2018 FORD F-250 WIRING

Action
Message
A trailer connection becomes disconnected, either
intentionally or unintentionally, and has been sensed during a given ignition cycle.
Trailer Disconnected
The trailer sway control has detected trailer sway.
Trailer Sway Reduce Speed
There are certain faults in your vehicle wiring and trailer
wiring/brake system. See Towing a Trailer (page 272).
Trailer Wiring Fault
There is a fault with your trailer turn lamp. Check yourlamp.
Trailer Left Turn Lamps Fault
Check Lamps
There is a fault with your trailer turn lamp. Check yourlamp.
Trailer Right Turn Lamps Fault
Check Lamps
There is a fault with your trailer battery. See Towing
a Trailer (page 272).
Trailer Battery Not Charging See
Manual
There is a fault with your vehicle trailer lighting module.See
Towing a Trailer (page 272).
Trailer Lighting Module Fault
See Manual
One or more tires on your trailer is below the specifiedtire pressure.
Trailer Tire Low Specified:
A trailer tire pressure sensor is malfunctioning. If the
warning stays on or continues to come on, contact an authorized dealer as soon as possible.
Trailer Tire Pressure Sensor
Fault
The trailer tire pressure monitoring system is
malfunctioning. If the warning stays on or continues to come on, contact an authorized dealer.
Trailer Tire Pressure Monitor
Fault
The system cannot detect the trailer tire pressuremonitoring system.
Trailer Tire Pressure Monitor
Capability Not Detected
The trailer tire pressure monitoring system is not setup.See
General Information (page 113).
Trailer Tire Pressure Indication
Not Setup See Manual
144
Super Duty (TFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201709, Second Printing Information Displays

TRAILER REVERSING AIDS
Trailer Reverse Guidance
WARNING
Driving while distracted can result in
loss of vehicle control, crash and
injury. We strongly recommend that
you use extreme caution when using any
device that may take your focus off the
road. Your primary responsibility is the safe
operation of your vehicle. We recommend
against the use of any hand-held device
while driving and encourage the use of
voice-operated systems when possible.
Make sure you are aware of all applicable
local laws that may affect the use of
electronic devices while driving. Note:
You must always be aware of the
vehicle and trailer combination and the
surrounding environment.
Note: The system does not detect or
prevent the vehicle or trailer from making
contact with obstacles in the surrounding
environment.
Note: Keep in mind that the front end of
the vehicle swings out when changing the
direction of the trailer.
Note: The system relies on user
measurements to determine sticker
placement and system limits. It is critical to
take the key measurements correctly.
Incorrect measurements can result in the
improper function of the system up to and
including contact between the vehicle and
trailer.
Note: The system limits vehicle speed when
backing up. The system is not a replacement
for proper use of the throttle and brake
pedals.
Note: Some features associated with this
system do not work until you set it up. Principle of Operation
Trailer reverse guidance is a driver
assistance feature that helps take the
guesswork out of getting your trailer
positioned where you want it, quickly and
easily, when driving in reverse (R).
Each trailer you use with your vehicle has
to be setup once. Sticker placement is
extremely important and there are specific
placement rules.
Setting Up Trailer Reverse
Guidance
Note:
Your vehicle saves the trailer
information when you enter it into the
system. A maximum of 10 trailers can be
added to the system.
Step 1: Position your Vehicle and Trailer
Hitch your trailer to the truck and connect
the electrical wiring harness. Check to
make sure that the wiring is working. See
Essential Towing Checks (page 286).
Park your vehicle and hitched trailer on a
level surface. Make sure that the trailer and truck are in
line with each other. You can do this by
putting the truck in drive (D) and pulling
straight forward.
274
Super Duty (TFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201709, Second Printing TowingE209759 E209760

