Proximity warning when trailer hooked up - need help

[ExcursionDiesel]

The trailer presence on the 7 pin should be detected by a load being placed on one of the circuits. If we can determine which pins, it would be simple to make a dummy plug to fool the truck. That would be great for me since my cargo trailer is 4 pin. I could connect the dummy plug while inserting the hitch in the receiver and then it wouldn't nag me while backing up to the trailer.

 

[troutspinner]

The trailer presence on the 7 pin should be detected by a load being placed on one of the circuits. If we can determine which pins, it would be simple to make a dummy plug to fool the truck. That would be great for me since my cargo trailer is 4 pin. I could connect the dummy plug while inserting the hitch in the receiver and then it wouldn't nag me while backing up to the trailer.

What am I missing? Am I in the twilight zone? Putting a plug into the connector to fool the system would be easier than just clicking the off switch?

 

[Rich]

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What am I missing? Am I in the twilight zone? Putting a plug into the connector to fool the system would be easier than just clicking the off switch?

It may also get the trailer trip computer to work, which doesn't for me.

I'd rather they fix the 4 pin connector to detect a trailer also! Computers are supposed to make life easier for us humans, we're not supposed to try and do special things for them to do their job!

 

[troutspinner]

It may also get the trailer trip computer to work, which doesn't for me.

I'd rather they fix the 4 pin connector to detect a trailer also! Computers are supposed to make life easier for us humans, we're not supposed to try and do special things for them to do their job!

That seems to be a lot of the issues with consumers and cars today, consumers are a little naive to vapor ware yet. Sells stuff though.

 

[ExcursionDiesel]

That seems to be a lot of the issues with consumers and cars today, consumers are a little naive to vapor ware yet. Sells stuff though.

Or maybe we want features to work when we buy a product.

 

[Dog Hauler]

It may also get the trailer trip computer to work, which doesn't for me.

I'd rather they fix the 4 pin connector to detect a trailer also! Computers are supposed to make life easier for us humans, we're not supposed to try and do special things for them to do their job!

If you think you have a beef that your 4-pin connector won't turn off rear prox sensor, how about me? My 7 pin connector won't turn it off.

 

[troutspinner]

Or maybe we want features to work when we buy a product.

Right, if only the truck had the feature.

 

[ExcursionDiesel]

Right, if only the truck had the feature.

The feature is: Trailer Towing mode. The bug is Rear Park assist doesn't disable and it's annoying. If the 7 pin connector is supposed to disable it, that would be nice. The 4 pin doesn't. We have differing reports on this. Perhaps you'd like to clear it up. They make 7 pin to 4 pin adapters. I'd just as soon it work if available.

 

[troutspinner]

The feature is: Trailer Towing mode. The bug is Rear Park assist doesn't disable and it's annoying. If the 7 pin connector is supposed to disable it, that would be nice. The 4 pin doesn't. We have differing reports on this. Perhaps you'd like to clear it up. They make 7 pin to 4 pin adapters. I'd just as soon it work if available.

Read the manual. It is not a feature that plugging a trailer in disables the assist.

 

[Dog Hauler]

Read the manual. It is not a feature that plugging a trailer in disables the assist.

Hey, trout, 'ol buddy. Chill a bit. So far, your obvious impatience with folks isn't directed at me. But sooner or later, it could and likely will be. Before posting, I look in the manual and sometimes don't find some info even though it's there. It may well be that others have the same problem. The index isn't very good in my opinion and I don't yet have the e-manual with, presumably, a search feature that will make things easier and yield better results.

Beyond that, sure, folks should read the manual. But they really can't be expected to study it as though it will be on the big final exam in the morning. If you don't want to waste your time answering people who ask questions here because the information is in the manual, then don't. Better yet, don't even waste the time it takes to be snarky to them.

All that said, I can't find in the manual mention one way or the other whether plugging in the trailer is supposed to disable the rear proximity sensor. Some say it is. Troutspinner says it's not. If it's in the manual, it would be appreciated if someone would post the page it's on.

Has anyone out there plugged in either a 4-pin or 7-pin connector and had the rear proximity sensor automatically disable? Or, conversely, who's plugged in their trailer and the prox sensor failed to deactivate? I guess it's a kind of poll. I'll start: 7-pin connector. Proximity sensor doesn't automatically disable.

 

[ExcursionDiesel]

Read the manual. It is not a feature that plugging a trailer in disables the assist.

Just did. Your right. Press the button to disable rear park sense. Furthermore, the trailer is only detected by the blind spot and rear sensors after the truck is moving. The length is determined after a turn is executed.

Oh well.

 

[slimchance]

Just did. Your right. Press the button to disable rear park sense. Furthermore, the trailer is only detected by the blind spot and rear sensors after the truck is moving. The length is determined after a turn is executed.

