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Brake controller

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#41 · (Edited)
Another option would be to move the cargo light switch to the lower-left blank (which looks to be the same size) and flush-mount the brake controller in the original cargo light switch position. It will give you more room to expand beyond the size of the RL's standard switch bezels (apologies for the poor photo-editing work, but you get the idea).
 

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#42 · (Edited)
+1 on moving the cargo light location, that moves it slightly closer to the driver, and number of times I have used the cargo light button, not many.

Just one more thought, wonder if we could flatten the surface of one of the "blank" plate faces (thinking sand it smooth with 400-600 grit) then get a slightly oversized piece of plastic, dremmel it to fit the sticker, then JB Weld plastic or Bondic (UV plastic glue)

The problem I see is the existing blanks are textured, & slightly curved. Just attaching the sticker is going to be a once & done process.

EDIT: And hope like HECK it stays ;)
 
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#43 ·
Just to be certain, I measured the cargo light switch and the lower-left blank and they're the same size. The image I hijacked from ISO Truck was taken at a slight angle creating the illusion that the cargo light switch is bigger.
 
#44 ·
Great ideas above, gents. I was surprised that the cargo light switch is the same size, and went out to double check. It is amazing how deceptive photography can be!

And I was wrong about the center switch blank (between the heated seat controllers.) It is slightly wider but not taller (actually, it's shorter) than the other blank.

The other thing I noticed is that in my driving position, I can't see the cargo light switch -- it's completely obscured by the steering wheel. I think it's important to be able to see the TBC.

I did notice that there is a nice piece of vacant real estate immediately to the left of the interior/door light switch. And it is visible from my driving position. So I might explore that possibility.

The lower left blank still remains an option if we can shrink the decal or expand the surface (as @Carsmak suggested.) It is mostly visible from my driving position. The blank measures 15/16"W x 31/32"L (nominally 1" x 2"). So it is only a little small for that decal.

Also, the lower left blank surface is actually flat, so mounting a slightly larger flat panel to it might be an easy option (as per carsmak.) But there is only about 1/8" of space around the perimeter at the top and bottom to expand into (due to the recess that the blank is mounted in.) That buys about 1/4" of extra height, which might be just enough?
 
#45 · (Edited)
I think you can trim the decal to make it work. There's information around the edges of the decal that you can probably do without, such as the name of the manufacturer. You could even use an exacto-knife and trim around the essential information and put that anywhere you want around the switch and light.
 
#46 · (Edited)
The switch layout is a little different on the G2 and the switch blanks are roughly 24mmx38mm. I'm thinking I will put the control on one and the LED on the other.

The other thing to consider is that while the LED is pretty much a straight through 8mm hole, the control knob has a bigger body behind the hole which needs to be accounted for when positioning the holes in the panel. It will easily conflict with the mounting tabs on the blank if positioned too far off center.
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I've thought about redoing the labels as well. I have a small craft vinyl cutter, and could print and cut something that might work. I've even already started thinking about firing up the 3D printer and designing a combined panel/blank that bridges across the two openings to make it look like one piece.

That is the nice thing about focusing on the switch blanks. No permanent holes need to be drilled, and ideas can evolved.


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#48 · (Edited)
ISO Truck said:
...I did notice that there is a nice piece of vacant real estate immediately to the left of the interior/door light switch. And it is visible from my driving position. So I might explore that possibility. ...
Click to expand...
I measured the interior light switch (to the left of the climate controls) and it's exactly the same size as the others we are talking about, despite its three-way function. If you didn't want to drill into your dash, you could move the interior light switch to the lower-left blank and install your brake controller in the original interior light switch position. That would make the controller fall "easy to hand" for right-handed people; which would make dealing with braking emergencies or sway issues easier to address without having to change your view of the road.

Although I understand way Honda did it (to better support different trim levels), I never liked the location of the cargo light switch. I think the fog light switch should be next to the headlight knob while the interior and cargo light switches should be next to one another. That's the configuration I'm more accustomed to with domestic brands.
 

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#50 ·
It took a little longer than I anticipated to figure out where to mount the CompactIQ brake controller. There just isn't a whole lot of unobstructed room under the dash in the G2. It took me two tries as I initially tried to use the mounting bracket and screw it to the bottom of the panel between the steering column and parking brake pedal. It was hidden, but since it cantilevered from the mounting screw, it vibrated more than I liked as the plastic had a little bit of flex to it. Now there is a small hole that is out of sight, but I will always know that it's there.... ;)

Ultimately, I ended up using the adhesive foam and mounted it to the backside of the lower dash panel right below the switch blanks. Here are the pictures I took during the installation.

Holes drilled in the switch blanks.
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I needed to clean out some of the support structure on the back of the switch blanks to allow fitting of the LED and knob. The red lines are the sections that I removed.
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Labels attached and trimmed. It's a little ugly, and I may go get other labels printed someday which fit the switch blank.
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Hardware mounted....
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No easy way to show the unit mounted, but you can see it through the switch panel holes to get an idea of where it is located.
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And finally, the moment of truth...
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#53 ·
@RCNet

That's a very clean install, let us know if/when you use it and what you think about it.
 
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#54 ·
@RCNet, nice job on the install. Thanks for sharing the photos/process.

And don't worry about the extra hole under the dash -- it will be our little secret.:grin:
 
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#55 ·
I mounted the brake controller under steering wheel column between my legs. This was strictly in the view of safety in the event of an accident and not jamming into my knee.

Here is a video I did installing the pigtail. Purchase the ready made specific for the Ridgeline. Finding the factory harness plug is a challenge and access is limited--but is a plug in application. I wrote somewhere a fuse needs to be installed, this is under the hood. There are several black boxes, the one closest to the driver's location is the box. The owner's manual shows a schematic of the fuse IDs.

Link...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X6qNJ_FCR2E
 
#57 ·
Nice find @Sawdust Technology is definitely removing the knee banging typical location of brake controllers
 
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#58 ·
Like the idea of a small out of the way trailer brake control unit. Where is in the USA can you get a Hayman Reese Compact IQ brake control unit? I can only find listing for Australia, no USA listings.

Also for those that have one how well do they work, do you like the unit now that are using it while pulling our trailer?

Thanks,
Craig
 
#59 · (Edited)
I think that Hayman Reese is the Australian division for Horizon Global. Here in the US it's Tekonsha brand brake controllers. There is some similarity in designs, but the Compact IQ isn't available here. I took the chance and bought one through eBay and had it shipped to the US.

I haven't had the chance to use it since I installed it, but will be renting and pulling a couple small trailers and campers in the next couple of months. It was certainly overkill for the amount of towing I do.

I'll report back after I've had a chance to actually tow something.


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DTHughes
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