Factory Brake Controller Revisited

If your truck did not come with the factory (integrated) brake controller, you cannot add it. All you can do is go with one of the aftermarket units.

That is still crazy to me that GM has not updated that.

I guess if you had one from the factory and it goes bad then you are SOL also, or else there would be a way to replace the the required parts and program the computer (if required).

Thanks for the reply.

tsnatcher said:

I guess if you had one from the factory and it goes bad then you are SOL also, or else there would be a way to replace the the required parts and program the computer (if required).

Click to expand...

If you have one that breaks, you replace the faulty parts and you are good to go.

The problem is that the programming and parts differ between a truck with the controller and one without. That’s why you cannot add it after the fact.

I luckily found a truck with the OEM controller. But if I didn’t, there were a few aftermarket options that were better than the knee bangers that are common.

GM has gotten real tight with giving out unlock codes to add certain accessories to the technicians. A lot of the things that customers are asking service personnel to add could be done, but GM has gotten to the point where do not want to give out the unlock codes for the BCM to accept the added accessories and make them operate.

That is pretty unfortunate for all of the customers that pay their salaries. Don’t know why it would hinder their lively hood since it would have sold a hell of a lot more break controllers, but I am sure some employee screwed something up and that’s why we can’t have nice things.

I mean on my 04 you couldn't even reprogram tire size so I guess some things have gotten better... the way we used to get around things like this was to flash in a VIN that had the option... problem then was your BCM had the wrong VIN and you had to make sure it had all the other options too.

The reason I was told as to why GM doesn't allow you to add things in after the fact now is that you could add option packages at a pretty reduced cost, and that cuts into their profit... doing one thing at a time and reflashing every time is one thing but if you did heated seats, leather, tow package and a couple other things all at once using pick and pull parts, you just nabbed $5000 or so worth of options for whatever a reflash is... if they made a lot of money on base trucks you'd see a lot more sitting on lots rather than mid trim ones.