8492 - 2019 Ranger - Trailer Brake Controller Availability

[gbritt89]

So is that without a sliding rear window? It looks to me (hope I'm wrong) that the sliding window blocks the headliner from coming down?

Love the picture!! Thanks, John

mine is an XL no sliding glass sorry cant speak for your specific truck but I imagine it can be done there is a good gap between mine and the window in general.

Can you just pop the headliner down (to look at the wires) without pulling the side panels?

I wouldn’t recommend it you might be at risk of distorting your headliner. Trying to identify the wire color and create your connections before doing the surgery I imagine?

Having spent quite a bit of time analyzing the 'system", I think there is more to this than just tapping into a wire under the dash. I also think this might violate warranty and if a trailer accident occurred, it could be problematic.

What I would like is to hear from a Lumen or RedArc engineer who was involved with the 'approved' TBC design. I simply cannot believe that they went to the trouble to produce a separate control module that traces back to the CHMSL without a good reason.

You’d want to reach out to lumen... not exactly what you’re looking for but I spoke with an employee at lumen for product support that I won’t name but he did say that the engineering team had a “difficult time isolating the brake signal with the AEB” and did not elaborate any further.

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[Edsel]

I wouldn’t recommend it you might be at risk of distorting your headliner. Trying to identify the wire color and create your connections before doing the surgery I imagine?

You’d want to reach out to lumen... not exactly what you’re looking for but I spoke with an employee at lumen for product support that I won’t name but he did say that the engineering team had a “difficult time isolating the brake signal with the AEB” and did not elaborate any further.

Yep and not a bad idea (reaching out to Lumen). This thing has taken on a life of it's own with me, but then again, the OCD-like curse of being an engineer.

 

[Jerry Caldwell]

Can you just pop the headliner down (to look at the wires) without pulling the side panels?

The headliner clips can be accessed by removing the third brake light and popping them loose. It is also easier to connect the plugs through the open rear glass sliding window;

 

[Jerry Caldwell]

Devil! I thought it was a lamp. Apparently the earlier RedArcs had either an LED or an alignment pin for the little hole in the bezel. The instructions even say to drill two holes. I could not for the life of me figure out what that small hole did as there is no LED or pin sticking up out of the button assembly.

White dot, good idea!

The small hole is not required on the Gen 3 Redarc unit that Ford uses. They changed the control and eliminated the LED that used that hole to light up the knob. There is an internal LED that now lights up the clear part of the know.

 

[Edsel]

The headliner clips can be accessed by removing the third brake light and popping them loose. It is also easier to connect the plugs through the open rear glass sliding window;

I’ve always considered architects to be half-engineer/half-artist, thanks!

 

[Edsel]

I had an email exchange with an Aussie at RedArc. Jerry Caldwell is correct, the unit in the Ford TBC kit does not have the LED—so you can ignore where the instructions say to drill two holes.

He did not know why the CHMSL is tapped for the braking signal and suggested I contact Lumen. That is in progress. My current guess is that Lumen specializes in “plug ‘n play” design and that was the only place they could find to plug in. Sort of hilarious, but I have seen far worse in engineering design and I am talking military and aerospace.

 

[Craig MacKay]

I think my original dealer has agreed to cover the install as I am the first in my city of a million people to do this!

Ford Canada had 38x of these on Friday and 18x today, and since then the "Add installation for $120" has disappeared.

I guess I'm going to be the guinea pig. The parts guy admitted that Ford has really screwed up on this one.

Stay tuned.

 

[Edsel]

The parts guy admitted that Ford has really screwed up on this one.

LOL. Yep.

 

[Craig MacKay]

UPDATE:
On the Phone with Ford Canada and a THIRD dealer with new information.

Ford Canada states that the TOW PACKAGE that I have installed on my XLT FX4 has built-in part # FL3Z-19H332-B which controls all the Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) like normal operation.

IF...if you did not have the TOW PACKAGE installed, then you would buy part # VKB3Z-2C006-A. Ford Canada said these two parts operate the same and that I don't need the RedArc one because I already have the appropriate trailer brake controller installed.

Apparently, all gain is done on the dash controls and gain is controlled by the buttons on the steering wheel.

I definitely have conflicting information here, but Ford Canada has some weight in this...

BUT....I just went down to the shop downstairs and hooked up a trailer...no trailer controls at all on the drivers console or controllable from the buttons.

 

[FX4Offroad]

UPDATE:
On the Phone with Ford Canada and a THIRD dealer with new information.

Ford Canada states that the TOW PACKAGE that I have installed on my XLT FX4 has built-in part # FL3Z-19H332-B which controls all the Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) like normal operation.

IF...if you did not have the TOW PACKAGE installed, then you would buy part # VKB3Z-2C006-A. Ford Canada said these two parts operate the same and that I don't need the RedArc one because I already have the appropriate trailer brake controller installed.

Apparently, all gain is done on the dash controls and gain is controlled by the buttons on the steering wheel.

I definitely have conflicting information here, but Ford Canada has some weight in this...

Thoughts? Do I get the $1000 install that I may not need?

I hope this relates to the year. I have a 2019 with the tow package. According to this new information, I bought the incorrect brake controller (part # VKB3Z-2C006-A)

Edit:. I may have misread the post. I should be ok.

 

[Craig MacKay]

I hope this relates to the year. I have a 2019 with the tow package. According to this new information, I bought the incorrect brake controller (part # VKB3Z-2C006-A)

Edit:. I may have misread the post. I should be ok.

I just updated my post...Ford Canada is ALL WRONG. That module that is already installed is the one that talks to the 4-wire/7-wire harness.. nothing to do with trailer brakes.

 

[Edsel]

UPDATE:
On the Phone with Ford Canada and a THIRD dealer with new information.

Ford Canada states that the TOW PACKAGE that I have installed on my XLT FX4 has built-in part # FL3Z-19H332-B which controls all the Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) like normal operation.

IF...if you did not have the TOW PACKAGE installed, then you would buy part # VKB3Z-2C006-A. Ford Canada said these two parts operate the same and that I don't need the RedArc one because I already have the appropriate trailer brake controller installed.

Apparently, all gain is done on the dash controls and gain is controlled by the buttons on the steering wheel.

I definitely have conflicting information here, but Ford Canada has some weight in this...

BUT....I just went down to the shop downstairs and hooked up a trailer...no trailer controls at all on the drivers console or controllable from the buttons.

SAY WHAT?!!!

I just checked my sticker and it says "Trailer Tow Package $495" so I have the 'TOW PACKAGE'.

I also have the 'Tow Haul' button. Are you saying that when you activate that with a trailer attached the parameters for trailer braking appear on the display and the steering wheel buttons control it? If so, why isn't any of this in the manual?

 

[VAMike]

SAY WHAT?!!!

I just checked my sticker and it says "Trailer Tow Package $495" so I have the 'TOW PACKAGE'.

I also have the 'Tow Haul' button. Are you saying that when you activate that with a trailer attached the parameters for trailer braking appear on the display and the steering wheel buttons control it? If so, why isn't any of this in the manual?

Because someone is making stuff up instead of admitting that they don't know and finding someone else who does know

 

[Snorebaby]

Because someone is making stuff up instead of admitting that they don't know and finding someone else who does know

THIS ^^

 

[FX4Offroad]

So, I ordered the brake controller and am waiting for it to show up.
I went to my local Ford dealer and talked to the guy that installs brake controllers. He freely admitted he has never installed one on a new ranger. He also said many, many customers are asking for them and has yet to see one. He said when I get mine if I could bring it by he would be able to give me a quote to install it but cannot give me one now because he has never done one.

Just waiting for it to show up.

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