Question for those with Factory LED bed lights

[hotrodmex]

I noticed today that my truck shows the tailgate ajar when down, so it must know when it is open some how.

So my 22 does not show anything about the Tailgate Ajar like the Door Ajar warning with the gate down.

This might be a CAN thing, as this thread has a 21 XLT and 22 Lariat user who don't have the notification.

Tailgate Warning add

The top cargo lights come on when the tailgate opens, so it definitely knows. Aftermarket bed lights tap into that wiring, so the aftermarket bed lights will turn on when the tailgate opens. Big advantage over the OEM ones.

Mine does not if it's triggered by the FOB outside of the Approach Lighting Detection range of the truck, nor if the lights time out after I've been in range and I close/open the tailgate.

This might be another CAN thing if it isn't just the Approach Lighting for you.

I'd guess any tailgate that has an electrical activated lock is equipped with a potential trigger signal. How you would capture it and use it is beyond me, but it's there.

Trigger to release, but there is no trigger to latch on the non-powered tailgates. The light wouldn't have a signal to turn off if you just triggered it by the tailgate release.

You'd think with that big fancy sensor under the work surface that safety feature would be possible already?

Is that a sensor or the tailgate control module?

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[Kanuck]

I just updated my truck today and the tailgate ajar showed up. This is the first time I noticed it. Could be part of thee updates.

 

[mwf5888]

My tailgate has always displayed on the dash if it is open.

 

[hotrodmex]

I just updated my truck today and the tailgate ajar showed up. This is the first time I noticed it. Could be part of thee updates.

And you have XLT, so definitely no powered tailgate. Did you have the Bed Utility Package, or no?

In the other thread @WDWFordGuy didn't have a warning and was working on adding the circuit, but maybe he has updated and now has the warning? He had a '21 XLT, but US.

@kb2755 you mentioned the cargo lights, but do you have the Tailgate Ajar warning as well?

My tailgate has always displayed on the dash if it is open.

Do you have the Bed Utility Package, or no?

So if anyone who has a US '22 without the Bed Utility package would chime in if they have the Tailgate Ajar warning, that might be informative.

So far anyone with it is a '21, or '22-Candian.

 

[BMac506]

And you have XLT, so definitely no powered tailgate. Did you have the Bed Utility Package, or no?

In the other thread @WDWFordGuy didn't have a warning and was working on adding the circuit, but maybe he has updated and now has the warning? He had a '21 XLT, but US.

@kb2755 you mentioned the cargo lights, but do you have the Tailgate Ajar warning as well?



Do you have the Bed Utility Package, or no?

So if anyone who has a US '22 without the Bed Utility package would chime in if they have the Tailgate Ajar warning, that might be informative.

So far anyone with it is a '21, or '22-Candian.

I have a 22 Lariat (US) without the bed utility package and I tried opening tailgate manually and using the fob and I don’t get a tailgate ajar warning on the dash either way.

 

[Kanuck]

I have a 21 XLT (XTR Job 1 truck as far as I can tell) with Box Link Cargo Management System - 55B and LED Box Lights. I am not sure what package gave me those options.

 

[Rockman5159]

I ordered my 22 Lariat without the bed utility package and then added the OEM led lights in the bed afterwards. I made the changes in Forscan and they now turn on when using zone lighting, the switch in the bed and the button on the dash.
I did notice that opening the tailgate from the fob or opening it manually doesn’t activate them. So my question for anyone with them factory installed is do they turn on when the tailgate opens? I’d assume they should and that I may be missing a Forscan change I need to make. if anyone with factory LED bed lights can tell me if they turn on automatically when using tailgate release on fob or manually opening the tailgate I’d appreciate it.

I have them on my 2021 F150 and mine do not come on when opening tailgate. I think manually and zone lighting are the only times they will come on.

 

[Jesse-Infotainment]

The bed lamps only come on via the switchin the bed OR through Zone lighting enabling the rear section of lighting. The second part may be apart of the BCM update. I cant say for sure. I did discover that if you change a bit in the BCM the bed lights become apart of the rest of the Lighting. Meaning whenever the otehr lights come on the bed lights do too. So when the approach lighting turns on the bed lamps did too. I rather liked it because I think its stupid to have to manually turn them on. The issue with the change was it caused a DTC in the BCM for the bedlamp circuit. That was the only issue. They still worked from the switch in the bed though. The bedlamps also are now shown graphically in the zone lighting when turned on after the BCM update. There is no independant switch in zone lighting for them but they are represented visually now.

