Towing Trip computer doesn't work with 4 pin trailer!

[Rich]

The towing trip computer does not know a 4 pin trailer is connected!

I had my first chance to try towing when I went to pick up my sled and I connected a light snowmobile trailer (4 pin connector), so I thought I'd try to see how the towing trip computer worked as I never had that option before now.

But the towing trip distance computer didn't show any elapsed time, nor distance.

I would expect the trailer to be detected and also the rear park sense to be disabled.

How does the truck know it's towing something if not by the electrical connection? I tried the tow mode off and on and it didn't make any difference. The manual doesn't say much about how to enable tow mode for the trip computer.

Our Ford Escape knows when a 4 pin trailer is connected. It will disable the rear park alert, and will even warn you if a trailer lamp fails, or the connector unseats during a trip (connector falls out while in drive or reverse).

I tried searching here also with no luck.

Thanks for any help!

Edited: It seems only a 7 pin trailer with brakes will work. The manual makes no reference to how this should work.

Trailer selection screen in setup should allow for a trailer with no brakes and have these features function properly.

 

[EK2Bird]

May only work with the larger 7 pin connector. I had it display the info on my truck when hauling my car trailer.

 

[Rich]

I wonder how I can test it?

I don't have a 7 pin trailer at the moment, and my sled trailer is a newer 4 pin type with LED lights.

 

[devildodge]

https://5thgenrams.com/community/threads/trailer-odometer-functions.2823/

We never did finishthe conversation though.

 

[Rich]

Thanks for the link! I took a look at it, but there are no hints that help me.

I guess I'll have to ask the dealer to 'fix' this.

 

[louz]

May only work with the larger 7 pin connector. I had it display the info on my truck when hauling my car trailer.

Correct. Mine works on my car hauler.

 

[devildodge]

Thanks for the link! I took a look at it, but there are no hints that help me.

I guess I'll have to ask the dealer to 'fix' this.

I understand it that you do have to have 7 pin with trailer brakes to track it. But I thought @Ramit392 explained how to do it with electric light...but now i am not so sure he did.

Hopefully we can clear this up as it never really got settled the last time.

 

[NYRAM]

On my 4th gen it only seemed to work when I towed a trailer with electric breaks. My snowmobile trailer has a 7 pin without electric breaks and it doesn’t track it.

 

[devildodge]

Did you download the full owners manual or request one in the mail.

I do not have one, but i see there is a section on it...maybe someone who did can offer advice

 

[Rich]

Did you download the full owners manual or request one in the mail.

I do not have one, but i see there is a section on it...maybe someone who did can offer advice

Both! I have the downloaded manual and I also just received the full printed manual. Neither says much, just that it will track your trailer trip.

There is one VAGUE reference under the Trailer brake gain setting that says:
"When a trailer with electric/EOH brakes are plugged in, the trailer connected message should appear in the instrument cluster display...."

Perhaps one could believe this to mean that the 1500 can't/won't recognize a trailer that does not have a 7 pin trailer connector with trailer brakes?!?

If this is true, it's a bit sad, even our (Ford) Escape will recognize when a 4 pin trailer is connected to it. It will even tell you if it thinks one of the trailer lights are not working correctly, or if the trailer connector comes loose or falls off while towing a trailer.

 

[devildodge]

Thanks for the info. I don't have a 5th Gen to check it out, I thought it was explained in the thread I linked but it wasn't, sorry.

Another one of those things that make you go...hhhhmmmm

 

[Rich]

No worries, and I appreciate any tips or info on this.

 

[NYRAM]

Wonder if their is a way to fake the truck. Like if you were using a 4 pin to 7 pin adaptor and put a resistor on the brake wire terminal #2.

 

[slimchance]

ok .. today i towed my light utility trailer w/4 pin connector and led lights ... on the upper left side of display it showed a trailer symbol with 20.5 ft, so the truck knew there was a trailer and the rear avoidance system turned itself OFF ..... BUT i do not understand what the "towing trip computer" is supposed to do ..... i have downloaded the 692 page manual and it mainly talks about hooking up a kids car seat

 

[slimchance]

i just did a search of my PDF manual for "towing trip computer" and adobe could NOT find any matches .... so what is it really called

edit: searched the PDF manual for "trailer trip" and got several hits .. but no explanations

 

[Rich]

ok .. today i towed my light utility trailer w/4 pin connector and led lights ... on the upper left side of display it showed a trailer symbol with 20.5 ft, so the truck knew there was a trailer and the rear avoidance system turned itself OFF ..... BUT i do not understand what the "towing trip computer" is supposed to do ..... i have downloaded the 692 page manual and it mainly talks about hooking up a kids car seat

I'd like to know how to got it to do that!

 

[slimchance]

went out to MY Truck ... used it today as described above for a 100 mile trip each way .. found the trailer trip miles on this truck and it says 3.4 miles .... so, it did not see the 4 pin light utility trailer that i used today but it did see the 7 pin dual axel elect brakes utility trailer that i towed to my grandsons house several days ago (3.4miles) and dropped off ... then checked WIFE's TRUCK (see sig.) and it showed 114.3 miles in the trailer trip miles cause we have only towed the 7 pin dual axel trailer with that truck, never the 4 pin ... but those 114.3 miles were made in several trips seperated by weeks .... i think i learned 3 things, the 4 pin does not record on the trailer trip mileage, the 7 pin does record on the trailer trip mileage and you MUST reset the trailer trip mileage manually or it just accumulates

 

[slimchance]

I'd like to know how to got it to do that!

i just plugged in the 4 pin connector

 

[Rich]

went out to MY Truck ... used it today as described above for a 100 mile trip each way .. found the trailer trip miles on this truck and it says 3.4 miles .... so, it did not see the 4 pin light utility trailer that i used today but it did see the 7 pin dual axel elect brakes utility trailer that i towed to my grandsons house several days ago (3.4miles) and dropped off ... then checked WIFE's TRUCK (see sig.) and it showed 114.3 miles in the trailer trip miles cause we have only towed the 7 pin dual axel trailer with that truck, never the 4 pin ... but those 114.3 miles were made in several trips seperated by weeks .... i think i learned 3 things, the 4 pin does not record on the trailer trip mileage, the 7 pin does record on the trailer trip mileage and you MUST reset the trailer trip mileage manually or it just accumulates

I wonder how you previously got it to show miles on a 4 pin trailer? Do you have the lane sense feature? Maybe that sees a trailer behind you?

I'd expect to have to reset the trailer trip mileage, similar to the normal trip computer.

 

[devildodge]

I wonder how you previously got it to show miles on a 4 pin trailer? Do you have the lane sense feature? Maybe that sees a trailer behind you?

I'd expect to have to reset the trailer trip mileage, similar to the normal trip computer.

He didnt get it to show. It was from the other 7 pin trailer.

I think the idea is, you are to have a setting for each trailer, and then you can see how many miles you tow each trailer.

I know on my 2500 it had a counter for idling time and an avg speed readout and something else that helped look at how you used the truck.

Ultimately, the numbers are yours to do with how you want...was just offering a thought.

Unfortunately, it seems only a 7pin connection with trailer brakes is going to get the mileage recorded.

Odd, but then it doesnt really surprise me.