4th Brake Light/Turn signals/Backup/Running wiring

Neil S

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I have a Putco tailgate light strip to go under the tailgate and above the bumper. One would think that it would be simple just to plug in to the 4 pin flat trailer connector but, no. With the BLIS system, it sets off all sorts of warnings from trailer connected/disconnected, side warning disabled, RH/LH turn signal errors. We have even run a separate 12v power to the light as noted by the TSR’s.

Their pat response is to tap in before the BLIS module but it’s not very apparent where that is on the harness. Any ideas and thoughts greatly appreciated.
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Floyd

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I have a Putco tailgate light strip to go under the tailgate and above the bumper. One would think that it would be simple just to plug in to the 4 pin flat trailer connector but, no. With the BLIS system, it sets off all sorts of warnings from trailer connected/disconnected, side warning disabled, RH/LH turn signal errors. We have even run a separate 12v power to the light as noted by the TSR’s.

Their pat response is to tap in before the BLIS module but it’s not very apparent where that is on the harness. Any ideas and thoughts greatly appreciated.
One unfortunate option to keep in mind is to return the device and spend the money on something else just as cool.
 
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Neil S

Neil S

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One unfortunate option to keep in mind is to return the device and spend the money on something else just as cool.
Installer talked with Recon today and they think an in-line module will be necessary to adapt this type of lighting addition to the towing/BLIS/lighting systems on our Ranger.
 

Stevie Gee

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I have a Putco tailgate light strip to go under the tailgate and above the bumper. One would think that it would be simple just to plug in to the 4 pin flat trailer connector but, no. With the BLIS system, it sets off all sorts of warnings from trailer connected/disconnected, side warning disabled, RH/LH turn signal errors. We have even run a separate 12v power to the light as noted by the TSR’s.

Their pat response is to tap in before the BLIS module but it’s not very apparent where that is on the harness. Any ideas and thoughts greatly appreciated.
That bites...I had that on my list to get.
 
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Neil S

Neil S

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I’ve been trying to get a PUTCO LED tailgate light working on my Lariat since a March. I’ve talked to PUTCO engineering many times and their pat answer was: “We are working on it.” No timing available. After 3+ months my local installer decided to use his experience to find a solution. David (DZ Customs) looked around and found this isolation module from Tekonsha model 119178.


Well, everything works great with the isolation module. PUTCO makes a nice LED tailgate light bar but, in my opinion, they need to improve the time it takes to support new models.


This will probably be the same issue for any other brand of tailgate lighting that you try and wire into the 7/4 pin harness due to the BLIS and the side traffic collision avoidance system, unless they have updated their interface module for the Ranger. The main difference with the Ranger versus the F-150 is the Ranger has a separate turn signal light.


https://www.tekonsha.com/mobile/pro.../!FQHI|fPlggV5dvshDkncqbQ9RUm7K5fBe0B98sm!m4=

07342E67-05F4-401F-A14D-92F43202D923.png


2353677C-6177-4BEA-B9CF-54531671CD22.jpeg
 


JDubz

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I’ve been trying to get a PUTCO LED tailgate light working on my Lariat since a March. I’ve talked to PUTCO engineering many times and their pat answer was: “We are working on it.” No timing available. After 3+ months my local installer decided to use his experience to find a solution. David (DZ Customs) looked around and found this isolation module from Tekonsha model 119178.


Well, everything works great with the isolation module. PUTCO makes a nice LED tailgate light bar but, in my opinion, they need to improve the time it takes to support new models.


This will probably be the same issue for any other brand of tailgate lighting that you try and wire into the 7/4 pin harness due to the BLIS and the side traffic collision avoidance system, unless they have updated their interface module for the Ranger. The main difference with the Ranger versus the F-150 is the Ranger has a separate turn signal light.


https://www.tekonsha.com/mobile/products/electrical-wiring/taillight-converters/taillight-converter/!FQHI|fPlggV5dvshDkncqbQ9RUm7K5fBe0B98sm!m4=

07342E67-05F4-401F-A14D-92F43202D923.png


2353677C-6177-4BEA-B9CF-54531671CD22.jpeg
Neil,
Was your parking assist deactivated after installing the LED bar? And if so, does the module allow it to function properly?

If I'm understanding the schematic, the module gets spliced in parallel with the stock 4-flat connector, correct?

Thanks in advance,
Jason
 
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Neil S

Neil S

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Neil,
Was your parking assist deactivated after installing the LED bar? And if so, does the module allow it to function properly?

If I'm understanding the schematic, the module gets spliced in parallel with the stock 4-flat connector, correct?

