Ford licensed TBC Install Instructions

[dart330]

If you push in on the brake controller knob, does it illuminate? It should, even without the third brake light connected.

Check if fuses F64, F73, and F87 are good in the battery junction box (BJB) under the hood.

The knob has never illuminated for me, no matter how long I hold it.

I would have never guessed there were fuses under the fuse box. They all look good.

Either I have a dud of a kit or my wires crossed somewhere. The blue and yellow connections seemed very obvious, everything else is plug and play.

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[RangerBill]

The knob has never illuminated for me, no matter how long I hold it.

I would have never guessed there were fuses under the fuse box. They all look good.

Either I have a dud of a kit or my wires crossed somewhere. The blue and yellow connections seemed very obvious, everything else is plug and play.

Did you check the fuses under the hood near the battery? That is where the fuses that feed the brake controller are located. Did you disconnect the battery before doing the wiring? If not, you may have blown one, especially F64 that feeds the yellow wire. Check the owner's manual for fuse box and fuse location. You should have 12V to ground on the yellow wire at all times.

 

[Gizmokid2005]

The Ford controller is also inferior (other than being nearly invisible) as you can't control how much force the brakes apply if you have to apply them manually to straighten out some wobble or for whatever reason whereas on just about every other controller since the early 90's has had a progressive manual function.

This is just patently not true.

You turn the knob to the desired brake level and when you brake normally it'll apply up to that level with its internal progressive application, and when you push the knob it will only apply up to the level you have selected on the knob. This works just like any other aftermarket controller has for years. You just have a knob instead of a level to manually actuate.

 

[dart330]

Did you check the fuses under the hood near the battery? That is where the fuses that feed the brake controller are located. Did you disconnect the battery before doing the wiring? If not, you may have blown one, especially F64 that feeds the yellow wire. Check the owner's manual for fuse box and fuse location. You should have 12V to ground on the yellow wire at all times.

I did all the work with the negative battery cable disconnected.

I checked the 3 fuses on the bottom of the fuse block next to the battery that you mentioned. None of them looked blown.

Next I will check and see if I have 12v from the yellow wire. Heading out of town so won’t get to it until next week.

Appreciate the help!

 

[RangerBill]

I did all the work with the negative battery cable disconnected.

I checked the 3 fuses on the bottom of the fuse block next to the battery that you mentioned. None of them looked blown.

Next I will check and see if I have 12v from the yellow wire. Heading out of town so won’t get to it until next week.

Appreciate the help!

Ok, keep us posted.

 

[t4thfavor]

You are incorrect sir. Please tell me how you would use this type of interface to apply 50% of maximum desired force by hand and for 5-10 seconds. It works like cheap ones from pre 1995 that used timers and maximum current to determine braking force, not like something $200+ built in the 20XX’s oh, and my p3 was $117 and took 15 mins max to install.

Mods can split this thread so we can all argue about the brake controller and OP can still get his questions answered.

 

[Dgc333]

The Ford controller is also inferior (other than being nearly invisible) as you can't control how much force the brakes apply if you have to apply them manually to straighten out some wobble or for whatever reason whereas on just about every other controller since the early 90's has had a progressive manual function.

The Ford TBC system is comprised of a Redarc Tow-Pro Elite and a Lumen module that takes the brake light coming on and converts it to an input for the Redarc.

The Redarc Tow-Pro Elite has a fully adjustable proportional application of the trailer brakes as well as full manual control of the trailer brakes. The Tow-Pro Elite is most certainly a top shelf brake controller.

 

[Gizmokid2005]

You are incorrect sir. Please tell me how you would use this type of interface to apply 50% of maximum desired force by hand and for 5-10 seconds. It works like cheap ones from pre 1995 that used timers and maximum current to determine braking force, not like something $200+ built in the 20XX’s oh, and my p3 was $117 and took 15 mins max to install.

Mods can split this thread so we can all argue about the brake controller and OP can still get his questions answered.

I'm not alone...

The Ford TBC system is comprised of a Redarc Tow-Pro Elite and a Lumen module that takes the brake light coming on and converts it to an input for the Redarc.

The Redarc Tow-Pro Elite has a fully adjustable proportional application of the trailer brakes as well as full manual control of the trailer brakes. The Tow-Pro Elite is most certainly a top shelf brake controller.

All you do is turn the knob to the desired application and press and hold. It'll gradually apply up to that desired level and hold until you release. Super common and absolutely works as designed.

Set threshold with knob.
Push knob.

It doesn't get much easier.

 

[t4thfavor]

I'm not alone...




All you do is turn the knob to the desired application and press and hold. It'll gradually apply up to that desired level and hold until you release. Super common and absolutely works as designed.

Set threshold with knob.
Push knob.

