd fuse is really top secret lol.
This is a great video and you did an excellent step by step job showing how I can connect one of those to my 2018 Atlas SE, I only have one other problem. My Atlas does not have the factory tow package so I am worried about the other end of the car. I have installed a VW receiver tow bar, and I have installed the VW Trailer Hitch Electrical Installation Kit, the kit has a module that goes in the rear and a wiring harness for a 4 pin connector. I also have the wiring harness for the 7 pin connector which came with the tow bar but it is not connected to anything. The harness that came with my hitch has the 7 pin connector on one end and the other end 2 connectors, one is long enough to reach the module that came with the kit and has a plug which looks to fit into the module, this plug has 5 wires 12v,reverse, Right turn/brake, Left turn/brake, running lights, and reverse. The other plug only has 2 wires going back to the area where the module is, one will be for the ground and the other is for the brake controller. I can't find anywhere back there to plug the wire for the brake controller in. I am worried that there might not be a wire back there for the brake controller I also have not tried the 7 pin harness to see if it works with the module yet. I can see them leaving out the module in cars without the factory tow package but I would think the cars wiring harness would be the same. I wish I had access to a car with the factory hitch to see where the controller wire is on it.
Perfect video! Exactly what I am going through right now! You saved me a ton of time. Cheers!🍻
Your welcome! Glad I could help. I have some more RV power videos coming out soon!
@@JTVLIFE I was able to install my redarc into my Atlas this past weekend. I did not see any voltage on the brake signal (when testing the built in harness). Does the trailer need to be connected in order to enable these outputs? I know that is what is needed for the actual brake lights.
@Dan Wright. I though I replied to this months ago. Sorry. The signal voltage is very low. Like millivolts. Unless you have a good meter and have it dialed in to read small signal voltage you might not have scene it. I hope all is well and you are towing like a boss!
2023 SEL. How do you get the side kickplate over the hood release!?! Its all free but doesn’t look nearly as easy as your 2 second reinstall coverage. Showing how tis comes off would have been helpful. Great video in all other regards, esp since my dealer is clueless! Couldn’t begin to tell me where the wiring was. And im still not sure till I get the plate off!
@bdumais1 I tugged on it and bent it a little. Ended up punching the tripod and just didn’t get a good view of it so left the footage out. The plastic is pretty rugged. Hope that helps.
This was a great video and finding the part # of that OEM plug was exactly what I was looking for...but you made the install look easier without it now I have a hard decision to make.
Question: If you had to do it again, would you go 1" opening or still go 7/8"?
Also, I assume you just cut off the OEM plug to make your connections, correct?
Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I’m sign in on one of my other channels right now(having internet issues at home). I would still do 7/8 because the little insert they give you isn’t quite perfectly round. A little extra time but it was worth a tight fit. You can always shave it down but no adding that material back. However, if you dont have a die grinder or selection of hole saws on hand and need to purchase one for the project go 1”. I’m all about cutting unnecessary time and cash on projects. Finding the time/money/quality/fun balance on DIY is the name of the game in 2021!
Yeah I ended up just cutting it. Really didn’t see the point of buying all that OEM stuff to make a harness that is tucked away. If the device was something you take in and out on the regular I get it. But, for something permanently mounted it seems silly to spend extra money and effort to create a harness. Butt connectors make just as good if not better connection than the harness would. I really think the only reason they offer those parts is to comply with safety standards on dealer installs. It’s only four basic wires not rocket science so I went YOLO! If you really want a harness I would hit a junk yard or surf the HELP section of an auto parts store for a male/female 4 wire harness combo and wire that in. Great resourceful way to make harnesses on the cheap! Thanks for watching!
Jeremy Dugan. Did you get that controller in?
@@JTVLIFE yes I did. Followed the video to a T. It looks great in the truck and calibrated perfectly
Just installed one the one inch was perfect
Video saved me a trip to the dealer. Thank you!!
