Extra wires under the dash kickpanel?

[reidmefirst]

I installed ford's trailer brake controller over the weekend. Underneath the dash kickpanel there was the expected blue and yellow wires that go to the trailer brake controller itself.

But there were two extra little wires in the yellow+blue wire bundle, taped up out of the way with heat shrink caps on them just like the trailer wires. Wish I had written down the colors, but I wonder if anybody knows what they're for? I have a 2021 Lariat with 501A so I don't *think* there are any accessories that I don't have, but maybe it's for something that is normally offered on overseas models? Or some kind of control wires for a plow or something?

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[Grumpaw]

Those 4 wires are what you would use if you were installing a standard brake controller. like a Tenkonsha or Reese. All under dash type controllers use a 4 wire hook up.
I installed a Tenkonsha for my brake set up, and used those 4 wires.
When hooking up a standard controller you loose the emergency braking that the Ford unit gives you, but other than that the controllers work the same.
Wires are standard on our Rangers, although I think some early base models came without them.
Any Ranger with a factory tow package came with them.

 

[RangerBill]

Here are the wire colors for what Grumpaw mentioned:

The White wire is for the ground and the Violet/White wire is for the brake pedal switch (BOO) for aftermarket brake controllers. The official Ford controller uses a separate ground connection via a screw on the dash and the CHMSL brake light connection instead.

 

[subquark]

I installed ford's trailer brake controller over the weekend. Underneath the dash kickpanel there was the expected blue and yellow wires that go to the trailer brake controller itself.

But there were two extra little wires in the yellow+blue wire bundle, taped up out of the way with heat shrink caps on them just like the trailer wires. Wish I had written down the colors, but I wonder if anybody knows what they're for? I have a 2021 Lariat with 501A so I don't *think* there are any accessories that I don't have, but maybe it's for something that is normally offered on overseas models? Or some kind of control wires for a plow or something?

Like Grumpaw said, those are for non-Ford TBC.

I installed the REDARC Liberty and it used all 4 wires.

from my install post: https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/what-did-you-do-to-your-ranger-today.3511/post-684731

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