[Budsky]

So I'm trying to figure out if I have Trailer Sway Control- I have the Trailer Tow Package which seems to include it according to some Ford literature yet other Ford literature implies it is an option, and that it can be turned off.

I ask because the other day I was flat towing a 95 Ford Ranger with my 350 HD on some mountain roads and several times I got a weird vibration and eventually realized something was applying the brakes. Some of the curves didn't appear to be that bad so I didn't think it was the Stability Control kicking in but I'm not sure.

So driving it without towing today I hit some curves pretty hard and it didn't do it so I am assuming it may have been Trailer Sway Control.

So how do I tell exactly what I do have?



One other oddity- my Tow/Haul transmission switch is on the bezel around the shifter- where the owner's manual says it is on the gearshift lever...??

 

[PeterR]

I also think I have the Trailer Sway Control as part of the HD Trailer Tow package, but I don't see an on/off switch either.

You know you can turn off the Traction Control System with the TCS button to the left of the tach? That might eliminate one variable in the situation you noticed.

The trailer sway control was discussed in another thread, and star gazer had some feedback I believe. I will look for that.

My tow/haul button is in the same place. Lots of minor errors like this all around, as our 2015 Transits were full scale models for the engineers (and the manual writers) IMO.

Edit -- 8 PM EDT -- Here are some random resources regarding trailer sway:

Owner's Manual: http://www.manualslib.com/manual/745073/Ford-Transit-2015.html?page=165#manual

Towing Guide (see lower right of p. 1): http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/towingguides/15RV&TT_Ford_Transit_Sep30.pdf

Other posts which mention:

http://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/78945-post4.html

http://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/84577-post59.html

According to this 2013 video about another Ford vehicle, Trailer Sway Control runs in the background and only alerts you on the dash when there is a problem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1leczQxgEE&fwid=1251735817121


Conclusion -- still in the dark about the details of the Trailer Sway Control !

 

[Budsky]

Ford sure has made it confusing with all their conflicting documentation-
I'm struggling now with putting in my brake controller.
The docs said the harness is included- well on mine most of it is but the crucial last part that a controller hooks to is missing, someone else on here went through a similar issue.
After hours of tracing wiring I finally found the plug/socket under the hood with the blue brake wire just ending there. No pin in the other half of the connector to head to under the dash.
Sigh.

I added my own wire to under the dash and also tapped 12V off the big jump start lug (completely contrary to Ford's wishes) and will later move that to one of the accessory points under the seat when I get time.
But I still need a brake pedal trigger for the controller and decided not to tie into the factory brake pedal switch since it has like 5 wires to it and I don't want to upset Mr. CANbus.
So- I'm adding a second brake light switch, actually for a motorcycle, to the pedal arm tomorrow when it arrives to be completely isolated from any existing brake light switch wiring.

All much more of a PITA than it should have been since Ford dropped the ball on supplying a "complete" tow package with ALL the expected wiring actually there.

I'm using a Prodigy 2 brake controller- have one on another vehicle and it works really well.

BTW Dexter Axle has a really neat trailer sway control that installs in the trailer and senses sway and applies brakes to just one side of the trailer at a time to straighten the trailer out, pretty cool. Only problem is they require it to be installed by a certified shop so that drives the cost up- and of course you need one for each trailer- of which I currently own 7!

But other than some questions and the Trailer Package problems - I'm loving this van!

 

[star gazer]

The brake controller is an option so wouldn't that make it a complete tow package? For the cost of the factory controller it was worth it so as not to go thru what you are now.

Dean

 

[kenjent]

Ford sure has made it confusing with all their conflicting documentation-
I'm struggling now with putting in my brake controller.
The docs said the harness is included- well on mine most of it is but the crucial last part that a controller hooks to is missing, someone else on here went through a similar issue.
After hours of tracing wiring I finally found the plug/socket under the hood with the blue brake wire just ending there. No pin in the other half of the connector to head to under the dash.
Sigh.

I added my own wire to under the dash and also tapped 12V off the big jump start lug (completely contrary to Ford's wishes) and will later move that to one of the accessory points under the seat when I get time.
But I still need a brake pedal trigger for the controller and decided not to tie into the factory brake pedal switch since it has like 5 wires to it and I don't want to upset Mr. CANbus.
So- I'm adding a second brake light switch, actually for a motorcycle, to the pedal arm tomorrow when it arrives to be completely isolated from any existing brake light switch wiring.

When I was installing the brake controller harness for my vehicle, I picked up the brake signal at the BMC connector C2280C pin 68 white/green wire under the steering wheel.
The blue wire could be found in the 14406 harness under the vehicle at the aft side of the driver wheelwell.
The 12v wire to the positive side of the battery under the driver seat.
I got these info from the Ford Trailer Brake Control installation instructions.

 

[PeterR]

The brake controller is an option so wouldn't that make it a complete tow package? For the cost of the factory controller it was worth it so as not to go thru what you are now.

Dean

Hey Dean, I hope your summer is going great. Any further thoughts on the Trailer Sway Control system in your Transit? Did it ever activate on your trips over the winter, with a warning on the dash perhaps? I know your Casita tows great, with minimal sway, but on the off-chance you have further insights on the Transit's TSC I thought I would ask. Did you ever figure out how to turn it off, as Ford's documentation seems to suggest is possible?

Thanks

PS -- Please see my Post No. 2 here, and the video link at the bottom about another Ford vehicle's TSC.

 

[Budsky]

The brake controller is an option so wouldn't that make it a complete tow package? For the cost of the factory controller it was worth it so as not to go thru what you are now.

Dean

See that is the problem- the brake controller is an option- meaning if the van you buy (off lot, not ordered) doesn't have it then- well- you don't have it!

