Terrain management upgrade?

[A Tale Of Two Rangers]

I'm looking at adding the Terrain Management switch to my 21 xlt. My usb elm327 tool is pretty old, but it works, well it worked on my 2019 f150 to look at stuff when I used it on that, I haven't tried on the ranger yet. It doesn't have the switch for MS-can/HS-can, just wondering if I'll be able to get into IPC settings to enable Terrain Management?

Some of the USB ELM327 cables do not have a switch. This fact is mentioned in several of the YT videos I've watched. Worst case is it won't work, best case is it does. If it doesn't work you'll be out about US$20 to buy one that does. I bought mine online from a link provided by FORScan (has the HS-CAN/MS-CAN) switch.

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[t4thfavor]

Has anyone put these modes to the test? I'm thinking of adding it but sorta unconvinced that it's not a gimmick. If all it does is fiddle with ABS and Traction control, how much difference could it actually make? I have 4x4 but no locker.

I ran them all at silver lake sand dunes, I was able to climb the big ass dunes with sand mode on stock tires with 45k on them. I have an xlt fx4 with fox 2.0” level only. I am 100% convinced it’s not a gimmick as I was going places in the sand where big ass built jeeps weren’t able to follow. I also use grass/gravel/snow mode a lot in Michigan, and it really helps keep you from spinning tires. I really wish that you could decouple the drive modes from the 4x4 though as I would love to run the grass/gravel/snow throttle map all the time.

 

[MountainGoat]

I ran them all at silver lake sand dunes, I was able to climb the big ass dunes with sand mode on stock tires with 45k on them. I have an xlt fx4 with fox 2.0” level only. I am 100% convinced it’s not a gimmick as I was going places in the sand where big ass built jeeps weren’t able to follow. I also use grass/gravel/snow mode a lot in Michigan, and it really helps keep you from spinning tires. I really wish that you could decouple the drive modes from the 4x4 though as I would love to run the grass/gravel/snow throttle map all the time.

Yeah but did you try to climb the sand dunes with the sand mode off too? Maybe the traction control works well on it's own?

I will probably end up getting the switch anyways as I've gone down the FORscan rabbit hole and it's too cheap to resist.

 

[t4thfavor]

Yeah but did you try to climb the sand dunes with the sand mode off too? Maybe the traction control works well on it's own?

I will probably end up getting the switch anyways as I've gone down the FORscan rabbit hole and it's too cheap to resist.

I ran it every way I could, the sand mode was noticeably better that any combination of locker on/off and every other mode.

 

[Frenchy]

Yeah but did you try to climb the sand dunes with the sand mode off too? Maybe the traction control works well on it's own?

I will probably end up getting the switch anyways as I've gone down the FORscan rabbit hole and it's too cheap to resist.

In general the factory traction control is good but the terrain modes actually help with different terrains. Even though it is not a replacement for a locker it does help with OffRoad all together.

 

[jblc]

Now if only people could figure out how to enable Trail Control ...

So many of us (me included) have the button installed, but it's looking like it's perhaps not going to be possible. Maybe vehicles with TC have additional modules, etc.

 

[Frenchy]

Now if only people could figure out how to enable Trail Control ...

So many of us (me included) have the button installed, but it's looking like it's perhaps not going to be possible. Maybe vehicles with TC have additional modules, etc.

Honestly from what I have heard it isnt worth getting. Yes it might be nice but in certain conditions I heard it is jerky. A jerky feel is something I dont want both on and OffRoad.

 

[jblc]

Honestly from what I have heard it isnt worth getting. Yes it might be nice but in certain conditions I heard it is jerky. A jerky feel is something I dont want both on and OffRoad.

I haven't felt what it's like, so wouldn't know But for those instances where it does work well and/or offloads thinking, it could be nice to have (even if jerky)

 

[t4thfavor]

Now if only people could figure out how to enable Trail Control ...

So many of us (me included) have the button installed, but it's looking like it's perhaps not going to be possible. Maybe vehicles with TC have additional modules, etc.

I’ve read and talked to a lot of people and it’s looking like that feature might be hard programmed in the tcm via hardware we don’t have in ours. I was working on it heavily until I started hearing there are different part numbers for trucks with and without it. Thus far nobody wants to spend the 1200$ (Or whatever) for a tcm off of an fx4 and have it programmed for their vin.

if that worked, I’d be buying one from a Ranger raptor.

 

[gwhalin]

Honestly from what I have heard it isnt worth getting. Yes it might be nice but in certain conditions I heard it is jerky. A jerky feel is something I dont want both on and OffRoad.

I have used it only on steep downhills and found it to be pretty smooth. No idea how it behaves in other situations?

 

[t4thfavor]

I have used it only on steep downhills and found it to be pretty smooth. No idea how it behaves in other situations?

It can be jerky, but isn’t always, and the braking feature isn’t what I would expect. When you brake it slows you down to your desired speed and leaves you there, I feel like it should slow you down and when you let off the brake it should resume your prior set speed. It’s only jerky when you lift a tire from my experience.

 

[bentroia]

The feature provides some convenience. Your eyes brain hands and feet can do better than TC.

Ive spent plenty of time on rocky steep challenging terrain in toyota trucks and jeep cherokees. Our Rangers are quickly pushed to and beyond their limits on black diamond level trails. TC doesn't help in my opinion.

TC was smooth and made it so i could be lazy when picking my way down or up a fairly tight rocking mining road. It just makes it so you only have to steer. The bumps and drops and impacts still require sound judgements and inputs to negotiate. Relying too heavily on this automation could allow rough terrain to destroy your truck. Aim the truck at a super technical trail littered with piles of rocks and stumps and trees, set TC to 2 mph. Then watch what happens...

I would not pursue installing it. You can do better with your God given mind and body at negotiating tough terrain.

 

[Dangerdan85]

Some of the USB ELM327 cables do not have a switch. This fact is mentioned in several of the YT videos I've watched. Worst case is it won't work, best case is it does. If it doesn't work you'll be out about US$20 to buy one that does. I bought mine online from a link provided by FORScan (has the HS-CAN/MS-CAN) switch.

I just ordered a Vgate vLinker "desinged for Forscan" off Amazon, I guess my elm327 doesn't support ms-can. The reviews on the ones with switched seemed hit or miss on quality control. The Vgate one cost me $84 CDN, should have it next week.

 

[James Caper]

I have it and used it on my f150 no issue

 

[FunInTheSun]

I just ordered a Vgate vLinker "desinged for Forscan" off Amazon, I guess my elm327 doesn't support ms-can. The reviews on the ones with switched seemed hit or miss on quality control. The Vgate one cost me $84 CDN, should have it next week.

The FORSCAN site has a list of cables they have tested and know to be working. Your vLinker adapter is on the list. There are two versions, the USB (vLinker FS) and the BlueTooth (vLinker FD). The Bluetooth model only works with FORSCAN Lite, which is the Phone App (iOS or Android), which is great for reading live data and reading and resetting Trouble codes, but there are some things you can't do over Bluetooth, like changing configuration settings / programming, etc.. You can also use the Bluetooth model with other OBD2 Apps to do other interesting things with the live data feeds.

Writing to configuration registers and other programming functions can only be done over USB connection using FORSCAN for WIndows and a laptop. So if you got the USB cable, you are golden for programming and configuration stuff.

https://forscan.org/home.html

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