Issues with Lumen 4/7 Trailer Wiring Harness

[solar]

Just wanted to give a heads up and possibly gets some answers or ideas.

I have a 2022 Base Sasquatch. Just purchased the Lumen Trailer harness through ford accessories. Took advantage of the 20% discount and had points to make up most the difference including installation. So almost free sounded great. Was looking forward to having factory integrated towing after all..........

Well they've had my Bronco for over a week and half. They're unable to program it. Service advisor is telling me they have to download files into the BCM and the files are corrupt or keep failing during the download process. Technician said he's have been on the ford hotline day in and day out and nothing is working. Actually went by the dealership today to talk to the technician and had him hook it up to their tester and nothing even works.

The only other posts I've seen regarding this install all state everything works great and they didn't even have to program it. Hoping the dealership didn't mess something up by trying to program it instead of just seeing if it worked.

Would love to know if anyone else has had any issues and if they were able to resolve it.

I'll post back with any knew info I get in case anyone else does have issues.

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[Alfa]

I am having the same module installed on my Wildtrak in 2 weeks. Keep us posted in what they say.

I also took advantage of the 20% off deal too just because of the cheap install.

I bought the hitch and bolts separately from Ruxer for around $210 with shipping. Thanks @flip

 

[AlpineFisher]

I'll be interested to hear the outcome. I installed the module on my own and didn't change any programming (I don't have Forscan yet). I wonder what changes actually occur with the programming change?

 

[solar]

I'm trying to be patient...was out of town for about a week. Told service advisor to just get it done however long it takes...But so far I'm afraid no news is bad news. I called and left a message earlier, just waiting to hear back. Can only hope they finished it and forgot to call me. I'll try to get exact particulars of what's going on if they still are having issues. Just don't want them to say that since the base didn't come with a factory tow hitch as an option then they won't support trying to get it to work.

 

[Skeeterjack]

I have a Lumen and have been back to the Ford dealer 4 times and still not working. It does nothing what the manual says and only have manual mode when it decides to operate. What BLUE LIGHT ? Dealer reached out to Lumen and their response was to recite the operators manual. Idiots. It’s been replaced once already.

 

[RoverDude]

I have a Lumen and have been back to the Ford dealer 4 times and still not working. It does nothing what the manual says and only have manual mode when it decides to operate. What BLUE LIGHT ? Dealer reached out to Lumen and their response was to recite the operators manual. Idiots. It’s been replaced once already.

Are you talking about lumens brake controller, or the trailer control module?
Lumen release the trailer control module recently, but there's no lights to that.

The brake controller knob will light up depending what modes it's on. I think that's what you're talking about which is something different.

 

[solar]

So 6 weeks and 3 harnesses later. I didn't actually think it would take this long, especially to be no further than I was when I took the bronco in to get the tow harness installed. But here we are.

Per the service advisor, after speaking with the reps at ford they have one more thing they are going to try tomorrow to see if they can get the bronco to download this software. Fingers crossed but I'm not holding my breath. Can't imagine that this is actually a thing.

What I thought was going to be so simple...........

Any other Basesquatch Broncos out there that have installed the tow harness (lumens) and everything is fine? Would love to know.

Also can anyone that has the tow package and has towed a trailer with brakes tell me what I am actually getting if it is integrated into the system. I know it doesn't have an integrated brake controller like the F series(was planning to get the Redarc), So not expecting that type of control. But If it's basically just Sway Control than I guess I'll just wire it up the old fashioned way and not worry about it being apart of the computer.

 

[RoverDude]

So I have a few questions. Other than programming did they get the tow module installed, brake brake lights turn lights reverse signal?
Also with the trailer tow module, that contains the relay for the 12v/ battery charger connection on the 7 pin.
Does that work?
The first the red arc brake controller, That's a separate item, that does not require any programming for that to work. It's essentially a proportional voltage output based on brake (That's a vastly oversimplification of what it does)

FDRS or (forscan) can enable the sway control, adjust the blind spot monitoring when you're towing so it's not beeping all the time. The trailer tow module also has an input for a theft signal in case someone detaches the trailer, (I don't think that's activated in the bronco, but that module does have that capability)
I know you say they can't get it programmed, but does everything else work to your knowledge?

