Trailer Brake Control System: Notes

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2013 Ford F-150. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The trailer brake control system consists of the following components:

Trailer Brake Control (TBC) module, which is mounted in the center of the instrument panel just below the climate controls
Trailer tow connector
Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC)

The TBC module has the following driver inputs and outputs:

Manual slider switch (input)
Gain buttons (input)
Gain setting display (output)
Trailer connectivity icon (output)
Output bar graph display (output)

The manual slider switch on the TBC module activates the trailer brakes independently from the vehicle brakes. The manual slider is used in conjunction with the gain buttons to adjust and set the trailer brakes. When the manual lever is activated with a trailer connected to the vehicle, the trailer stoplamps and the vehicle stoplamps illuminate. Activating the manual lever without a trailer connected to the vehicle still illuminates the vehicle stoplamps.

The gain buttons set the TBC system for specific towing conditions such as trailer load, vehicle load, road conditions and weather. The gain is normally set to provide maximum trailer braking while maintaining trailer stability. For information on setting the trailer brake gain, refer to the Owner's Literature.

The gain setting and output bar graph displays provide the driver with TBC system information. Trailer connectivity is provided through the trailer connector icon or message center depending on which IPC the vehicle is equipped with, the gain setting display provides the driver with the current gain setting and the output bar graph shows the amount of power going to the trailer brakes relative to brake pedal or manual lever input (only if a trailer is connected to the vehicle).