It doesn't get much easier.

I didn’t say it wasn’t expensive, it’s missing a crucial feature. You simply cannot reliably reset a knob and push it in an emergency as accurate as you can with a full analog control. The button is digital and I hope based on accelerometers, but you have less overall control and you can’t argue that you don’t.

the prodigy and most other high end controllers including the ones built into most other trucks have an analog slider which is the correct user interface for this application.

 

[Gizmokid2005]

I didn’t say it wasn’t expensive, it’s missing a crucial feature. You simply cannot reliably reset a knob and push it in an emergency as accurate as you can with a full analog control. The button is digital and I hope based on accelerometers, but you have less overall control and you can’t argue that you don’t.

the prodigy and most other high end controllers including the ones built into most other trucks have an analog slider which is the correct user interface for this application.

Not sure where you're getting anything regarding price, nobody mentioned it.

I'm simply telling you that you're wrong, it's not missing a crucial feature. You can easily turn a knob in an emergency just like you can grab a slider on a traditional unit. Even moreso, the knob can be mounted in the center console by the shifter where your hand would rest instead of on the left side of the driver's lower dash where you have to bend to reach it.

The button isn't digital, anymore than your slider is. The active brake monitoring isn't controlled in the knob, it's in the RedArc unit itself. You don't have any less control with the knob than you do with a slider, especially since nearly all sliders don't have any smoothing in them, which means you could over-apply trailer brakes causing a bigger issue, whereas the RedArc has a very minor application when you press the button (<.5s) to apply power to prevent jerking.

If you want to use your old tech, there's nothing wrong with that, but don't spread misinformation about the new models just because you have it in your head they're inferior.

 

[RangerBill]

I didn’t say it wasn’t expensive, it’s missing a crucial feature. You simply cannot reliably reset a knob and push it in an emergency as accurate as you can with a full analog control. The button is digital and I hope based on accelerometers, but you have less overall control and you can’t argue that you don’t.

the prodigy and most other high end controllers including the ones built into most other trucks have an analog slider which is the correct user interface for this application.

You should read the Redarc manual. It has the features that you say it doesn't. Here is the manual: https://cdn.intelligencebank.com/au/share/yE9N/zJpl/LBVyy/original/EBRH-ACCV3-NA+Manual+English
Skip down to the operation section and you will see that it has everything you are saying it doesn't. This is the one that Ford supplies as part of its trailer brake controller kit.

 

[t4thfavor]

You should read the Redarc manual. It has the features that you say it doesn't. Here is the manual: https://cdn.intelligencebank.com/au/share/yE9N/zJpl/LBVyy/original/EBRH-ACCV3-NA+Manual+English
Skip down to the operation section and you will see that it has everything you are saying it doesn't. This is the one that Ford supplies as part of its trailer brake controller kit.

Ok, I stand mostly corrected. It’s still less intuitive, and not the correct user interface as you need to push and hold while trying to turn it to the right force but not over boosting and locking your brakes up.
The analog lever is 0-your max set boost infinitely variable by a flick of your thumb while you apply the brakes. If you have it setup correctly you physically cannot over boost your brakes by turning it too far on accident. This would all be avoided by putting the industry standard slider in just underneath the button.

 

[t4thfavor]

Not sure where you're getting anything regarding price, nobody mentioned it.

I'm simply telling you that you're wrong, it's not missing a crucial feature. You can easily turn a knob in an emergency just like you can grab a slider on a traditional unit. Even moreso, the knob can be mounted in the center console by the shifter where your hand would rest instead of on the left side of the driver's lower dash where you have to bend to reach it.

The button isn't digital, anymore than your slider is. The active brake monitoring isn't controlled in the knob, it's in the RedArc unit itself. You don't have any less control with the knob than you do with a slider, especially since nearly all sliders don't have any smoothing in them, which means you could over-apply trailer brakes causing a bigger issue, whereas the RedArc has a very minor application when you press the button (<.5s) to apply power to prevent jerking.

If you want to use your old tech, there's nothing wrong with that, but don't spread misinformation about the new models just because you have it in your head they're inferior.

To each their own I guess, but the p3 is widely regarded as the best brake controller on the market basically all passenger truck sizes.

 

[Dgc333]

It certainly is each to there own but the single biggest advantage to the Ford system is it is the only one that currently integrates with the Rangers emergency braking system and that is an extremely compelling reason to go that way.

IMHO, preference for levers verse knobs verse wireless control by a cell phone are secondary reasons.

 

[RangerBill]

To each their own I guess, but the p3 is widely regarded as the best brake controller on the market basically all passenger truck sizes.

But it doesn't automatically apply the trailer brakes in an emergency braking event (AEB). So it lacks in the safety department. The Ford unit does work with AEB.

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