Which Brake Controller with New Volvo XC90?

Captenaj · July 2021

We are upgrading our Volvo V60 to a new Volvo XC90 to pull our 320 Boondock. On the V60 we used the Curt Echo wireless controller and hated it from day one. The brakes would grab almost every time we touched the brakes, even with the Max and Sensitivity dialed as far down as possible. After calls to Curt, our T@b dealer, and several Curt authorized dealers we gave up on it. So we are looking at a wired controller. Are there any controllers that look OK and are maintenance free? Does anyone have a wired controller on the Volvo? Thanks.

Freespirit · July 2021

Dealer installed this brake controller and it has been 100% trouble free.

Autowbrake - Plug and Tow Trailer Mounted Electric Brake Controller

PNWtabber · July 2021

Following. I have an XC60 and got the Echo controller for several reasons and not entirely comfortable with it.

Captenaj · July 2021

Freespirit, the Autowbrake looks like an interesting option. It's certainly attractive and doesn't require drilling into my dash. Thanks.
PNWtabber, why aren't you comfortable with the Echo?

I am hoping the trouble we've had with the Echo was related to the dopes as the dealership messing up the car wiring somehow and now that we're getting a new car, the Echo will work flawlessly. Hey, I can dream.

Katydid · July 2021

I went to a highly rated local trailer guy who wired and installed the Tekonsha Primus IQ Trailer Brake Controller ( proportional ) in my Audi, it turns out the dealers send their Audis to him to wire as it’s pretty complicated. It could not work better, it works in perfect harmony! I have been on road since the middle of December and have never had to adjust it. You can read the reviews on etrailer.com.

PNWtabber · July 2021

@Captenaj,

I'm never 100% comfortable that I have the Echo unit securely seated into the plug and I'm always concerned it will "pop" out -- especially on a rough road. It just never feels as secure as I think it should and It is one of the things I check every time I stop.
As you said it seems to be very sensitive and grabby--perhaps because the T@B 320 is so light? On our first trip with it, I got it adjusted so it stopped grabbing, and then when we left the campsite after 2 nights, it was grabbing again. I almost feel like I need to readjust the settings every time I hook it up, which isn't the way it is supposed to work.
I often use my phone for navigation, so if I had to hit the "big red button" on the brake controller app, it wouldn't be the top thing on my screen--could be an issue in an emergency.

There isn't a lot of extra space in the XC60 cockpit and I couldn't figure where a brake controller would be mounted, but I am kind of wishing I had asked about it when I had the dealer do the hitch and wiring installation. The one good thing about the Echo is we can change tow vehicles easily.

So far my XC60 is doing a fine job towing the T@B 320. When it is time to replace the XC60, I might upsize, perhaps to an XC90, just to be safe. We'll see.

DenverJaguar · July 2021

I have an XC90 and I plan to install the Autowbrake when my camper is delivered. The idea of having nothing to mess with inside my car is very appealing.

CharlieRN · July 2021

I think that there is a Volvo-branded controller available - check the Swedeworks forum. As far as purchasing, I've had very good luck buying parts online from Tasca Volvo in RI. They discount genuine Volvo parts by about 30%.

Edit: I should have added that I initially wanted to use a hard-wired controller. While I could do all the wiring installation myself, I would still need to go to a Volvo shop for software reprogramming, driving the cost up considerably. I eventually went with the Prodigy RF. It uses a separate remote control unit, which I know many are trying to avoid, but it's an RF connection with a dedicated unit, not BT through your smartphone. And once you have the settings adjusted correctly (not a difficult process) you only need to mess with the controller in the event of a fishtail situation. Ours has worked very well and has the added benefit of being "portable", so it can be used in a second vehicle.

PNWtabber · July 2021

@CharlieRN I may look into those other options. I had the dealer do the hitch and wiring installation (in fact, the local shop that I've used in the past for hitches said they wouldn't touch the Volvo!). The software update is important, from what I've heard. When the trailer is connected, some settings are changed and the dashboard even displays a confirmation that the trailer is connected.

ChrisFix · July 2021

@Captenaj
Make sure you take a look at the Redarc brake controllers. They came out with a less expensive version last year, that would be my 1st choice. I use the more expensive elite, but it is a GREAT brake controller. Also takes up very little visible space on your dashboard.
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Brake-Controller/Redarc/RED24FR.html

NorthIsUp · July 2021

I recently bought a new tow vehicle, but there is now an airbag in the same area under the steering column where my wired Tekonsha P2 was mounted on the previous same-model vehicle. I didn't want to drill into the dash so after much research, I bought a Tekonsha RF wireless controller that comes with an emergency controller that plugs into the tv's 12v port and displays readouts from the main controller that's mounted on the trailer frame. The handheld unit has the same function as does the Curt's phone app. The part that sold me on the Tekonsha was that the part on the trailer is drilled in permanently. I didn't like the Curt because the way it plugs into the 7-pin port looks inadequate.

We have now put over 7,000 miles on it going cross-country to uCamp21 and zig-zagging on the way back West. It does everything that the P2 did, to include displaying troubleshooting codes on the emergency controller in the tow vehicle, when appropriate. Well, we haven't needed to do any troubleshooting, so other than "c" for connected or "nc" for not connected, it has been flawless. It has proportional braking based on your speed and other conditions and it's not grabby at all. I heard that there is a new version 2 with Bluetooth, but we got a good deal via U-Haul for an original version.

mntrails · July 2021

I second @ChrisFix's recommendation of the RedArc controllers. I installed a Tow Pro Elite this year and have been from the midwest out east through the heart of the Appalachians/Blue Ridge and back. It performs extremely smoothly. I came from a Curt Echo used a handfull of times last year and I noticed immediately that the brakes run much cooler. I 'speculate' that the RedArc has a lot more granularity in the voltage it supplies to the T@B brakes - at least that's my guess as to why the RedArc is so much more controlled and smooth in its operation.

rh5555 · July 2021

Have a Tekonsha Primus IQ and it worked well for the first 18 months. Now it goes through phases of being grabby, then working fine. When our new TV arrives in November, I'll be installing the RedArc, not moving the Tekonsha.

Captenaj · August 2021

We finally got our XC90. When I hooked up our Curt Echo brake controller, the indicator did not light up. I called Curt who said that means there is no power coming through the 12V pin on the car. Volvo says that is as designed and if we want a brake controller, any brake controller including the Echo, we have to take the car to a third party and get it wired to supply power. Has anyone heard of this?

PNWtabber · August 2021

@Captenaj -- odd. I had my hitch and wiring installed by my Volvo dealer (2015.5 XC60) and no problems. When they did the wiring they had to do some reprogramming of the computer, when the trailer is plugged into the Volvo, I get a dashboard notice that the trailer is connected, and it makes some changes to the performance (I can't recall the details off the top of my head right now). I just plug my brake controller and am good to go. That being said, I sometimes have difficulty getting the Curt Echo unit to seat properly.

I would test that there is power to to your 12-pin (attach the trailer cable and see if the lights work), if that works, the Curt Echo unit should work unless there is a defect in the Echo. I don't know what your Volvo dealer is talking about. And, actually, a local trailer hitch place I have used previously would not install the wiring on my Volvo. Almost sounds like whoever did the wiring may have made a mistake? Sorry.

Terence · August 2021

Hey there,

We had similar issues with the Curt Echo and have switched to the Prodigy RF wireless brake controller and we could not be happier.

It is a huge upgrade and has given us much more confidence in our brakes. We experienced many problems with the Echo including brakes locking up and activating randomly (!) and their tech support kept giving us a run around despite being within the warranty period. It was incredibly frustrating experience.

On the other hand, the prodigy rf is fairly straightforward to install (though you have to be comfortable drilling a few mounting holes into the trailer steel frame), and has worked flawlessly for us. Importantly, we also had excellent customer tech support when we needed it. Another point to mention is that you can use the prodigy rf on any tow vehicle since it's wireless.