Thanks in advance,
Jason
with the Tekonsha module, all systems systems function correctly! I had my custom shop install the module and LED tailgate LED bar.
 

JDubz

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with the Tekonsha module, all systems systems function correctly! I had my custom shop install the module and LED tailgate LED bar.
Any chance you can send a Pic of how your shop spliced into the stock harness? The module has 5 wires and the flat harness only has 4.
 

Deleted member 5428

Anything new on this, I just received my Putco blade light bar.....
 
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Neil S

Neil S

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Any chance you can send a Pic of how your shop spliced into the stock harness? The module has 5 wires and the flat harness only has 4.
No pictures of how the module was spliced in. I do think the box requires a 12v hot wire but I’m just guessing. The other 4 wires could come off the wires from the 4 pin flat plug.
 

PMartinez3rd

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Ok, so seems everything in this post was pretty much useless. So after I got the wiring harness in the previous messages, I attempted every possible way to use the 4-pin trailer connector. Due to the Ford systems, there is no way that I found to use this and not set off all the alerts on the dashboard. So with that being said, I used the wiring harness and tapped directly into the trucks wiring. The brake light, I tapped into the left tail light. I took some pictures of how I did it and what I used.

27B5E3EF-7B91-4CEA-A8E3-9EDF0DA811BF.jpeg


2CEB1071-5224-41E5-A8A4-D0BA2B47233E.jpeg


9930C992-4CCE-4986-8034-03EDDABE678B.jpeg


16DC4138-D9DE-49D0-A86C-5F740A10348D.jpeg


F562975D-B943-4928-A652-B987969F2619.jpeg
 

PMartinez3rd

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For the running board lights, I decided to tap into the cargo light on the 3rd brake light. Here is how I did that one.

537188ED-C830-461A-8E23-AF598AC7A7FD.jpeg


7D98C666-5489-4C2C-8E90-28D2626D9524.jpeg


A63F59A5-DA20-493E-BFC9-B25A2DD836DA.jpeg


96548EDF-1718-4330-A5AC-779E3EB5C792.jpeg


E1DAF7F5-32F0-40E1-8310-62B5FD0F4B8F.jpeg
 

P. A. Schilke

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For the running board lights, I decided to tap into the cargo light on the 3rd brake light. Here is how I did that one.



96548EDF-1718-4330-A5AC-779E3EB5C792.jpeg


E1DAF7F5-32F0-40E1-8310-62B5FD0F4B8F.jpeg
HI Pablo,

These last two pictures show guaranteed wire shorting due to abrasion...You need to protect the red wire or the black wire when running through metal like you show... You have a headache in the making. Use a bit of hard plastic wire wrap convoluted abrasion tubing. You can also use rubber vacuum tubing segments secured in place with adhesive. Also, split wire grommets will work...just do not have a sheathed wire rubbing on metal.

Good luck!

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

WhiteRaptor

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Ok, so seems everything in this post was pretty much useless. So after I got the wiring harness in the previous messages, I attempted every possible way to use the 4-pin trailer connector. Due to the Ford systems, there is no way that I found to use this and not set off all the alerts on the dashboard. So with that being said, I used the wiring harness and tapped directly into the trucks wiring. The brake light, I tapped into the left tail light. I took some pictures of how I did it and what I used.

27B5E3EF-7B91-4CEA-A8E3-9EDF0DA811BF.jpeg


2CEB1071-5224-41E5-A8A4-D0BA2B47233E.jpeg


9930C992-4CCE-4986-8034-03EDDABE678B.jpeg


16DC4138-D9DE-49D0-A86C-5F740A10348D.jpeg


F562975D-B943-4928-A652-B987969F2619.jpeg
Can I ask where you hooked your putco red 12v wire to?
 

Msfitoy

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I have a Putco tailgate light strip to go under the tailgate and above the bumper. One would think that it would be simple just to plug in to the 4 pin flat trailer connector but, no. With the BLIS system, it sets off all sorts of warnings from trailer connected/disconnected, side warning disabled, RH/LH turn signal errors. We have even run a separate 12v power to the light as noted by the TSR’s.

Their pat response is to tap in before the BLIS module but it’s not very apparent where that is on the harness. Any ideas and thoughts greatly appreciated.
I had a similar problem with an LED kit for my motocycle hitch carrier...it is suppose to plug into the trailer harness but causes the same error issues due LED's low draw...an incandecense version would not cause this issue...your only option is to hard wire it to the tail lamp harnesses...I did this with my "chase light"...

BTW, what the heck does the line below in BLUE above your sig say? Is it me or can anyone else read that line?
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