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Hi, MickyCamper here. I own a 2014 F150 STX Sport with Tow Haul & I love it. This is my first truck...when I was younger, women did not drive trucks! I bought it so that I could tow a travel trailer which I now own.
Before I start, I want to thank each of you for all the great information you provide on this forum. Being new to all of this and totally non-mechanically inclined, I truly enjoy learning the avenues of owning a truck.
I hope that someone can answer my questions: 1) How does an aftermarket brake controller work 2) Where on the dash should it show on my 2014 F150 STX Sport? 3)If they are numbers from 1-6, I've seen them above the driving letters on the dash, but what do these numbers mean and am I supposed to click on a button to have the numbers set at a certain one?
Reason for my questions: I had the dealership install it after purchase and it is exactly like the ones installed from factory. I was not given an instruction manual and had no idea where to look for it. Went back to the dealership and they sent me to the place where it was installed. Those people sent me back to the dealership to have it 'programmed.' Hooray! after a while, the truck came back with some numbers showing above the driving letters. No manual, no explanation, just drive and let it be! Of course, my thinking is that there has to be a reason for these numbers, and why do they go from 1 to 3 to 4 to 5 to 6? The 'Tow Haul' lever has a + and a - and so does the actual brake controller, which in addition, it has a sliding lever.
Thank you 'white_panther' - Unfortunately, the video doesn't help me because my 2014 Ford F150 STX Sport does not have that type of dashboard screen; I wish it did. Mine is a
small area above the PRNDM21. I went back to Ford last week to have them check it and re-program it. The tech was very nice but simply said: "Don't pay attention to it. The numbers 1-6 that appear above the PRNDM21 are for the rpm changes. Just push the Tow Haul button when the trailer is hooked up"
My mind said: WHAT? Then what was the purpose of installing it? The brake controller was installed by FORD aftermarket and looks like the one at the beginning of the video; I just don't know how to operate it nor know what the numbers mean, nor where the setting appears.
Does anyone have the same type of Ford F150 that can provide more info?
the 2014 STX only has the 2 line display. It does not have have the menu screens that the XLT has. The numbers you are seeing tells you what gear you are in. You can turn it on or off by pressing the + or - button on the shifter.
The information below apparently came from the 2010 Ford manual in regards to the factory brake controller:
The GAIN should be set to provide the maximum trailer braking
assistance while ensuring the trailer wheels do not lock when braking.
Locked trailer wheels may lead to trailer instability.
Note:
This should only be performed in a traffic free environment at
speeds of approximately 20–25 mph (30–40 km/h).
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 a trailer with electric brakes is plugged in, the TRAILER
CONNECTED message will display in the instrument cluster message
center.
4. Use the GAIN adjustment (+/-) 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 lockup may not be attainable even with the maximum GAIN setting of 10.
-Does your brake controller have some sort of display on it? The slider on the controller allows you to manually apply the brakes to the trailer only while testing the brake operation. The + and - on the brake controller allow you to adjust the gain per the instructions above. The gain is basically a ratio, the higher it is the more braking it will apply to the trailer for an equal amount applied to the brake pedal.
-The numbers on the dash are representing what gear the truck is in, if the truck is placed in "M" you can tell the truck when to shift using the + and - on the gear selector similar to driving a manual transmission.
MickyCamper Newbee