Hope this helps.

Captenaj · August 2021

After a few calls to different Volvo dealers, contacting eTrailer, and calling Curt, I think I have an answer. Apparently there is no power to the 7-way until a trailer is plugged in and that is why the light on the Echo did not go on when it was first plugged in. Both Curt and eTrailer said some new cars, including the Volvo are wired in an odd way and once you plug in the trailer you are good to go. We did a 10 mile trip and the Echo performed better than it ever had with no grabbing at all.

I was a little hesitant at first to believe it was functioning properly because when we first got our trailer the fuse to the 7-way was blown and we would only get power to the Echo once the trailer was plugged in (the trailer battery was supplying the Echo with power). It seems to be working OK though. I think once we have more time, I will take the trailer in to get a Prodigy RF installed and ditch the troublesome Echo for good.

rhyno · August 2021

Look at the Redarc Liberty Tow Pro at about $140. We love ours and install was simple.

HardFault · October 27

A cautionary tale to owners of any of these later model Volvo vehicles like the XC90 2016 - 2023 SPA platform.

I've worked with electrical wiring my entire adult life and I'm 65 years old so that's a minute or two. I wired up my Redarc tow Pro Elite in my 2018 XC90 T6 Momentum with extraordinary care, using larger gauge wire than is necessary, using good solid high-end connectors and very careful tactics like disconnecting the ground leads on both batteries before touching the electrical to make a connections for my Redarc.

The set up worked fine initially but after about a month my electrical system went haywire kicking on the windshield wipers, making the dashboard light up like a Christmas tree and disabling the rotary on/off switch. I was able to resolve this issue by disconnecting the negative leads of both batteries starting with the rear one and letting it sit for half an hour before reconnecting the batteries starting with the front one.

I took the car to a trusted mechanic who said these Volvos are extraordinarily sensitive to aftermarket electronics being installed into the system. I then completely disconnected the Redarc and carefully reviewed my wiring plans to make sure it wasn't connecting to the battery + or chassis ground in an unfavorable manner or position. After a couple of weeks of planning I reinstalled the system and before I even got to the point of tapping into a brake light wire to signal to the controller when the brakes are being applied, I got the same craziness with the wipers automatically going on the dashboard lighting up like a Christmas tree. And this was just from attaching to the battery positive and to an official Volvo ground terminal next to the battery.

I have given up on hard wiring anything in this car and I'm now in the market for a completely autonomous trailer brake controller that requires zero modifications at the vehicle level.

The Volvo series vehicles I mentioned above that have factory avaialble tow capabilities utilize a trailer module that connects through a generic harness to trailer connector but, maddeningly, This module does not have a wire that goes hot when the brakes are applied! What that means is any trailer brake module you get that requires a brakes-on signal from the tow vehicle will require you to tap into or alter wiring on your very sensitive Volvo.

As I understand it, the Autowbrake requires this brakes-on signal so it will require you to tap into or modify your Volvo wiring to provide that signal, which is a very risky proposition unless you know exactly where and how to do this and trust me I spent a lot of time trying to learn that and came up empty-handed.

It turns out that the power that is provided to the rear LED tail lights does more than just turn on and off When the brakes are applied. There are sensors there used to tell the system if your brake lights have failed and notify you. That sensitive system can be a real issue if you don't know exactly what you're doing And how to do it.

From where I sit now, it looks like the Prodigy RF is the only system that will work with a Volvo of this class without requiring vehicle modifications. I was thinking of using the Curt Echo, but was turned off by the number of people who have difficulties with it.

I'll be going with the Prodigy RF and hoping and praying that this works because I probably spent an excess of 40 hours either researching this vehicle, ways to wire it, and doing the process twice now and my frustration level is to the point that I'm giving up on it.

CatDaddy · October 28

I'm not a fan of wireless brake controllers, probably because I designed wireless systems for a living and don't trust them, but after what you experienced, I can see why you're headed that way, @HardFault FWIW, I've had good luck with the Curt Triflex Next brake controller and associated vehicle-specific adapter cables. I use it with my VW ID.4 and VW Touareg. Finding the OEM connectors to plug the adapter cable into was more of an adventure than I planned, but once I located the plugs, it was plug-and-play with no issues.

I did some digging on the Curt website and didn't find an adapter cable for any Volvo's which probably means that Volvo doesn't provide OEM wiring for brake controllers, which is unfortunate.

I had dozens of people recommend the Curt Echo wireless brake controller to me. That might be the way to go.

HardFault · October 28

@CatDaddy I'm glad you had success with the Curt products. I wound up selecting the Tekonsha Prodigy RF which can (and will be, in my case) powered 100% by the trailer, thus requiring zero connectivity to the tow vehicle through the 7-pin. Obviously, this means zero chance of interfering with the Volvo's sensitive electronics. It should arrive in a few days.

Bill&Suze · October 28

@HardFault, I hope that the Prodigy RF will solve all your woes. It has functioned very well for us with our Kia EV9 and T@B 400.

Horigan · October 28

I think a key to wiring a brake controller to late model cars is to install a diode in the brake signal wire to the controller so the signal only goes TO the controller and nothing can come FROM the controller into the brake light wiring. I'm about to install the Redarc controller into our new 2025 Highlander. I'm using the reverse signal for my boat trailer and for that I'm using a relay so as not to disturb the reverse light wiring.

Sharon_is_SAM · October 28

We were a big fan of the prodigy RF brake controller, but it failed when we were in the middle of the Navaho reservation and there was no way to replace it. We were lucky to find someone who had a prodigy P3 hardwire controller that was completely plug and play with our 2015 Toyota sienna. Loved the RF, but learned a lesson. Go with what’s easy to replace.

HardFault · October 28

@Sharon_is_SAM I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience with the product RF.

My number one reason for going with it is that it is 100% independent of any electrical systems on the tow vehicle. Hardwired controllers are out of the question for me based on my experience with the Volvo so I'll keep my fingers crossed at the Prodigy RF does me good!

HardFault · October 28

@Horigan You understand correctly about diodes, but there's more to it than that in the case of the Volvo. Even attaching to a ground point can mess with the engine control module on other modules in the vehicle. I did in fact use a diode when I tapped into the brake light signal. I don't know exactly what point of failure caused all the issues with my Redarc, I only know that I had them twice and everyone I spoke with he was experienced on these Volvo said do everything you can to avoid touching the electrical system with anything that's not factory.

jbajor · October 28

+1 for the Prodigy RF! You also need the Volvo 'trailer module' and software...

CatDaddy · October 28

HardFault said:

My number one reason for going with it is that it is 100% independent of any electrical systems on the tow vehicle. Hardwired controllers are out of the question for me based on my experience with the Volvo so I'll keep my fingers crossed at the Prodigy RF does me good!

Unless I'm mistaken, it still plugs into the 7 pin connector on the tow vehicle, so it's not 100% independent of the electrical system on the tow vehicle, but I agree that it does isolate the tow vehicle more than a wired brake controller.

I realize that the wireless Bluetooth interface is only used for setting up the braking parameters, but I've had too many cases where Bluetooth communication is lost due to RF interference.

In any case, it seems like you found a solution!

HardFault · October 29

@CatDaddy you are correct. I was .is informed and thus misspoke: It still requires left / right turn signal feeds, battery + and battery - (though there are ways to power solely from the trailer)

What it doesn't require - which the Volvo doesn't output - is a dedicated "brakes on" signal.

HardFault · October 29

@jbajor yes, I have he module and had it properly activated by Volvo

Sharon_is_SAM · October 29

@HardFault - the device failed in our 8th season, so, we had a good run and it worked flawlessly until it didn’t😂

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