2022 F150 Tailgate Open Sensor

[Macesman]

Hi, I have a 2022 F150 Lariat with power tailgate. I have installed a camper on my trunk, the camper was longer than the trunk so I have to remove the tailgate. Now everytime I start up the truck it keep coming up with an annoying message that "the tailgate is open" I have to push OK before I can shift gear (This get annoy as you have to do this everytime starting up the truck). Is there anyway to bypass the tailgate open sensor so the message doesn't come up. Thanks in advance.

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[moonlanderadventures]

Two things I can think of. Not sure if either is possible or not, just throwing out ideas.

Option 1: Tape the button shut so the system thinks the tailgate is closed.
Option 2: Put something in the trailer connector so it thinks you are towing or hauling.

 

[Darrell78]

I have dummy plugs to put in the connectors when the tail gate is removed. They came with the truck. Not sure if they trick the truck into thinking the gate is closed or not. I've never tried them.

 

[Macesman]

I have dummy plugs to put in the connectors when the tail gate is removed. They came with the truck. Not sure if they trick the truck into thinking the gate is closed or not. I've never tried them.

Thanks for the info. I did plug all the connector in. The screen still come up with Tailgate Ajar. I think the connector they provide only use for protecting the original plug from dirt some of them doesn't have any pin also the wire look like no jumper or anything connected to it.

 

[Macesman]

Two things I can think of. Not sure if either is possible or not, just throwing out ideas.

Option 1: Tape the button shut so the system thinks the tailgate is closed.
Option 2: Put something in the trailer connector so it thinks you are towing or hauling.

1: I check the trunk it doesn't have any button you can tape up like the door sensor. Curious how the car know if truck is close. Must be some loop back ground input.
2: Have not try putting trailer connector to it yet.

 

[moonlanderadventures]

1: I check the trunk it doesn't have any button you can tape up like the door sensor. Curious how the car know if truck is close. Must be some loop back ground input.
2: Have not try putting trailer connector to it yet.

I misread your original post. I was thinking the camper was resting on the tailgate itself when it was open, but you said you removed it. Since you removed it, you also removed the wiring harness which is likely creating an open circuit and trips the tailgate ajar message. Supposedly a tailgate delete jumper/harness exists that is supposed to complete the circuit telling the BCM that its closed, but people have reported its very hit or miss. You can ask the dealer or an independent shop that you performed a tailgate delete and see if they have such a device. I believe the provided end caps are nothing more than dust caps for debris intrusion.

If all else fails... FORSCAN.

 

[Buyer2021]

1: I check the trunk it doesn't have any button you can tape up like the door sensor. Curious how the car know if truck is close. Must be some loop back ground input.

There's a contact within the motorized LH Tailgate Latch which serves as the "tailgate ajar" sensor, apparently based on the position of that latch.

Attached FYI are all of the tailgate cells (wiring diagrams) from the 2022 workshop manual, plus C432 (the one you unplug to remove the tailgate) and C2280E at the BCM.

Looking at cell 109-8 we see that There's a wire from the LH tailgate latch assembly (with several internal contacts / switches) > pin 11 on C432 > Pin 34 on C2280E labeled "TAILGATE AJAR".

You're an EE, perhaps you can figure out if pin 11 on C432 needs to be jumped to ground, jumped to 12V+, or jumped to (???) to eliminate the Tailgate Ajar warning (hopefully without damaging the BCM in the process! ?)

Is "Latch SW Return", seen in that contact circuit on Cell 109-8, actually a 'ground'? I suspect it is but I'm not sure I'd risk my BCM by testing that.

Or maybe you can find a FORScan solution in the BCM tab of the spreadsheet?

Hope that helps, Have Fun, Good Luck, and please update with your findings!

 

[Macesman]

Thanks for the great detail info. Yes, look like that maybe the route I have to go. (Jumping out the pin). The schematic is a great help. My bet is the signal will goes to ground when trip so I will have to install the tailgate back in and test it out to know for sure that way I won't damage the BCM. Will update once I get it test out and jumper as needed.

As for FORScan, I couldn't find anything with "tailgate Ajar" setting in the BCM tap or any tap. That will be my last resource because if you forgot to switch the setting back before bringing the truck in for any service they will void the warrantee even the setting that you switch has nothing to do with the repair. I heard that some dealer are very picky.

 

[Buyer2021]

..... because if you forgot to switch the setting back before bringing the truck in for any service they will void the warrantee even the setting that you switch has nothing to do with the repair.

That myth is total BS - It'd be a violation of the federal Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act (M-MWA).

That federal law stipulates that a dealer / manufacturer can decline warranty coverage only to the extent that the otherwise covered item has failed as a direct consequence of an owner modification. In no case can warranty coverage of an item unaffected by the owner mod be declined.

My truck recently underwent warranty service with a number of obvious FORScan mods in-place. No mention at all by the dealer and all of the mods were intact after the service. Some dealer personnel are idiots, obviously mine was not, at least in this regard. If an idiot tries to decline warranty coverage inappropriately, call their bluff, cite the M-MWA, and escalate.