 

[solar]

Everything has been installed that I purchases from Ford Accessories, which is basically the module and the harness and the 7/4 pin connector.

I actually went in about 3 weeks ago to speak with the tech who installed it all. It was obviously his first time installing this since they are so new but from my questioning of him I felt he was competent in doing so.

I did have him hook it up to a tester they had and no signals whatsoever. Now they do claim that the module is detected but the problem is getting the computer to talk to it or whatever it's supposed to do so that it relays that information to the module.

I've had aftermarket brake controllers so I know what the Redarc is supposed to do and figured that it wouldn't be integrated that's why I'm asking anyone with a base if I'll be really missing anything. I'm not too concerned with the sway control, it'd be nice but I've been towing for many years so know how to handle that.

With the base I don't have blind spot monitoring, no bells and whistles. Nothing. And I'm only trying to get the tow hitch installed so I can occasionally tow a trailer for the times that I want to do a little off-roading while camping. Right now my main tow vehicle is an F-150, but I've been having family members drive the bronco up separately a couple of times so that I could have it there to have fun with. But hate paying for gas to drive 2 vehicles.

Just wanted it to all be factory........ First world problems I guess.

Anyway, Like I said worse case scenario is I just wire up the 4 pin, add the brake and 12v lines and call it a day. That's how it was done before all this computer crap.

 

[solar]

So the the only update I have is I picked up the Bronco today. They worked on it some more with the Ford hotline over the weekend and nothing changed. I told them to take it off and I would just wire everything thing the old way.

But in conversation with the service advisor He said it would be best to leave it in since I already paid for the install and if/When they ever figure out the software I won't have to pay to install it again. So I spoke to the tech to find out if I could just unplug it or wire it myself while the harness and module are still attached....well come to find out during all this they actually were able to program the first module to support what seems would be a 4 pin, brakes, running lights and signals, no 12v, but I'm not sure if that would be part of the brake controller install anyway along with the controller brake power supply.

The bad for now is that it's still not integrated into my system. In other words nothing comes up on screen...but according to my research I'm only missing Sway Control as this is a base and I don't have blis, rear sensors, etc.

As they told me this is still an open case and if/when they get more Info from ford they will call me so I can bring it in to get the "newer" software downloaded and see if they can get it on the screen at the point.

 

[Broncno]

So the the only update I have is I picked up the Bronco today. They worked on it some more with the Ford hotline over the weekend and nothing changed. I told them to take it off and I would just wire everything thing the old way.

But in conversation with the service advisor He said it would be best to leave it in since I already paid for the install and if/When they ever figure out the software I won't have to pay to install it again. So I spoke to the tech to find out if I could just unplug it or wire it myself while the harness and module are still attached....well come to find out during all this they actually were able to program the first module to support what seems would be a 4 pin, brakes, running lights and signals, no 12v, but I'm not sure if that would be part of the brake controller install anyway along with the controller brake power supply.

The bad for now is that it's still not integrated into my system. In other words nothing comes up on screen...but according to my research I'm only missing Sway Control as this is a base and I don't have blis, rear sensors, etc.

As they told me this is still an open case and if/when they get more Info from ford they will call me so I can bring it in to get the "newer" software downloaded and see if they can get it on the screen at the point.

I could not find the towing or trailer sway either after I had my harness installed. I was looking at the gauge cluster but it actually is on the touchscreen under "features", this is what it will look like if they actually programmed it.

 

[RoverDude]

What year/ model/ package to you haves. (do you have the bliss?)
What Transmision / transfer case do you have? (standard part time or Advanced 4x4?)

 

[Bmadda]

I installed mine yesterday on a BL/7mt/high package. The FDRS routine for "towbar configuration" is BROKEN. If it's like other errors in FDRS then NOBODY who answers a phone at Ford will know how to fix it. The good news is the install can be completed w/Forscan...and will be error free if done right. Check this thread:
https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...scan-as-built-data-without-error-codes.49906/

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