I did the wiring for the Hidden Hitch today. Pics are posted at the link below. Here goes my first try to post a URL so wish me luck. Let me know if you find any errors.
Click Here (http://gaia.ecs.csus.edu/~joel/fun/Element/HitchWiring.htm)

Very nice, very complete. Thanks!

Thanks man, I needed that.

I smell engineer!

Superb work! This will be handy when I run some coaxial cable back there, too.

I installed my Hidden Hitch (but not the harness) last Friday. Took all of 30 minutes, if that. Very simple.

Prof,

Thank you! I've been kind of sitting on my Hidden Hitch wiring harness for a couple of weeks, dreading the "discovery adventure" of wiring it. The Honda instructions are a nightmare but your step-by-step was just the ticket. I got out my handy trim-panel tool and in a little over an hour the job was complete.

The only change I made from your suggestions was by making the butt-splices down near the 4-flat connector at the hitch rather than inside the body panel.

My reasoning: While the buttsplices have a higher probability of corrision or damage outside (though I electrical taped the daylights out of the entire harness including splices afterwards) it's also a HECK of a lot easier to get in and diagnose/repair a failed splice at the hitch than having to tear the interior out of the vehicle again.

Thanks again for a GREAT job of photography/explanation,

Steve - whose hitch AND wiring are now happily installed!

[quote:81453ec8c2="zarathustra"]Thanks man, I needed that.

I smell engineer![/quote:81453ec8c2]

It's a good smell, right?

[quote:32f611314b="eleMentalCase"]Prof,

The only change I made from your suggestions was by making the butt-splices down near the 4-flat connector at the hitch rather than inside the body panel.

My reasoning: While the buttsplices have a higher probability of corrision or damage outside (though I electrical taped the daylights out of the entire harness including splices afterwards) it's also a HECK of a lot easier to get in and diagnose/repair a failed splice at the hitch than having to tear the interior out of the vehicle again.
[/quote:32f611314b]

Yea, good point. I almost did it that way. If mine goes bad I'm cutting a hole in the plastic panel and covering it with a picture.

[quote:7bf2e65c92="eleMentalCase"]
The Honda instructions are a nightmare but your step-by-step was just the ticket. I got out my handy trim-panel tool and in a little over an hour the job was complete.
[/quote:7bf2e65c92]

An hour? Wow, that's screaming!

[quote="ProfJoel"][quote:53433bf376="eleMentalCase"]

An hour? Wow, that's screaming![/quote:53433bf376]

Well if YOU had enjoyed the benefit of YOUR photos/info like I did- YOU could have done it in a little over an hour too! :lol:

Thanks again,

Steve

Great Step-by-step photo demo. I'm sure that you're an incredible teacher. I create similar demos for my students on my course website. I only hope that they learn half as much from mine as I have from yours. The internet is such a great learning tool (most of the time).

I'll be tackling the hitch and wiring harness project tomorrow afternoon (if my hitch arrives from hidden hitch). I'm going to print your step-by-step (the Honda Hitch Kit installation guide too), grab my tools and just let the trim panels fly! I might even be brave enough to remove the bumper cover.........then again maybe not!

Thanks again!

Prof- great job documenting the install. I have bookmarked the website for future reference. This will be very valuable if I have to run some wires up to the front of the vehicle. Thanks!

Hi Prof,Really nice work on your picture show.I have been waiting for cooler weather and a work whiz like you to appear here.Magically both wants have been answered,Thanks ,Larry

Yeah my wife is an engineer, the smell is often lovely. :oops:

Prof and all that have done this,

Just curious, did you disconnect the battery?

-k00k

ProfJoel: Thank You, thank you, thank you. Those are without a doubt the clearest directions I have seen to do anything to a vehicle. Now, I have a suggestion for you. Would you please disassemble your entire Element and document the procedure? Then put it back together and document that also. When you are finished, publish your documentation. I'll go at least a couple of hundred for the book and I'm guessing there are thousands of owners who would do that also. If you don't want to tear into your E, maybe you could get a job with Honda doing that for their vehicles. Just make sure you start with the E. Please start with the audio system because I have some thoughts of upgrading but am reluctant to dive into it(lol). :wink:

Thanks again!

