Does Brake Controller Wiring of 2019 Ford Ranger Need to Sense Trailer Connection to Activate

Question:

I have the Tekonsha P3 installed in my 2019 Ranger, but its not powering on. Before I go swapping out fuses, I wanted to know if the Ranger requires a trailer connection before sending power to the 12V line in the pigtail?

asked by: Dave

Expert Reply:

The 2019 Ford Ranger could have came with the "smart tow" package which means that the 12 volt charge line ran to the 7-way is not active unless a trailer is connected.

The brake controller wiring under the dash of your truck should be active all the time and not require a trailer connection to be active but it's possible the wiring might have gotten mixed up.

The blue wire goes to the blue brake output wire on the P3, the yellow/red wire is for 12V power and goes to the black wire on the controller, the white wire goes to the white ground wire on the controller, and the white/purple wire goes to the red brake input wire on the controller.

I'd recommend testing the wires with a circuit tester like part # PTW2993 as well to verify.

expert reply by: Jameson C