Step 2: Follow the Information Display
Prompts
1. Use the steering wheel controls to
navigate to the towing menu.
2. Select Trailer Setup from the available
options.
3. Select Add a Trailer and press OK to confirm.
4. The system asks you to name the trailer. Use the steering wheel controls
to choose from the alphanumeric
characters. Press the right arrow to
advance to the next character. When
you finish naming the trailer, press OK
to confirm.
5. Select the type of brake system for your trailer. Select DEFAULT if your
trailer has electric, surge or no brakes.
Press OK to select and advance to the
next screen
Note: The default option is low. This is
recommended for most trailers. If the
trailer's brakes require more initial voltage,
or if you prefer more aggressive braking, then
select the other options as required.
6. The system asks you to select your trailer type. You can use the system
with conventional, fifth wheel and
goose neck trailers. For fifth wheel and
goose neck trailers, set up and sticker
placement are not required, however
some of the features do not operate
automatically with these trailer types.
Use the steering wheel controls to
select your trailer type.
Note: You can still manually control the
camera views on the touchscreen to help
you reverse goose neck and fifth wheel
trailers.
7. If your vehicle includes a blind spot information system, the system
prompts you to setup the trailer blind
spot feature. See Blind Spot
Information System (page 252). 8. A message appears in the information
display asking if you want to add trailer
reverse guidance. Select Yes to
continue.
9. Straighten out the trailer, if necessary.
10. The information display directs you to the quick start guide for how to
proceed. The steps are also shown
here.
Step 3: Placing the Target
Place the entire sticker in the gray zone on
the trailer outlined in the diagram. The
sticker is in the back cover pocket of the
quick start guide.
Note: An assistant can help to carry out the
following procedure.
Note: Make sure nothing obstructs the rear
view cameras view of the sticker. For
example, items such as a jack handle or
wiring.
Note: Position the sticker on a flat, dry and
clean horizontal surface. For best results
apply the sticker when temperatures are
above
32°F (0°C).
Note: Do not move stickers after they are
placed. Do not re-use any stickers if
removed. 275
Super Duty (TFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201709, Second Printing TowingE224482

Note:
In some cases, if vehicle speed is too
high, the system may activate multiple
times, gradually reducing vehicle speed.
This feature applies your vehicle brakes at
individual wheels and, if necessary, reduces
engine power. If the trailer begins to sway,
the stability control light flashes and the
message TRAILER SWAY REDUCE
SPEED appears in the information display.
The first thing to do is slow your vehicle
down, then pull safely to the side of the
road and check for proper tongue load and
trailer load distribution. See
Load
Carrying (page 264).
RECOMMENDED TOWING
WEIGHTS WARNING
You must use the heavy-duty
drawbar pin supplied with
your vehicle when using the
heavy-duty hitch. Failure to follow
this instruction could result in the
loss of control of your vehicle,
personal injury or death. Note:
Vehicles with a heavy-duty
hitch must use the drawbar pin
stamped 21,000 LBS. You can
obtain a replacement drawbar pin
at your authorized dealer. Note:
Make sure to take into
consideration trailer frontal area.
Do not exceed 60 ft 2
(5.6 m 2
) trailer
frontal area for conventional
trailers. Do not exceed 75 ft 2
(6.9
m 2
) trailer frontal area for fifth
wheel and gooseneck trailers.
Note: Exceeding this limitation
may significantly reduce the
performance of your towing
vehicle. Selecting a trailer with a
low aerodynamic drag and rounded
front design helps optimize
performance and fuel economy.
Note: For high altitude operation,
reduce the gross combined weight
by 2% per
1,000 ft (300 m)
starting at the 1,000 ft (300 m)
elevation point.
Note: Certain states require
electric trailer brakes for trailers
over a specified weight. Be sure to
check state regulations for this
specified weight. The maximum
trailer weights listed may be limited
to this specified weight, as your
vehicle's electrical system may not
include the wiring connector
needed to use electric trailer
brakes.
Your vehicle may tow a trailer
provided the maximum trailer
weight is less than or equal to the
maximum trailer weight
calculated using the formula
following the chart.
282
Super Duty (TFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201709, Second Printing Towing

