I helped install a Honda hitch yesterday. He had the OEM wiring harness but we didn't get time to install it. I decided to read the instructions and now I'm confused.
I remember pulling down the infamous 10 pin connector held on by the green tape. A single connector as I remember it.
The wiring harness has both a 7 and 4 pin trailer connector. The harness had two connectors... one 10 pin that connects to the vehicle 10 pin connector, and then a second connector for the 4 pin trailer connector. I'm wondering where it plugs in?
This confusion didn't enter my mind until today. I suppose if I could look at all the parts again I could come up with an answer, but off the top of my head it doesn't seem like it will work.
Anyone know what I'm talking about? Is there a problem or is my memory bad?
Joe, you can go to H&A and reread the instructions, but I think you are thinking about the wrong end. There is a control unit harness that goes up under the dash with a 4-pin and a 10-pin connector. It connects to the front end of the main harness. If the RL is pre 8/24/05, there is no 4-pin connector on the main harness and you will have no reverse light power at the 7-pin connector.
I think you're getting the two harnesses confused.
The one for the rear, that plugs into the green-tape 10-conductor vehicle plug, only has that one connector. The 7-pin and 4-pin trailer connectors are pre-wired to the other end. There _is_ a thing taped to the harness that sort of looks like a connector - but it's actually a "splice" method.
The other harness is the control unit harness. It plugs into a 10-conductor vehicle plug and the 12-conductor port on the control unit. There is another "connector" on the harness that is where the relays plug in. There is also a 4-conductor plug taped to the 10-conductor plug which is used with a 4-conductor vehicle plug on later builds, and is unused with early builds.
On page 2 they identify the "socket" part of the harness. The socket has both a 7 and 4 pin trailer connectors, and each goes to a seperate connector to connect to the vehicle. You can see the end for the 4 pin connector on the bottom of the harness illustration.
The problem is that the vehicle only has one single 10 pin connector. The "socket" harness has two connectors to plug into the vehicle (not the trailer end). Where does the second connector go?
Page 8 of the instructions again shows two connectors on the socket harness (Instruction 26), but instruction 27 does not mention the smaller of the two connectors!
I'm not worried about the under hood or dash parts of the installation. I just can't reconcile two connectors on the socket harness and only one on the vehicle.
I think you're getting the two harnesses confused.
The one for the rear, that plugs into the green-tape 10-conductor vehicle plug, only has that one connector. The 7-pin and 4-pin trailer connectors are pre-wired to the other end. There _is_ a thing taped to the harness that sort of looks like a connector - but it's actually a "splice" method.
The other harness is the control unit harness. It plugs into a 10-conductor vehicle plug and the 12-conductor port on the control unit. There is another "connector" on the harness that is where the relays plug in. There is also a 4-conductor plug taped to the 10-conductor plug which is used with a 4-conductor vehicle plug on later builds, and is unused with early builds.
OK, so you're saying that the second connector is a fake. I didn't look too close at the actual connectors... I just matched up the parts to the instructions and saw that they matched. Then today I read the instructions and see two connectors on the socket harness and I know (since I wrestled with the blue tape) the vehicle only has the one connector.
Strange that Honda would leave an extra connector on the harness.
Went out and crawled under the RL and there is only one 10-pin connector. The second "connector" you see along side the harness is one of those devices Honda uses for splicing wires. It is capped and connects only to the wires inside the harness. Let me know if that is not what you are seeing.
under the dash by the 10 pin the harness that the 10 pin was taped to the four pin is roughly in that same area i had problems finding it also but if you feel above that harness you"ll feel it it sits right on top after you remove the tape and you can not see it (in mine any ways)and im not a 100 percent sure but i thought the instructions said some of the old rl's did not have the 4 pin
Blue tape is under the dash, green tape is back near the bumper.
That thing that looks like a connector really isn't. It's Honda's way of splicing things - that way the splice is accessable, not hidden inside a harness where a failure would be hard to locate.
The 7-pin and 4-pin trailer connectors each have a dedicated ground from the vehicle, but share leads for brake/turns and running (aka "small") lights. The splice is the tap-offs for the 4-pin trailer connector.
Check out the schematic in the instructitons and then the colors of wires going into the splice "connector" and it will make sense.
I called the guy up and had him take a picture for me. Here's the end of the socket harness. Sure looks like two connectors, but I guess the shorter one (white) is a dummy. Doesn't make much sense to me, but I won't argue with success.
You are correct that the tape was geen and not blue. I was thinking blue after reading the instructions. The green tape was enough to deal with. Haven't got to the blue tape yet.
yup one of those should have a block off in it just checked mine .i thought you were t alking about the wiring under the dash.but the other post was right it does not plug into anything but should have a block off
Funny you should have that problem, Joe. When I got home from the dealer with my new RL with the towing package I thought it might be a good idea to check all the connections as the dealer said it was the first tow package they had installed. Good thing I did because the only power I had to the 7-pin connector was the battery charge line and the brake controller line. Nothing to any of the light circuits. Back to the dealer where they discovered that they had neglected to install what they called a "plug". Guess what part that was?
Funny you should have that problem, Joe. When I got home from the dealer with my new RL with the towing package I thought it might be a good idea to check all the connections as the dealer said it was the first tow package they had installed. Good thing I did because the only power I had to the 7-pin connector was the battery charge line and the brake controller line. Nothing to any of the light circuits. Back to the dealer where they discovered that they had neglected to install what they called a "plug". Guess what part that was?
I'm not sure why either but according to the service manager, the tech that did it was very embarassed both by not checking the installation for proper operation and by omitting the plug.
I just bought from a local person the hitch and rear harness for the trailer. Judging by what I am reading I need more; the front end relays and the like. Is this true? I thought the truck was tow ready, just add hitch and socket and go.
PS. this was bought used, the person got ride of his ridgeline. OEM hitch and harness.
Boy do I love the search function; I've always said the fastest way to get a question answered is to see if it's already been asked!
I had this mystery plug on the rear trailer wiring harness, went digging and look what I found!
For the record, here's a picture of the rear trailer wiring harness with the brown plug installed (it comes installed and why anyone would remove it is beyond my understanding). For anyone that has their harness installed by anyone else, first thing I'd do when you go to pick up your truck afterwards is to take a look to make sure the plug's still there (and wonder about just how "professional" the installation was if it isn't ).
Does anyone have a photo of what the plug female end under the truck looks like. is there one plug or 2 in the truck?
I am a new 2007 RTL owner and the truck had no hitch but does have a single unattached plug on the drivers side
There is a single plug that gets pulled down to make the final connection. Note: I said "final Connection". Honda in there infinite wisdom decided to piecemeal the harness so there is a bunch on connections to be made under the dash, Some pieces to install under the hood (fuse box), and then the components near the rear bumper.
The only pieces pre-installed run from the fuse box to the under-dash and from under-dash to behind the left rear wheel well.
All that said, using the OEM harness gets you your trailer on a separate fuse that your other components - unlike the aftermarket versions that tap into your rear tail lights. With theirs, if your trailer pops a fuse, you have no lights either...not good.
When you find it, many have just tried to gently pull it down and can not get enough wire to make the connection. The advice is typically to "Pull Harder". I think I only remember one member pulling so hard he broke a wire. Moral - use common sense when pulling and just watch the sharp edges.