The tailgate ajar has always been exclusive to the Power open and close tailgate because there was no way for the truck to know the bed was open on the power release only trucks. I do not know how they are getting the ajar signal on power release only tailgate trucks that did not also get the wiring mod along with teh BCM update. The unintended tailgate opening is solved with software and wiring. So I am guessing the wiring adds the ability to know if the tailgate is open or not. I have no idea how accuarte is is without it.

The Power relaease and close has a totally different system than the power release only. There is no mechanical linkage opening the tailgate the latches are each electric and are similar to the Mercedes S class doors that suck the door closed when not fully closed. They ae also independant of each other they are not linked to each other. The module is in the tailgate that controls the entire system.

Once you do the BCM update you have the option to adjust the opening to a double press or leave it single and you can turn on the Tailgate ajar message. It is nice asthe tailgate ajar shows in Fordpass. Again I hope the ajar is accurate for those that have not done the wiring update. I am interested in how it is though. There is no way to know if its open or closed. I guess with open it can assume form the press of the open button I dont know how it knows its closed though. I would be interested to hear that it the ajar message goes away when closed.

 

[snyce1]

I ordered my 22 Lariat without the bed utility package and then added the OEM led lights in the bed afterwards. I made the changes in Forscan and they now turn on when using zone lighting, the switch in the bed and the button on the dash.
I did notice that opening the tailgate from the fob or opening it manually doesn’t activate them. So my question for anyone with them factory installed is do they turn on when the tailgate opens? I’d assume they should and that I may be missing a Forscan change I need to make. if anyone with factory LED bed lights can tell me if they turn on automatically when using tailgate release on fob or manually opening the tailgate I’d appreciate it.

Nope . The overhead light comes on at dark but inside bed requires the button in the bed to be turned on

 

[kb2755]

I have a 21 XLT (XTR Job 1 truck as far as I can tell) with Box Link Cargo Management System - 55B and LED Box Lights. I am not sure what package gave me those options.

For us in Canada it was part of 302A. My 2022 has them without a bed package.

 

[kb2755]

@kb2755 you mentioned the cargo lights, but do you have the Tailgate Ajar warning as well?

No ajar warning. And I was wrong about the cargo light up top. You were right, just comes on when unlocked. Opening the tailgate alone doesn’t do anything.

 

[Kanuck]

I just went out to take a picture of the symbol on the IPC and I could not make it happen. I was also getting the park brake coming on when I put the truck into park. I don't get either one now. No park brake on and tailgate open symbol. I updated my truck Saturday morning and all afternoon Saturday, the park brake would come on by own. I don't know what is going on.

 

[mwf5888]

Do you have the Bed Utility Package, or no?

So if anyone who has a US '22 without the Bed Utility package would chime in if they have the Tailgate Ajar warning, that might be informative.

So far anyone with it is a '21, or '22-Candian.
[/QUOTE]

I do not. My sticker includes "Box Lighting - LED" as a standard feature or the 2021 (Job 1) King Ranch.

 

[thudnblunder]

You'd think with that big fancy sensor under the work surface that safety feature would be possible already?

I sometimes put a bike rack on the hitch. I absolutely don't want the tail gate to open in that situation. The best case scenario would be a scuffed up tail gate, the worst case would be a broken carbon bike. So I don't trust any sensors and when the bike rack goes on, I'm coming up with a way to attach a steel cable to one of the box links so the tail gate can not physically open.

 

[waphilips]

I ordered my 22 Lariat without the bed utility package and then added the OEM led lights in the bed afterwards. I made the changes in Forscan and they now turn on when using zone lighting, the switch in the bed and the button on the dash.
I did notice that opening the tailgate from the fob or opening it manually doesn’t activate them. So my question for anyone with them factory installed is do they turn on when the tailgate opens? I’d assume they should and that I may be missing a Forscan change I need to make. if anyone with factory LED bed lights can tell me if they turn on automatically when using tailgate release on fob or manually opening the tailgate I’d appreciate it.

they do not

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