 

[Macesman]

That myth is total BS - It'd be a violation of the federal Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act.

That federal law stipulates that a dealer / manufacturer can decline warranty coverage only to the extent that the otherwise covered item has failed as a direct consequence of an owner modification. In no case can warranty coverage of an item unaffected by the owner mod be declined.

My truck recently underwent warranty service with a number of obvious FORScan mods in-place. No mention at all by the dealer and all of the mods were intact after the service. Some dealer personnel are idiots, obviously mine was not, at least in this regard.

Thanks, that good to know. Always wanted to play around with FORScan but was always nervous about the warrantee since I bought the extended warrantee. This truck has so much electrical on it so I decided to get the extended to be safe. Don't want them to make excuses to void my warrantee. Good to know about the law so when they make excuse I can argue back. Thanks again.

 

[moonlanderadventures]

That myth is total BS - It'd be a violation of the federal Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act (M-MWA).

That federal law stipulates that a dealer / manufacturer can decline warranty coverage only to the extent that the otherwise covered item has failed as a direct consequence of an owner modification. In no case can warranty coverage of an item unaffected by the owner mod be declined.

My truck recently underwent warranty service with a number of obvious FORScan mods in-place. No mention at all by the dealer and all of the mods were intact after the service. Some dealer personnel are idiots, obviously mine was not, at least in this regard. If an idiot tries to decline warranty coverage inappropriately, call their bluff, cite the M-MWA, and escalate.

I think its a grey area. If the modification was the direct cause of failure, MMWA would not protect you against a denial I believe. The burden of proof would be on you to prove it was unrelated to the failure. I also believe a lot of modules often maintain a non-resettable flash/write counter which means if they can tell if you tinkered with something even if the bit was flipped back to zero (factory) because the write counter should show more than 0. All it does is give the dealership leverage to deny your claim because they know denying it means you have to take them to court and that is an extremely cost prohibitive proposition, even if you are completely in the right. It wouldn't matter if the mod had nothing to do with the affected part because most people don't (or want) to exhaust the time and energy to dispute it legally. So yes if I muck with door ajar circuit and my transmission goes out, MMWA protects you, but if the dealership makes up some BS story about what you did effected the trans, even though it didn't, they also know you have to fight them legally and most people just simply won't. TLDR - What you are saying is 100% correct, but dealerships will still try to snake their way out of it.

 

[Buyer2021]

I also believe a lot of modules often maintain a non-resettable flash/write counter which means if they can tell if you tinkered with something even if the bit was flipped back to zero (factory) because the write counter should show more than 0.

Integrity is what you do when no-one is looking, and I don't need a module-write counter to keep my integrity intact.

I definitely don't advocate or ever myself 'remove' FORScan mods in an attempt to hide them from the dealer. If I make a mod and it causes a problem, I'm 'owning' that and accepting the consequences. I'm not gonna stoop to the kinds of games / obfuscation / lies that piss me off when a dealer does that.

IME the vast majority of dealers now understand and fairly apply the M-MWA rules. On one occasion years ago (a previously owned Ford Escape with many FORScan mods including activating non-OE navigation) I had a dealer tech 'err' in an interpretation, but that was quickly and easily resolved / corrected by involving the service manager.

I'm careful in choosing what I mod with FORScan and have never suffered a bad outcome or warranty issue.

YMMV.

 

[moonlanderadventures]

Integrity is what you do when no-one is looking, and I don't need a module-write counter to keep my integrity intact.

I definitely don't advocate or ever myself 'remove' FORScan mods in an attempt to hide them from the dealer. If I make a mod and it causes a problem, I'm 'owning' that and accepting the consequences. I'm not gonna stoop to the kinds of games / obfuscation / lies that piss me off when a dealer does that.

IME the vast majority of dealers now understand and fairly apply the M-MWA rules. On one occasion years ago (a previously owned Ford Escape with many FORScan mods including activating non-OE navigation) I had a dealer tech 'err' in an interpretation, but that was quickly and easily resolved / corrected by involving the service manager.

I'm careful in choosing what I mod with FORScan and have never suffered a bad outcome or warranty issue.

YMMV.

Well said. Never a bad thing to stand on business. User awareness is huge and I'm glad you brought this into light. Know your rights!

 

[Darrell78]

I was just reading the manual. Apparently there is a setting in the sync system to put the tailgate in manual mode which limits messaging on the dash. Worth a look. I've never tried it or looked for it. Just something I came across.

 

[Macesman]

I was just reading the manual. Apparently there is a setting in the sync system to put the tailgate in manual mode which limits messaging on the dash. Worth a look. I've never tried it or looked for it. Just something I came across.

Thanks, I saw some manual setting but wasn't aware what it will be. Let me check the Vehicle setting again and see what I can find. Thanks for the info.

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