ESSENTIAL TOWING CHECKS
WARNING
Do not exceed the maximum vertical
load on the tow ball. Failure to follow
this instruction could result in the
loss of control of your vehicle, personal
injury or death. Follow these guidelines for safe towing:
•
Do not tow a trailer until you drive your
vehicle at least 1,000 mi (1,600 km).
• Consult your local motor vehicle laws
for towing a trailer.
• See the instructions included with
towing accessories for the proper
installation and adjustment
specifications.
• Service your vehicle more frequently if
you tow a trailer. See your scheduled
maintenance information.
See
Scheduled Maintenance (page 581).
• If you use a rental trailer, follow the
instructions the rental agency gives
you.
See
Load Limits in the Load Carrying
chapter for load specification terms found
on the tire label and Safety Compliance
label and instructions on calculating your
vehicle's load.
Vehicles with a diesel engine have an
engine braking feature.
See General
Information (page 225).
Remember to account for the trailer
tongue weight as part of your vehicle load
when calculating the total vehicle weight.
Some vehicles will have the ability to
modify trailer towing features. See
General Information
(page 113). Trailer Towing Connector
When attaching the trailer wiring connector
to your vehicle, only use a proper fitting
connector that works with the vehicle and
trailer functions. Some seven-position
connectors may have the SAE J2863 logo,
which confirms that it is the proper wiring
connector and works correctly with your
vehicle.
Function
Color
Left turn signal and stop lamp
Yellow
Ground (-)
White
Electric brakes
Blue
Right turn signal and stop
lamp
Green
Battery (+)
Orange
Running lights
Brown
Reverse lights
Grey
286
Super Duty (TFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201709, Second Printing TowingE163167

Put the 5/8 inch hitch pin through pin hole.
Place the cotter pin around the neck of
hitch pin.
Weight-distributing Hitches
WARNING
Do not adjust the spring bars so that
your vehicle's rear bumper is higher
than before attaching the trailer.
Doing so will defeat the function of the
weight-distributing hitch, which may cause
unpredictable handling, and could result
in serious personal injury. When hooking-up a trailer using a
weight-distributing hitch, always use the
following procedure:
1. Park the loaded vehicle, without the
trailer, on a level surface.
2. Measure the height to the top of your vehicle's front wheel opening on the
fender. This is H1. 3.
Attach the loaded trailer to your vehicle
without the weight-distributing bars
connected.
4. Measure the height to the top of your vehicle's front wheel opening on the
fender a second time. This is H2.
5. Install and adjust the tension in the weight-distributing bars so that the
height of your vehicle's front wheel
opening on the fender is approximately
halfway between H1 and H2.
6. Check that the trailer is level or slightly
nose down toward your vehicle. If not,
adjust the ball height accordingly and
repeat Steps 2-6.
Once the trailer is level or slightly nose
down toward the vehicle:
• Lock the bar tension adjuster in place.
• Check that the trailer tongue securely
attaches and locks onto the hitch.
• Install safety chains, lighting, and trailer
brake controls as required by law or the
trailer manufacturer.
Fifth-wheel Trailer Hitch (If Equipped)
Note: The mounting pads in the bed are
specifically designed for certain fifth-wheel
trailer hitches and gooseneck ball hitches.
Do not use these mounting pads for other
purposes.
Note: Contact an authorized dealer to
purchase gooseneck and fifth-wheel hitches
that are compatible with your vehicle.
Your vehicle may be equipped with a
fifth-wheel prep package. This package
enables your vehicle to accept certain
fifth-wheel trailer hitches and gooseneck
ball hitches. The fifth-wheel trailer hitch
attaches to the four mounting pads in the
pick-up bed. An optional 7-pin trailer wiring
connector may be in the bed as well. The
gooseneck ball hitch is a separate
mounting pad from the fifth-wheel hitch,
located in the center of the bed.
289
Super Duty (TFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201709, Second Printing TowingE247909

