Ranger Mods

I found that the Redarc trailer brake kit installed in 2018 ( pre-registration ) was a basic generic Redarc Tow-Pro Elite V2 kit and not installed or wired to "piggy-back" on to the Ford trailer or the automatic braking system incorporated in the cruise control system.
I purchased the correct Redarc Ford kit, $599.99 (inc. GST) ( call it $600.00 on my debit card account ) and noted the quoted installation time of 75 minutes. Well I can only assume that install time was based on:

1.) Well a well trained and fully experienced team of at least two mechanics.
2.) A good hoist to raise and lower the vehicle.
3.) Very strong and nimble fingers.

My local Ford dealership quoted me $855.00 for the supply of the kit and the installation, that's a very high hourly rate, ($855 - $600 = $255 / 75 minutes = $204 per hour ) so I decided to install it myself.

The instructions don't tell you to drop the spare tyre - this really helps and to first acquire a set of internal panel removal levers. They also don't advise you to power wash the underside of the LHS chassis rails and rear bumper to remove accumulated dust from the standard wiring harness. My advise to anyone installing this kit is to do both the day before.

I don't have access to a hoist and for safety reasons I avoid getting under any car when its just on ramps so my installation was carried out laying on my back on rubber pads on our gravel driveway. Not the best for a 73 year old with titanium rods holding his lower spine together.

Other than that the instructions supplied in the kit were very clear and very well written, the illustrations were also very good and clear.
There was only one odd one, instruction/Step No. 41 indicates a BCM Brake "breakout wire" hanging down in the drivers side kick panel, on my Wildtrak it didn't exist and so I connected the supplied bridging wire to connection No. 4 on the brake peddle switch connector - the instructions say to use this connection for "high range equipped Rangers" and after testing the installation by towing our off road trailer with 10" electric drum brakes it works perfectly.

I now have a generic two year old Redarc Tow-Pro Elite V2 for sale, $200 with postage to any state.

Does your ranger have AEB?

FYI the genuine kit is different to the Redarc kit. I just had the genuine kit fitted to my PX3 and it still uses the V2 knob. This kit is assembled by Lumen in Melbourne who make kits for all manufacturers. Maybe they have a shit load of V2 kits still in stock and that's why they are still supplying them. Mine definitely connects to the cable behind the driver's kick panel. Your kit would be made in house at Redarc. This could be why there is a cost difference.

Bala1 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 28, 2021 4:17 pm Does your ranger have AEB?

Yes my Wildtak PX2 does have AEB and the original "generic" Redarc Tow-Pro V2 that was installed didn't integrate with the AEB or the Ford trailer control module. The Ford issued Redarc Tow-Pro kit (V3) does and the trailer brakes come on if, in cruise control mode a vehicle is detected in front of my Wildtrak the trailer brakes come on at the same rate that the speed of the Ranger is reduced, its impressive technology.

Scarnsey wrote: ↑Thu Apr 29, 2021 5:37 pm FYI the genuine kit is different to the Redarc kit. I just had the genuine kit fitted to my PX3 and it still uses the V2 knob. This kit is assembled by Lumen in Melbourne who make kits for all manufacturers. Maybe they have a shit load of V2 kits still in stock and that's why they are still supplying them. Mine definitely connects to the cable behind the driver's kick panel. Your kit would be made in house at Redarc. This could be why there is a cost difference.

No, mine was/is a Lumen / Ford kit. The serial number on the main unit is definitely "ACCV3" and cheekily ( I thought anyway ) the remote control knob has the Ford logo on it and not the Redarc logo. I'd love to know where that BCM wire is in the kick-panel, maybe it was installed for post 2017 Rangers.

The brake wire behind the kick panel is definitely post 2017, which required connecting at the brake pedal.

Boydie wrote: ↑Fri Apr 30, 2021 9:09 am

Scarnsey wrote: ↑Thu Apr 29, 2021 5:37 pm FYI the genuine kit is different to the Redarc kit. I just had the genuine kit fitted to my PX3 and it still uses the V2 knob. This kit is assembled by Lumen in Melbourne who make kits for all manufacturers. Maybe they have a shit load of V2 kits still in stock and that's why they are still supplying them. Mine definitely connects to the cable behind the driver's kick panel. Your kit would be made in house at Redarc. This could be why there is a cost difference.

No, mine was/is a Lumen / Ford kit. The serial number on the main unit is definitely "ACCV3" and cheekily ( I thought anyway ) the remote control knob has the Ford logo on it and not the Redarc logo. I'd love to know where that BCM wire is in the kick-panel, maybe it was installed for post 2017 Rangers.

My understanding;

The is a difference between a ranger with ACC and FCA and the later ones that also have AEB.

Units with AEB have the wire in the pick panel.

So if your ranger has AEB then it should have the wire in the kick panel. Picking up from the brake light switch is no different than using a V2 controller.

It was my understanding as well however on talking to the service manager at my local Ford dealership - Sinclair Ford, Penrith - he said that the BMC
'Breakout" wire was only included in late 2017-2018 PX2 wiring harnesses, my early 2017 Wildtrak certainly has AEB as well as the Heads-Up-Warning-Display and audible alarms and it was equipped with the trailer stability control.
For non AEB the instructions are to splice into connection 1 on the brake peddle terminal connector, for AEB equipped models you splice into connection 4 of the same terminal block as I have done.
As I said I carried out a series of tests once I'd wired it up and on approaching the rear of a vehicle ( my wife's Skoda on a quiet straight road ) with the Adaptive Cruise Control on at 80 kph both the Ranger and the trailer brakes were activated to maintain a 4 second braking distance. Coming up to the rear of her stopped car at a simulated traffic stop and at around 10 kph the AEB activated both sets of brakes bringing the Ranger and trailer to a stop some 6 metres from the rear of her car.

