DIY very cool, inexpensive tailgate light bar - your Ranger will be seen!

[P. A. Schilke]

Hi Folks,

I think have solved the problem!!!!!....When you plug in the SuperBrightLED strip to the 4 pin connector and get the BLIS and CVW are disabled....Go to the setup panel on the left of the display...Select Driver Aids and then select BLIS and you will see a setting for trailer...select Trailer A and press okay...answer the question of trailer width less then 8.2ft...the press okay...then the next setting is trailer length..set this to 3ft. Then complete the questions...now you have reenabled BLIS and CVW and your Tailgate LED strip should now work!!! This info is contained on pages 192 and 193 of my manual YEA!!!

Best.
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

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[DIYAndy]

I think have solved the problem!!!!

Great job Phil

So, the Ranger wants to know what is plugged into the trailer connector and by answering a few display console questions fixes the LED Tailgate light bar problem(s) on the Lariat

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Great job Phil

So, the Ranger wants to know what is plugged into the trailer connector and by answering a few display console questions fixes the LED Tailgate light bar problem(s) on the Lariat

Yep! That was the key. I set the length to 6ft and got back the BLIS, but CVW as still disabled, so the key is a length of 3ft. The heads up for others is to also do this for a bike rack as the bike rack may interfere with the rear radar and the 3ft setting allows CVW to be reenabled.

Always liked a good challenge and this one fit right in with that and makes it much more satisfying when the problem is solved! I spent my career at Ford looking for what I called the elegant solution...no cluging, bandaiding etc.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[T Bone]

Phil, i have a 2020 xlt just installed the under the gate light and voila, setting the trailer length to 3 feet solved the problems! thank you a million times edit, i see now everything works but my parking assist.....darn, thank you phil for the fix, now let me see if i can get parking assist to turn on with my truck thinking i have a trailer
tony

 

[silverpugj]

DIY very cool, inexpensive tailgate light bar - your Ranger will be seen!

Stopped in a local truck accessory business, the other day, and they had a cool tailgate light bar for "only" $199. (Tax and installation extra) I researched the Internet and found a "quality" tailgate light bar for "only" $19.95! (This is not a vendor endorsement! - there are other products on the Internet)

https://www.superbrightleds.com/
https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...bar-60-inch-and-48-inch-4-pin-connector/4197/
LED Tailgate Light Bar with 4-Pin Connector - 48" Red/White Part Number: TGL48-RW
(Do not use the 60" one on the 2019 Ford Ranger - won't fit)
3M Adhesion Promoter Part Number: 06396

The tailgate light bar wiring harness has a inline protection fuse and a four pin trailer connector for the already installed 4 pin trailer connection on the 2019 Ford Ranger. If you are already using this fixed connector for your trailer you might need to purchase a 4 pin Y cable harness or just disconnect it when using a trailer.

The tailgate light bar lights when:
Running lights - full tailgate red bar (steady)
Left turn signal - 1/2 red bar flashing
Right turn signal - 1/2 red bar flashing
Reverse/backup - full tailgate light bar - alternate red & white (steady)

Installation tips:
You need to splice into the reverse/backup lights wiring for reverse or backup tailgate lights to function. (optional)
After you do a full tailgate light test simulation "before" to see if all the LED light bar functions and after centering/marking the light bar on the bumper vinyl just remove the tailgate for easy tailgate light bar installation.
(First - always double/triple check your clearances with the tailgate up and down!)
Definitely use the special 3M "foam tape" adhesive promoter to help "weld" the tailgate light bar foam tape to the bumper without fasteners. (You only have one try to make it right - good luck)
For a professional look - tidy your wiring with flexible plastic hoses and tie wraps.

The picture, is bad, due to the fact it was taken in broad daylight and the shiny reflection of a highly polished Ford Ranger. At night time, the light bar is awesome.

 

[silverpugj]

Tailgate Light Bar placement is critical on the 2019 Ford Ranger XL. You need to double check your "centered" placement carefully with the tailgate up and down!
If you place the tailgate light bar too high - it won't be seen because the tailgate lip is hiding the light bar.
If you place the tailgate light bar too low - it will be pinched by the "down" tailgate lip.
There is a "bend groove" in the Ranger's vinyl bumper which is "almost" even across the bumper - just use this groove as a reference to align the top edge of the tailgate light bar with this groove for the foam tape light bar placement. Be sure to clean the rubber/vinyl bumper placement section with 91% Isopropyl alcohol and afterwards (when dry) apply the 3M adhesive promoter in the placement section. Then immediately c a r e f u l l y apply the tailgate light bar - be sure to remove the red foam tape protector along the placement route. Removing the tailgate, after carefully marking/centering the light bar on the Ranger helps in a very easy installation. You only have one shot at it.

Anyone notice that after you plug the harness into the trailer plug, you don't have the colored bars for backup parking I. The camera anymore? Is there a way to splice them in so I can still have the location bars back in the camera?
Also noticed that as long as it's plugged into the trailer hitch the stop & go doesn't operate which is a good thing I think....?

 

[DIYAndy]

Anyone notice that after you plug the harness into the trailer plug, you don't have the colored bars for backup parking

Works fine with my XL and I still have my color bars on my backup cam.
I cannot see where the backup cam has anything to do with the trailer plug.
BTW - What lightbar are you using?

 

[silverpugj]

I bought it off Amazon for $20. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N30TE9C?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
According to other Ranger owners as soon as it's plugged into the trailer jack it thinks there is a trailer attached & the bars disappear & Start & Go is shut off. To me this is a good thing I think I can live with for now.

 

[grizzly]

Meh

 

[DIYAndy]

Meh

Meh is designed to be rude and dismissive - a sure-fire conversation-stopper. Users of the word are unequivocal in their total indifference to what is being discussed.

 

[RAYJAY]

Works fine with my XL and I still have my color bars on my backup cam.
I cannot see where the backup cam has anything to do with the trailer plug.
BTW - What lightbar are you using?

Andy do you have BLIS on your xl ???

 

[DIYAndy]

Andy do you have BLIS on your xl ???

No - My "plain Jane" XL has nothing on it.
BLIS was extra $$$
BLIS® (Blind Spot Information System) can alert you to a vehicle detected alongside and difficult to see in a blind spot. 10 The system uses radar sensors on both sides near the rear of the vehicle.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Works fine with my XL and I still have my color bars on my backup cam.
I cannot see where the backup cam has anything to do with the trailer plug.
BTW - What lightbar are you using?

Hi Andy,

I have this on my 2019 Lariat with BLIS. It forced my to set my trailer to 3 ft. Works well , but it also does not allow my rear bumper sensors to work with cross vehicle incursions which is a bummer.
A bit of a problem in the Costco parking lot.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[RAYJAY]

No - My "plain Jane" XL has nothing on it.
BLIS was extra $$$
BLIS® (Blind Spot Information System) can alert you to a vehicle detected alongside and difficult to see in a blind spot. 10 The system uses radar sensors on both sides near the rear of the vehicle.

andy that why you have no problem with using the trailer plug, you have no radar in the rear tail lights

 

[grizzly]

Wasn't being rude. Just looks gaudy and cheap to me. I have seen these lights on many trucks. Most of the time some aren't working correctly.

I was expressing a lack of interest or enthusiasm.

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