Quick question, I don’t see voltage on the small brake signal wire when pushing the brake. Do I need to have the trailer plug in?
I put the meter on millivolts to see anything. It was such a small amount of voltage but enough to trigger the controller to start doing its thing. Hope this helps. - Jason
I'm having trouble finding the harness to fit the atlas. I'm on my 2nd harness that doesn't plug in to my VW even though the packaging says it fits all atlas models. Do you have a part number I can order for the entire harness -- i don't want to splice.
I have not searched for the harness since I put this controller in so there my be more options on market now. I bought a Q7 harness that supposedly fit but it didn't. That is why I ended up splicing. Check out this link here to the dealer service bulletin for the install of break controllers on the Atlas and Touareg - ruclips.net/user/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbm51bUxteWVYWC00dXRjZUZNZ0VBTTlyOElYQXxBQ3Jtc0tscTFFNVN1WUk0RlZCek9yTmtvUzk2bDZJSGlvcmkzZGhmbEJ3SWE4WF9VU29wQzZCNGtMdWRoclZMTXhxV3hHOW53WlpVS3lkY0IwVTY5bmN6cWRKaVd6NHNqcWplTmpWM01VWXJiVlBHU1NZQjktOA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.nhtsa.gov%2Fodi%2Ftsbs%2F2019%2FMC-10163371-0001.pdf&v=jdhLfSHTMXg - It shows the necessary parts needed to create the controller side of the harness. But it does involve some wire work to pin out the harness. When I was looking into that option all the parts were about $60 from the dealer. The cost had me not care so much about hard splicing it. If you just want to be able to take the controller on and off you could always buy a generic harness that had four wires on both sides and make a custom one with that. I lease my vehicles so as long as I can get a clean break at end or up in the middle of lease they can keep the $200 controller lol - Hope this helps - Jason
What about link to the trailer brake! Should have added that? I don’t see it
ZacVdrums - www.amazon.com/dp/B08TPS46BX/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_9DJW2P56RAG2HQ11BN03?linkCode=ml2&tag=jtvlife-20
There is a model about $50 cheaper that support single axle trailers. This one is supposed to be better suited for 2 and 3 axle trailers according to manufacturer. The prices always fluctuate and I ended up getting this one because of lack of availability of basic one
This is the slightly more affordable one - amzn.to/3YxcWz6. If you’re just only gunna row single axle trailers you could save a few bucks but for work involved might as well just put more capable one in. Not like atlas tows a lot but most car haulers and larger utility trailers will be tandem axles so worth the investment.
Are you able to list all the parts you bought so that i can make sure i dont miss anything
Sorry for taking so long to get back. You just need to buy the control and have a few basic tools. A drill and hole saw 7/8 or 1 inch to drill hole for knob. Some butt connectors (assortment of blue and red) to make connections, Some zip ties to dress all the wires in, and a crimper to crimp butt connectors. I had a couple butt connectors that had blue gauge on one side and red on the other (bigger on one side, smaller on the other) that made connecting the two different gauge size wires together easy. The screws are T15, so you'll need a bit or T15 driver. Bike tire levers make it easy to pry the dash panel off although they do make interior tool just for this task. I just happened to have the bike levers on hand. Hope this helps. - Jason
How to make it complex and invasive. I would not choose this controller. VW does not make it easy but this makes it more Tom-Lexi than necessary. I would choose a traditional controller where the wiring and access is simpler.
Michael Dobson - what controller has a simpler wire scheme and access? I almost did the Bluetooth one that required no wiring but decided it might not be as reliable as a hardwired one. As far as I could find most use the four wire scheme and that was the only point to wire the controller using pre-installed leads that went to where they needed to go.
looks very complicated
It's very simple. Getting the panels off is the hardest part. There is only four wires. 2 of which are the positive and negative for the power supply to controller. Then you have one wire from break signal (tells controller when you are applying breaks) and one wire out back to your 7 pin connector. All four wires present themselves in a harness right under that kick plate.