I'm getting a little tired of them too, but.....

It seems there's some misunderstanding (at least by me) about how the integrated Ford brake controller works. I've read a few posts recently by flamingtaco, (along with a Ford document) and I've gained some insight about the IBC's proper operation. I still have a couple of questions that perhaps can be answered/shared to help those of us with newly installed IBC's that don't appear to function correctly. Hopefully we can compile them into one thread and perhaps get the common questions and answers perhaps addressed in one place.

This '21 F150 is only the second vehicle I've owned with a controller. Previously I had a '19 Ranger using the Curt Echo, and there was no doubt about when the trailer brakes were activated. Even with the gain turn way down, the braking action was evident and without question working. My experience however towing trailers with brakes is limited.

According to the ford document, the IBC won't do anything at all below 11mph. It seems the ECU has a lot to do with the braking action and amount of force used. There seems to be no shortage of stopping power, however detecting when or if the trailer brakes are actually working is pretty much impossible. If the system is that seamless, then it's pretty awesome. I still can't confirm however that the brakes actually work. Or that they don't work lol.

When the emergency lever is used, the bar graph will pop up in the display and the amount of braking force can be seen and felt. While the graph is visible, additional pressure can be added with the footbrake, and the gain will indeed increase, however the additional braking force can't be detected. What I'm saying is that even when the gain can be seen on the bar graph, it can't be felt while stopping.

According to the ford document, the goal of the IBC is to make the trailer braking seamless and not herky jerky like it can be with aftermarket controllers.

Can anyone with the integrated controller confirm how the trailer brakes work (can they be detected?) when the controller is working correctly? I don't want to go back to the dealer without knowing for sure that the IBC isn't functioning properly.

Any other information or details about the IBC would be greatly appreciated.

 

ttt

hopefully someone with an integrated controller will chime in

 

If you put the truck in drive, and manually activate the trailer brakes with the TBC slide, will the trailer brakes hold the truck in place (no foot brake)?

 

the lever works and the brakes can be felt. the brakes cannot be felt with the foot brake. as in my original post however, they won't work below 11mph period with the foot brake.

i just talked to the dealer a few minutes ago, and they installed another one last week, and it's the same as mine. no trailer braking via the foot brake can be detected.

 

Will the trailer brakes hold the truck/trailer in place if you put it in drive without the foot brake?

 

I haven't tried that, but it won't lock the wheels up at low speeds

I maxed the gain out and went in on the display where there are the 3 options for braking strength (for lack of a better term). I had been trying it on low and medium settings. With it on the highest setting and the highest amount of gain, I can actually feel the trailer brakes tugging on the bumper a little.

 

I have a 2020 f150 with the factory controller and on my small travel trailer it weighs like 4K I set the brake at I believe 6.5 gain anything over that it really puts the brakes on hard and you can feel it.How much are weight are you towing?If it’s a pretty heavy trailer you might have to keep your gain up higher.

 

the gain won't go any higher

dry weight of the camper is 3500lbs. fully loaded is supposed to be 4900.

I have to think there are some "as builts" (for lack of a better term) in the IDS (factory software) set up that controls voltage to the trailer brakes. I had my wife step on the brake pedal of the truck while i stood by the trailer wheels and i could hear them energize, but they wouldn't apply enough pressure to feel anything (this was before today's discovery with the gain and voltage)