Note:
The integrated Ford brake controller
is compatible with trailers equipped with
electric-actuated drum brakes and
electric-over hydraulic brake systems.
Note: The integrated Ford brake controller
does not control hydraulic surge-style
brakes. When used properly, the trailer brake
controller assists in smooth and effective
trailer braking by powering the trailer
’s
electric or electric-over-hydraulic brakes
with a proportional output based on the
towing vehicle ’s brake pressure.
You can adjust the amount of initial trailer
brake output by selecting one of three
settings through the message center.
Ford has tested the trailer brake controller
to be compatible with several major
brands of electric-over-hydraulic trailer
brakes. Contact an authorized dealer for
information on which brands you can use.
The controller user interface consists of
the following: A: + and - (Gain adjustment buttons):
Pressing these buttons adjusts the
controller's power output to the trailer
brakes in 0.5 increments. You can increase
the gain setting to 10.0 (maximum trailer
braking) or decrease it to 0 (no trailer
braking). Pressing and holding a button
raises or lowers the setting continuously.
The gain setting displays in the message
center as follows:
TBC GAIN = XX.X.
B:
Manual control lever: Slide the control
lever to the left to switch on the trailer's
electric brakes independent of the tow
vehicle's. See the following Procedure for
adjusting gain section for instructions on
proper use of this feature. If you use the
manual control while the brake is also
applied, the greater of the two inputs
determines the power sent to the trailer
brakes.
• Stop lamps: Using the manual control
lever lights both the trailer brake lamps
and your vehicle brake lamps.
Trailer brake control messages appear in
the information display as follows:
• TBC GAIN = XX.X NO TRAILER:
Shows the current gain setting.
• TBC GAIN = XX.X OUTPUT=/ / / /
/ /
: Displays when braking. The bars
indicate the amount of power going to
the trailer brakes.
• TRAILER CONNECTED:
Displays
when the system senses a correct
trailer wiring connection.
• TRAILER DISCONNECTED: Displays
when the system senses a trailer
disconnection.
Procedure for Setting Trailer Brake
Controller Effort
Choose either the electric option for trailers
with electromagnetic drum brakes, or the
electric over hydraulic option for trailers
with these brake systems.
291
Super Duty (TFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201709, Second Printing TowingE183395

Trailer Brake Effort Setting
The trailer brake controller allows the user
to customize how aggressively the trailer
brakes engage. The default value is the low
setting and is the recommended setting
for most trailers. If your trailer's brakes
require more initial voltage, or if you prefer
more aggressive trailer braking, then select
either the medium or the high setting.
Procedure for Setting Trailer Brake
Controller Mode
Choose the low, medium or high setting
for the required initial trailer brake output.
Procedure for Adjusting Gain
Note:
Only perform this procedure in a
traffic-free environment at speeds of
approximately 20– 25 mph (30–40 km/h).
The gain setting adjusts the trailer brake
controller for the specific towing condition.
You should change the setting as towing
conditions change. Changes to towing
conditions include trailer load, vehicle load,
road conditions and weather.
The gain should be set to provide the
maximum trailer braking assistance while
making sure the trailer wheels do not lock
when using the brakes. Locked trailer
wheels may lead to trailer instability.
1. Make sure the trailer brakes are in good
working condition, functioning normally
and properly adjusted. See your trailer
dealer if necessary.
2. Hook up the trailer and make the electrical connections according to the
trailer manufacturer's instructions.
3. When you plug in a trailer with electric or electric-over-hydraulic brakes, a
confirmation message appears in the
information display. 4. Use the gain adjustment (+ and -)
buttons to increase or decrease the
gain setting to the desired starting
point. A gain setting of 6.0 is a good
starting point for heavier loads.
5. In a traffic-free environment, tow the trailer on a dry, level surface at a speed
of
20– 25 mph (30–40 km/h) and
squeeze the manual control lever
completely.
6. If the trailer wheels lock up, indicated by squealing tires, reduce the gain
setting. If the trailer wheels turn freely,
increase the gain setting. Repeat Steps
5 and 6 until the gain setting is at a
point just below trailer wheel lock-up.
If towing a heavier trailer, trailer wheel
lock-up may not be attainable even
with the maximum gain setting of 10.
Information Display Warning Messages
Note: An authorized dealer can diagnose
the trailer brake controller to determine
exactly which trailer fault has occurred.
However, your Ford warranty does not cover
this diagnosis if the fault is with the trailer.
TRAILER BRAKE MODULE FAULT
Displays in response to faults sensed by
the trailer brake controller, accompanied
by a single tone. If this message appears,
contact an authorized dealer as soon as
possible for diagnosis and repair. The
controller may still function, but with
degraded performance.
WIRING FAULT ON TRAILER
Displays when there is a short circuit on
the electric brake output wire.
If this message displays, with no trailer
connected, the problem is with your vehicle
wiring or trailer brake controller. Contact
an authorized dealer.
292
Super Duty (TFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201709, Second Printing Towing