Most info states AEB not coming to out until later than yours. But looks like you got an early bonus, so all good.

Boydie, what you have is not true AEB as it only does that when using adaptive cruise. Without cruise on, you'll get the red HUD warning and the car will prime the brakes, but will not apply them.

My 2017 with Tech Pack is the same as yours and I run a v1 Redarc with brake pedal trigger. The advice is not to tow with adaptive cruise on. Not sure why... perhaps the van brakes aren't applied if the brakes are automatically applied by the cruise system?

I have a Redarc V3 that I'm looking at fitting though, so I'll have check if it will operate any differently.

GerryP wrote: ↑Fri Apr 30, 2021 6:52 pm Boydie, what you have is not true AEB as it only does that when using adaptive cruise. Without cruise on, you'll get the red HUD warning and the car will prime the brakes, but will not apply them.

My 2017 with Tech Pack is the same as yours and I run a v1 Redarc with brake pedal trigger. The advice is not to tow with adaptive cruise on. Not sure why... perhaps the van brakes aren't applied if the brakes are automatically applied by the cruise system?

I have a Redarc V3 that I'm looking at fitting though, so I'll have check if it will operate any differently.

Now I'm very confused as when I've activated the Adaptive Cruise Control and I get too close to a vehicle in front of me three things occur,
1.) the HUD sounds a strident alarm,
2.) the proximity of the vehicle is indicated by the number of HUD illuminated LED's and
3.) without any action on my part the Wildtraks brakes are automatically applied.

AEB = Automatic Emergency Braking ?? or am I getting this wrong ? If it's not then Clancy Ford in Bathurst are going to have some explaining to do as its listed as fitted to my Ranger Wildtrak Stock number 133488 (ex. Stuart Ford in Freemantle WA) on the invoice along with the Trailer Stability control system.
With the Ford unit I purchased, "AEB Electric Trailer Brake Kit" Kit Part No. VGB3Z2C405H there is a secondary component, its referred to as "Trailer Lamp ECU" and its this ECU that is either connected to the trailer "breakout" wire in the drivers kick panel or spliced to connection 4 on the break peddle switch.

Addendum. Item 3, the trailer electric brakes are also applied, I confirmed this by turning the dial up and with an empty box trailer the wheels locked up so the system not only applied the Wildtrak brakes but also the trailer electric drum brakes.

Boydie, with mine AEB only happens in adaptive cruise and not under normal driving. I get the red HUD warning, but no braking.

It's good to know that your trailer brakes are applied as well during an emergency auto brake while adaptive cruise is on.

GerryP wrote: ↑Fri Apr 30, 2021 10:32 am The brake wire behind the kick panel is definitely post 2017, which required connecting at the brake pedal.

Thanks for that, I thought I was going mad or blind or both, my Wildtrak is a very early (02/2017) model -- I've taken it ( the drivers kick panel ) off now three times looking for this bloody elusive "breakout" wire to no avail, on mine it simply doesn't exist.
I guess possible issues with poor splicing into the wire going to the brake peddle connection No.4 - with the shonky "splice" fitting provided in the installation kit may have resulted in the "breakout" wire being made available.
For my install I used a tool from a set I obtained from Jaycar and pushed the pin out of connection N.4, slid a heat-shrink tube over the wire, then stripped back 10 mm of insulation,spliced into it with a short 300 mm wire of the same size and soldered the spliced connection and sealed it with the heat-shrink tube before pushing the pin back into the socket. I then used the fittings provided had the "breakout" wire been available for me to use so that if ever needed I have a disconnection point.

Towing around Bathurst country @ 95 kph with Adaptive cruise i took note that the van & car brakes were applied
I also noted that on a dowhill descent the brakes were applied to hold the 95 set speed

My uderstanding is therecwas not a problem with ACC braking, just AEB.

I have V2 but never have never checked to see if the trailer brakes are coming on with ACC.

I know that if the car starts to brake by itself that within milli seconds my foot is on the brake.

I suppose if I let ACC brake and the color changes on the controller it will tell me if the trailer brakes are coming on.

My tow-pro elite v2 was installed by the dealer at time of purchase. I don't know how it has been installed, did they use a harness kit etc. Sent a few emails to Redarc to find out some info. Basically from 2 replies.

1. The TowPro is fine to use with adaptive cruise control as long as it has been installed with the correct wiring harness.
As it states this in the owners handbook it may be best to get an explanation from Ford as to why it cannot be used.

2. They may have used a wiring harness. Many of the OEM manufactures use wiring kits manufactured by another supplier.
As long as the diode is installed I wouldn’t see a problem with it not working with adaptive cruise. The diode is there to stop your cruise from cancelling when you brake the caravan independently by pushing the dial. It will still work without the diode but is frustrating as it cancels your cruise control.


Next time when towing I will have to try it with adaptive cruise on and see what it does.

I just fitted the V3 and it took about 4 hours, if I did it again it would only take 2 hours.

I purchased some trim removal tools from supercheap for $25 which made it easy.

If you buy the redarc wiring loom you will have two leads for the controller to the unit, the one that comes with the wiring loom is the one to use, the other is too short if you are positioning the controller in the console.

Getting the red cable into the 7 pin plug is hard, the hole seems to small for two wires.

No clear instruction where to attach to the battery.