Help needed with trailer wiring connection adapter

bbbacres · February 13, 2023

My 2001 Sports Trac comes with a small outlet to plug in trailer wiring. The outlet has 4 little connectors. My trailer is also a 4 pin connector, but the two will not attach. They seem to be a different standard. Anyone know what the connector on the Sports Trac is called? Has anyone used an adapter to connect a standard trailer wiring plug?

J_C · February 13, 2023

Pictures of both might help. The factory wiring might end at a 4 pin round connector, that I don't know any technical name for besides trailer connector.

For vehicles that came with the towing package, there should have been an adapter cable, with a mounting bracket, to convert the round 4 pin, to a straight row, 4 pin with a weatherproof cover. This kit for my '98 has part # SK-F87B-15A416-BA. See attachment. Ford varies the part # on something like this, so if it's what you need, you might find more of them with a search something like "15A416 ford trailer", though I'm not 100% certain that all which contain this 15A416 are compatible.

429CJ-3X2 · February 13, 2023

Sport Tracs all came with a 4 pin flat connector that slides into a bracket just under the bumper below the license plate light on the driver's side. That pigtail connects to the vehicle wiring via a round connector ahead of the driver's side taillight. If that pigtail is missing, or you have something different, someone has changed it. As far as I know, any 2001 or earlier Explorer or Mountaineer with a factory trailer tow package will have the pigtail you need. I have a spare, but it's badly corroded and might not work.

Hawkrod · October 25, 2024

429CJ-3X2 said:
Sport Tracs all came with a 4 pin flat connector that slides into a bracket just under the bumper below the license plate light on the driver's side. That pigtail connects to the vehicle wiring via a round connector ahead of the driver's side taillight. If that pigtail is missing, or you have something different, someone has changed it. As far as I know, any 2001 or earlier Explorer or Mountaineer with a factory trailer tow package will have the pigtail you need. I have a spare, but it's badly corroded and might not work.

I realize this is an old thread but that info is incorrect. The trailer plug wiring on a 2001 Sport Trac comes out of the main wiring and the plug is farther forward in the cab. I am dealing with a broken green wire in the connector and using the regular Explorer pig tail for the repair in case it happens again. The taillights do have a plug to the main harness but not the trailer plug. I was hoping you were correct as the original wiring diagram does not show a connector so I just took it apart and checked and there is no connector at that point. I think it is due to the fact that the Sport Trac came with a trailer hitch and plug as standard equipment (and yes, that is an actual rated trailer hitch assembly under the plastic bumper cover! Most people don’t realize that!)

J_C · October 25, 2024

Hawkrod said:
I realize this is an old thread but that info is incorrect. The trailer plug wiring on a 2001 Sport Trac comes out of the main wiring and the plug is farther forward in the cab. I am dealing with a broken green wire in the connector and using the regular Explorer pig tail for the repair in case it happens again. The taillights do have a plug to the main harness but not the trailer plug. I was hoping you were correct as the original wiring diagram does not show a connector so I just took it apart and checked and there is no connector at that point. I think it is due to the fact that the Sport Trac came with a trailer hitch and plug as standard equipment (and yes, that is an actual rated trailer hitch assembly under the plastic bumper cover! Most people don’t realize that!)

My '98 came with the towing package, and if you mean the 3000lb rated bumper with the hole for ball mount, it has that too.

That connector at the rear tail light, plugs into parts that were not factory installed on the vehicle but instead came in a cardboard box, a pigtail ending in a towing connector, and bracket to bolt on. I don't have a picture of the entire box contents but I did make a scan of the instruction sheet that came with it, and it does show all parts that were in the box in "FIG. 1".

That instruction sheet is attached to my prior post #2 in this topic: