🚛 Effortless trailer lighting, zero wiring drama.
The TEKONSHA 119251 ZCI ModuLite Kit is a universal, no-cut wiring harness designed for 12-volt vehicle systems. It activates trailer lights without splicing, supports 2 or 3 wire systems including PWM/multiplex, and features resettable overload protection. Its versatile design allows interior or exterior mounting, making it ideal for complex trailers with multiple light assemblies.
Manufacturer | Tekonsha |
Brand | TEKONSHA |
Model | 119251 |
Item Weight | 1.86 pounds |
Product Dimensions | 48 x 5 x 3.75 inches |
Country of Origin | Mexico |
Item model number | 119251 |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Manufacturer Part Number | 119251 |
C**Y
Works great on our 2021 BMW X5
Husband writing this review, not that it matters. My wife just wants "to push the button and the thing works" with tech stuff, so you're stuck with me.I looked far and wide to find a wiring system that would work with a non-trailer-ready BMW (U-Haul said there was nothing out there - Ha!) I found more info than what was on Amazon on etrailer, and they had a decent video that really helped. And on their site, you put in your specific car and it tells you which harness/hitch/killer cassette stereo, whatever will work on your car. The Tekonsha 119251 kit was for ours. Went to the Tekonsha site just to compare prices, did the same exercise, and it came back with nope, there isn't anything that will work on your car. Well that's a wee bit troubling, right? I sent Tekonsha an email, got a response 2 hours later saying, yup, the 119251 is for you! Woohoo! So thanks for the GREAT info, etrailer and Tekonsha, but I bought the kit from Amazon where it was WAY cheaper, used the etrailer video to get me started, and went to the garage to rip out the innards of the back end of my wife's car.What you need to know first, is that this does work! Take your time, you'll get it.I think the hardest part is determining what setup your car is. And it's not exactly clear in the newer models. Is it a 2-wire, 3-wire, BT (brake/tail light multiplex), or a BTT (brake/tail/turn multiplex) system? On the BMW it has 4 wires going to the tail light assembly, so not a lot of clues there!I decided to start with what worked on the 2017 model that was in the etrailer video, meaning I was only going to hook up 3 of the 4 sensors, leaving out the Brake sensor which would imply (according to their instructions) that this was a 2-wire system (with 4 wires going to each light...so it makes total sense.) 😎The video said the turn signals were on a white with purple striped wire on the 2017, of course there was none of that in the 2021 model. But there WAS a purple wire with white stripe on both the driver and passenger sides. Let's give that bad boy a shot! There was also a green and blue wire in the bundle. The others were solid colors.After temporarily hooking up the sensors, I ran through the completely simple programming, attached the trailer and voila!Yeah, that didn't work.Turns out on the right (passenger) side, the blue and green was turn signal. I found that out by just trying it. Once I found out that only the multi-colored wires mattered, it was simple. Try it. If it doesn't work, switch the sensors. Try it again.It took me under 2 hours to finish once I got the panels off, and it works GREAT!Lessons learned:-Doesn't come with a trailer light tester or voltage sensor, both of which would be useful. You don't need them if you have patience and a trailer right next to your car in the garage.-The sensors are kind of big when you're trying to get them in the middle of tightly packed wire bundles, so plan to cut back on the tape or whatever is holding the wires together a little more than you think you need.-I went full high-tech during the install, using Scotch tape to hold the sensor and wire together until I found the combination I needed. Once done, took the tape off, and worked a while getting that foam tape stuff they send with the kit around the wire and sensor while not wrapping the other wires from the tight little bundle in there with them. It sounds simple, but if you heard the language coming out of my wife's car at that point, you may have a different take on it.-I used a zip tie (included in the kit) at a point about ¼"-⅜" below each sensor to hold the sensor and the entire wire bundle together. This also helps keep the sensor from sliding up and down the wire going over bumps. I don't know that it matters, but I was on a roll and was feeling it after hitting the right combination of sensors and wires, so why not?-Important note: I witnessed while having the sensors not set up right, that sometimes the trailer lights would remain on with the car completely unpowered. I also read online that this bad boy sucks battery juice all the time. So you need to either install an inline switch or just pull the fuse when not in use. I zip tied a ziplock bag (snack sized, fuses are small) to the yellow fuse wire, and have the fuse in there. Don't forget this if you're going boating! A dead battery in your car/truck will not make the Admiral happy at the boat ramp at the end of the day.I completed this conversion project yesterday, and other than being a little sore from playing contortionist (hey man, I'm almost 60), I'm pretty pleased with the kit and this whole process. The videos on etrailer are invaluable, so watch them first. Then go for it. You won't hurt your car, and if you've set it up wrong, just try again. The system is pretty simple once you understand it.I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to hook up their own trailer wiring harness. Good luck and happy trailering.
S**L
Installation without cutting wires
Added this to a GL 450 because the local MB dealer was not confident that they could add a hitch and complete the computer programming. I did the hitch install myself and had to go through multiple service techs before the service manager admitted that they were never successful in programming the GL 450. I had the actual MB instructions, but I did not like spending $2K-$3K without being confident that the dealer could complete their portion. I liked the fact that there is no cutting or tapping directly into a wire using ZCI. I used Google to determine the colors of the wiring for the brakes, running lights, and turning lights, which made installation very quickly. Installation instructions were easy to follow, and you could not even tell an aftermarket wiring was added.
J**S
I'm an electrical engineer, this thing doesn't work
It seems the more research I do on something, the more it bites me in the end. Basically, this device is supposed to sense the energy flowing through the vehicle wiring via a magnetic sensor, and then send its own energy to the trailer wiring. Except, it doesn't work. I meticulously installed this without testing it first, thinking the manufacturer knew what they were doing. My mistake. After installation, the unit will turn on the left turn signal for two lighting flashes, then it won't do it for two, then again for two. Resetting the device, the only thing available to the user to get it to try and work, does not fix it. Each time it does the same thing. Why would it pick up the signal for 2 flashes, and then skip 2, when it's the same signal going through the wires? Don't know. Pressing the brakes may or may not produce the brake lights coming on. It's random. Right turn signal sensor doesn't pick up anything, even though it's the same exact wiring scheme as the left. Very randomly, the left turn signal will output power to both sides of the trailer turn signal lights. That's not wiring, or it would do it all the time.The only reason I bought this sensor is because my last car, the awful 2018 Toyota Camry, for who knows what reason sends CAN BUS signals over the same wires as the vehicle lighting. That's just asking for trouble. In any case, I found this out by way of a standard trailer wiring kit causing all of the Camry safety features to shut off after a random amount of driving of driving, which took the dealer weeks to figure out. So the Toyotas MUST use this zero contact device or one could potentially screw up the entire ECM operation. (And since CAN BUS signals are going through the lighting wires, I'm not so sure this lighting module wouldn't pick up that signal and turn the trailer lights on anyway.) I didn't want to take any chances, so I bought this device for my new Sonata after much research. And it doesn't work. A call to the manufacturer didn't help, as once the device is installed correctly, that's all that can be done. A review of other Amazon reviews shows many have issues of spotty operation on this thing, and many require having to pull the fuse to reset the device on each use. It just seems like the technology isn't quite there with this. If you can, try a t kit first.
R**T
The stop module can work as your circuit tester
I like the product. Forget about tech support. I was on hold for over 30 minutes and then dropped. Instructions could be a little more clear. With that said I’ve been looking for something like this for years. I have an Audi Q7 everything I read advised not to splice into the wires . This allows you to trailer without splicing. Once installed worked without incident. I would strongly recommend.
Trustpilot
3 weeks ago
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