I completed my "Hidden Hitch" and wiring install in about two hours thanks to your great instructions. I did remove the bumper (pretty easy and fast) and routed the wires as specified by Honda. I added about three feet of (4 wires) trailer wire so that the connector would reach the end of the hitch. Everything went back together easily without breakage.

I'm off to drag my boat into the drink!

Fishguy

[quote:bab8611647="k00k"]Prof and all that have done this,

Just curious, did you disconnect the battery?

-k00k[/quote:bab8611647]
No, it's not really needed. Just plug in the connector last after any splicing has been finished.

I'm headed outside to start the harness install in about 5 minutes, woohoo, about time. I've had the hitch in since the day after I took delivery, over 3 weeks ago.

5 hours later, done. Oh yeah, played a game or two, took over an hour for lunch, cleaned the interior, washed the floormats, and generally dilly-dallied while doing the wiring.

Thanks very much Joel, your pics were a great help to use with the factory instructions. I used the same hole you did, and sealed it up with 3M 5200<<----instant permanent grommet.

One comment, directed at the assembly workers: The white plastic with adhesive on the back does serve a purpose or two, sound deadening (not much) and keeping the outside where it belongs, outside. If you don't press the plastic onto the unibody, it won't work. None of mine was adhered by more than like 1/2" sections. I pressed it all down pretty well. I know I won't notice a difference, but I know it's correct now.

1st my hat goes off to ProfJoel on the very detailed instructions of the Hidden Hitch install...I know this is an old Topic but I try to just do as much research as I can and try to ask questions just prior to making a decision on actually doing the modification, so hopefully someone is still around to answer a not so difficult question.....can you just leave the wiring inside the spare tire well or coiled up inside one of the pockets inside the E and use the connector only when towing??....I remember when we moved from FL to MA, I had U-Haul install a hitch on my wife's Malibu and they wired it so that I could take the wiring out when I towed a trailer.....the rest of the time it was out of sight and kept nice and clean inside a baggie......

Thanks....( and if you have done it...can you tell me if is a pain to do it that way....MA has incredible Winters and the roads hardly ever lack salt...)

Sure, keep the wires inside. Heck, I don't know if I'll ever use the wiring setup. I want the hitch to put a bike rack on when I need to haul several bikes. Roll up the wires and put them beside the spare tire and pull them out when needed and slam the door on the wires. They should be able to take it if not used very often. Any fraying should be apparent and easily fixed. If you are worried about frayed wires, put on some shrink tubing during installation. Now if used often, maybe that's another thing.

Didn't someone else mention doing this?

[quote:be5f4032f1="ProfJoel"]Sure, keep the wires inside. Heck, I don't know if I'll ever use the wiring setup. I want the hitch to put a bike rack on when I need to haul several bikes. Roll up the wires and put them beside the spare tire and pull them out when needed and slam the door on the wires. They should be able to take it if not used very often. Any fraying should be apparent and easily fixed. If you are worried about frayed wires, put on some shrink tubing during installation. Now if used often, maybe that's another thing.

Didn't someone else mention doing this?[/quote:be5f4032f1]

Thanks for the reply ProfJoel........I will make a copy of this topic and will do the install once I get a couple of other projects already started ( inside the house.... :x :x ) out of the way...for sure I will take your advise and add shink tubing to the hardness so that I can keep it inside the cabin.....
Thanks again....great post!!!!

Is it possible to tap into the light sockets and bypass all the take down and put back?

[quote:7839633545="looseleaf"]Is it possible to tap into the light sockets and bypass all the take down and put back?[/quote:7839633545]

I believe it's possible, since I've seen it done at U-Haul when they installed a hitch on my then Malibu....but why would you want to, with a little bit of time and effort you get to just plug in the wiring.....my 2 cents... :wink: