2006 F-250 Trailer Disconnected Message
Hey everyone. New guy here and new Ford owner.
Here’s the situation I’ve run into. Hoping someone can help.
I purchased an ‘06 F250 6.0 back in March. No issues. I purchased a gooseneck trailer which was the first trailer I’ve towed with brakes behind this truck. After I picked it up I realized the “-“ button on the TBC was stuck and I could not adjust the gain. To fix this I ordered a Dorman TBC from RockAuto and installed it. Immediately, without a trailer connected, the dash would display “Trailer Disconnected” every time I pressed the brake. If I held the brake it would beep again and display “TBC Failure”. I thought it must be an issue with the replacement TBC so I returned it and had them send me a new one. Same thing is happening.
I’m moderately handy with fixing things, but before I start diving in I wanted to get other thoughts. My thinking is that either the Dorman brand is not compatible, or I have a ground issue somewhere. Thoughts?
Here’s the situation I’ve run into. Hoping someone can help.
I purchased an ‘06 F250 6.0 back in March. No issues. I purchased a gooseneck trailer which was the first trailer I’ve towed with brakes behind this truck. After I picked it up I realized the “-“ button on the TBC was stuck and I could not adjust the gain. To fix this I ordered a Dorman TBC from RockAuto and installed it. Immediately, without a trailer connected, the dash would display “Trailer Disconnected” every time I pressed the brake. If I held the brake it would beep again and display “TBC Failure”. I thought it must be an issue with the replacement TBC so I returned it and had them send me a new one. Same thing is happening.
I’m moderately handy with fixing things, but before I start diving in I wanted to get other thoughts. My thinking is that either the Dorman brand is not compatible, or I have a ground issue somewhere. Thoughts?
Welcome to the site..
The button was stuck in? Or wouldn’t adjust the gain?
Compatibility....
The OE TBC communicates over a CAN bus network with the PCM, ABS module , IP for trailer connectivity, and both truck/trailer brake applications.
Installing a standard TBC (?) would leave the OE functions/comm out of the loop.
The OE TBC can be repaired. A net search has quite a bit of info on repair, both facilities and owner depending on ‘what’..
The button was stuck in? Or wouldn’t adjust the gain?
Compatibility....
The OE TBC communicates over a CAN bus network with the PCM, ABS module , IP for trailer connectivity, and both truck/trailer brake applications.
Installing a standard TBC (?) would leave the OE functions/comm out of the loop.
The OE TBC can be repaired. A net search has quite a bit of info on repair, both facilities and owner depending on ‘what’..
Last edited by Hayapower; Jul 16, 2020 at 09:58 PM.
I appreciate the insight. The actual electronic mechanism behind the plastic part of the button was stuck so the plastic part was just flimsy(?).
I figured I’d add a couple more “symptoms” to try and narrow down the issue. Today I hooked the trailer up and everything worked properly (lights, brakes, etc.). However, every little bump I went over caused the dash to quickly flash “Trailer Disconnected”, dash beeped, red trailer light flashed, etc. this happened about every 1-2 seconds. This is what’s leading me to believe it has to be some sort of wiring issue.
I figured I’d add a couple more “symptoms” to try and narrow down the issue. Today I hooked the trailer up and everything worked properly (lights, brakes, etc.). However, every little bump I went over caused the dash to quickly flash “Trailer Disconnected”, dash beeped, red trailer light flashed, etc. this happened about every 1-2 seconds. This is what’s leading me to believe it has to be some sort of wiring issue.
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