In my search for a van I found a lot with nothing for trailer towing.
Some had the Trailer Wiring.
Some had the Tow Package, which includes the Trailer Wiring.

Few had everything needed to actually tow a trailer with electric brakes.


Added in edit- According to ETIS my van DOES have the Trailer Sway Control.

 

[star gazer]

I have towed about 5k miles and never noticed any sway control activity, but again with the casita it may never activate it. On a longer trailer it may actually turn it on at times.

Never did find out if it can be turned off, short of turning off all the DSC which I don't want to do. My initial concern was that the sway might kick on too often and hurt the fuel mileage but again don't think it is in my case.

I do agree that the brake controller should be part of the tow package since it is so important, unless you use surge brakes.

Vehicles are getting so complicated anymore that even a simple brake controller is a engineering task.

Dean

 

[PeterR]

50k on van now.
Got back from CA trip....towed 4x8 uhaul trailer to CA(~1000lbs)..nearly empty coming back.
[snip]
Lifetime avg over 50k mi(includes towing)-- 15.2mpg

Thanks again Nat for your reporting on the MPG thread. I am wondering if your Trailer Sway Control has ever alerted you to a problem, and whether you have any insights on the various questions being asked here. [Can it be turned off? etc.] I forget, do you use your own Sway Control or a Weight-Distributing hitch?

Thanks,

Peter

 

[kenjent]

So I'm trying to figure out if I have Trailer Sway Control- I have the Trailer Tow Package which seems to include it according to some Ford literature yet other Ford literature implies it is an option, and that it can be turned off.

So how do I tell exactly what I do have?

Budsky,


I am glad you have brought up this topic. I did remember seeing "trailer sway control" in some literature but did not think much of it until your post.


I install the Ford trailer hitch electrics kit (FK4Z15A416A) and the trailer hitch kit (FK4Z15A416A) after the fact because the vehicle we purchase from the deal lot did not have the tow package. I installed the trailer module that came with the electric kit. I would love to know if the electric kit that I have installed also provide "trailer sway control." It would be great if there is a way to find out if a vehicle have "trailer sway control" or not.

 

[Budsky]

My understanding is there is programming needed if a tow package is added after the original build.
Supposedly a dealer can flash that in- whether you can find one that has a clue and is willing to do it may be another matter.

Mine had the tow package but the physical wiring was incomplete- there was no harness run to under the dash for a brake controller.
Hitch on back- check
7 way and 4 way sockets on back- check
Pigtail under dash- nope not there.

Personally I found the sway control very annoying it kept applying brakes when I went into a hard curve- and actually almost screwed me over in one case- went down a short curved freeway on ramp- it applied pretty heavy braking- just as I straightened out I needed to floor it to merge- yet it still had the brakes on for a couple of seconds after it should have let go IMO, and defeated my effort to accelerate hard in a straight line.
BTW one of the proven techniques to deal with trailer sway is to accelerate hard- it basically yanks the trailer back into line. So that is out the window when the vehicle is applying brakes for you against your wishes.

Ford really doesn't have a grasp on some things- charge the customer for a trailer tow package but then leave an essential part of it out. Nice.

 

[PeterR]

Budsky are you sure that was the trailer sway kicking in, and not the Traction Control System, as I mentioned in an earlier post? You can turn off the TCS to the left of the tach. Remind me please, do you have the limited slip rear end also? Your signature does not say.

 

[Budsky]

No limited slip- I'm confident now it was the sway control since I have not had a repeat of it now that I have more non-towing miles under my belt...
My first 450 miles were towing and now I have about 200 more with just the van. I did tow my travel trailer about 60 miles this week testing how it handles and verifying my brake controller install was working properly. Did not have any symptoms of sway control kicking in.
I think the Ranger I flat towed was a little more prone to sway than a regular trailer with tongue weight- it was flat towed with a tow bar and that system has no tongue weight other than what the bar weighs, maybe 25 lbs.

 

[kenjent]

My understanding is there is programming needed if a tow package is added after the original build.
Supposedly a dealer can flash that in- whether you can find one that has a clue and is willing to do it may be another matter.

Mine had the tow package but the physical wiring was incomplete- there was no harness run to under the dash for a brake controller.
Hitch on back- check
7 way and 4 way sockets on back- check
Pigtail under dash- nope
.

I did brought the vehicle to the Ford dealer. The last step of the electric kit installation instruction was to update the vehicle configuration data/software to recognize the newly installed trailer module. The dealer re-flash the BCM and program the vehicle configuration data to turn on the trailer module socket.

It would be great if there is some way to confirm what I have installed so far also include trailer sway control. That would be a bonus.

 

[Budsky]

I don't know if the dealer flash is updated on the Ford ETIS site so the mothership knows what you have-
have you gone there and looked to see?
Just guessing-

 

[kenjent]

I have seen ETIS mentioned here on this forum but have not use this system. Is it just a web site or do need special access to use ETIS?

 

[Budsky]

I got the link from somewhere on this site-

http://www.etis.ford.com/

Easy to sign in,- need your VIN and you can see all sorts of stuff about your vehicle.

 

[USMC Vet]

I got the link from somewhere on this site-

http://www.etis.ford.com/

Easy to sign in,- need your VIN and you can see all sorts of stuff about your vehicle.

Budsky,

When you go to that sight, click on "Vehicle" in the top line, that will open screen for you to put in your vin.

Semper Fi

 

[PeterR]

During the 2015 ordering process, the Etis site was just short of useless IMO.

Perhaps it has improved . . .

FWIW

 

[Budsky]

Well since ETIS shows a van AS BUILT- I can see it might be useless ahead of that event.
It shows a LOT of detail about my van, there are literally a hundred or more line items specifying exactly what the van does or does not have..