Oh well.

yep .. mine works just like what you said

 

[troutspinner]

Hey, trout, 'ol buddy. Chill a bit. So far, your obvious impatience with folks isn't directed at me. But sooner or later, it could and likely will be. Before posting, I look in the manual and sometimes don't find some info even though it's there. It may well be that others have the same problem. The index isn't very good in my opinion and I don't yet have the e-manual with, presumably, a search feature that will make things easier and yield better results.

Beyond that, sure, folks should read the manual. But they really can't be expected to study it as though it will be on the big final exam in the morning. If you don't want to waste your time answering people who ask questions here because the information is in the manual, then don't. Better yet, don't even waste the time it takes to be snarky to them.

All that said, I can't find in the manual mention one way or the other whether plugging in the trailer is supposed to disable the rear proximity sensor. Some say it is. Troutspinner says it's not. If it's in the manual, it would be appreciated if someone would post the page it's on.

Has anyone out there plugged in either a 4-pin or 7-pin connector and had the rear proximity sensor automatically disable? Or, conversely, who's plugged in their trailer and the prox sensor failed to deactivate? I guess it's a kind of poll. I'll start: 7-pin connector. Proximity sensor doesn't automatically disable.

Polling, you cannot prove a negative. There is nowhere in the manual that says plugging in a trailer will disable the assist. It simply is not a feature of the Ram.

Sorry if you feel my comments are snarky, they are direct and answered the question. If there is one thing I’ve learned with people’s interaction on forums and social media, is that the written word is lost without face to face expression. The same as when you said “sooner or later ....” could be perceived very negatively.

 

[blankenbuhler]

... There is nowhere in the manual that says plugging in a trailer will disable the assist. It simply is not a feature of the Ram.

It is a feature of 4th gen Rams. So if it was removed from 5th gen intentionally or unintentionally, that is disappointing.

 

[troutspinner]

It is a feature of 4th gen Rams. So if it was removed from 5th gen intentionally or unintentionally, that is disappointing.

View attachment 13344

Nice. I wonder if they ran into tech issues or if they just simply forgot.

 

[RichT]

you still have to back up to connect the trailer before any 'auto off with cable attached' is going to work anyway, so get use to hitting the button, or buy a 30 foot trailer cable and pre-attach it so you can avoid pressing a button

 

[TVANVA]

If I remember correctly, the sensing is done on the electric brake activation line, which is only on the seven pin connector. I'm making a guess that it is looking for a resistance between there and ground. My RedArc controller only activates when I'm connected to the trailer via the seven pin connector, and that's what I remember about how it knows to activate. You would have to research what the resistance is for a typical set of electric brakes at rest, to determine the resistor to add to you dummy plug.

 

[Derwoodjones]

I am guilty of not reading the manual or having the salesman tell me all the features of the truck. The first time I put in my weight distribution hitch and tried to back up to the trailer the auto brake kicked in several times and I looked like an idiot to the trailer sales team. And I was several feet away. I told them I had no idea what the truck was doing and I was not hitting the brake that hard or at all. I reached down and clicked off the sensors then poof, it would not brake anymore. so I dug and found the setting and turned it off. Now when I back up to the trailer the sensor is beeping but when I plug in the trailer cord it automatically turns off the sensor, I dont have the blindspot feature. But the 4 pin on the smaller trailer beeps so the 7 pin will disable and turn on my trailer trip computer but not the 4 pin.

 

[Rich]

I am guilty of not reading the manual or having the salesman tell me all the features of the truck. The first time I put in my weight distribution hitch and tried to back up to the trailer the auto brake kicked in several times and I looked like an idiot to the trailer sales team. And I was several feet away. I told them I had no idea what the truck was doing and I was not hitting the brake that hard or at all. I reached down and clicked off the sensors then poof, it would not brake anymore. so I dug and found the setting and turned it off. Now when I back up to the trailer the sensor is beeping but when I plug in the trailer cord it automatically turns off the sensor, I dont have the blindspot feature. But the 4 pin on the smaller trailer beeps so the 7 pin will disable and turn on my trailer trip computer but not the 4 pin.

Yes, the 4 pin trailer will not activate the trailering features. I don't know why, as I have a different brand vehicle and it perfectly detects the 4 pin trailer. It will even tell me if any of the trailer lights are not working. Ram seems to ignore the 4 pin trailer, but why?

 

[slimchance]

I put in my weight distribution hitch and tried to back up to the trailer the auto brake kicked in

this is also how mine works, so when the WD hitch is in place (like now) i will get the alarm but no brake ... BUT the 7 pin connector does NOT turn off the auto brake sensor, i have to use the switch