New Owner, Couple Quick Towing / Camera Questions

[peterk9]

I saw a reference to a Parking Assist using that third button on the LIft-Gate, Tow panel. Is that a good thing to add to the Sports, and if so, where would I start?

If your Sport did not come with Active Park Assist then adding the feature is much more complicated than just adding the button. The feature incorporates all the sensors to allow for parallel and perpendicular parking and also is integrated into the steering system. Check out the feature in your Owner's Manual.
I believe the temperature display disappearing is a common thing when plugging in your phone for certain functions.
Are you actually planning on towing? Just curious since it has been over 2 years since you bought the vehicle and just now mentioned the towing button issue.
Considering the temperature you stated, the heated steering wheel should come ON every time you start your vehicle. I believe it is all covered in the Manual.

Peter

 

[bkimbel]

What is the color of that wayward wire?

Are you able to examine the connector to the switch panel assembly?

There is an 8-pin connector on the back on the switch panel. Those wires leading to the female side show the following (left to right):
1- Brown/Yellow or white stripe
2- Grey - No stripe seen
3- Purple/ Grey Stripe
4- Not used
5- Brown/Green Stripe
6- Not used
7- Not used
8- Black / Blue Stripe

The first wire (Brown/Yellow) had a red wire spliced into it which I removed and re-insulated. The red wire went into a double wire insulation with a black wire which is the one I previously spotted. The other end of the double was cut off. Neither of those wires connected to anything on the other end. I suspect they were used for connecting a radar detector (or some such device) which was removed by the previous owner.

Since the two wires appeared to have been cut at the same time, I suspect they may have short-circuited and blown a fuse, but I was not able to spot a blown fuse in the fuse panel. There are a number of fuses and relays that refer to a Tow connection in the user guide fuse listing, but no clear indicator for further trouble shooting (to me).

The TOW button remains non-functional, and there is only a filler panel in the #3 position.

Are there any other checks I should make? I have a Digital Voltmeter and can test for voltages, paths to ground and resistances. Unfortunately, I do not have a circuit diagram of the switch and wiring pinouts (I really need a shop manual and an electrical manual for the 2017 Explorer Sport!).

 

[bkimbel]

If your Sport did not come with Active Park Assist then adding the feature is much more complicated than just adding the button. The feature incorporates all the sensors to allow for parallel and perpendicular parking and also is integrated into the steering system. Check out the feature in your Owner's Manual.
I believe the temperature display disappearing is a common thing when plugging in your phone for certain functions.
Are you actually planning on towing? Just curious since it has been over 2 years since you bought the vehicle and just now mentioned the towing button issue.
Considering the temperature you stated, the heated steering wheel should come ON every time you start your vehicle. I believe it is all covered in the Manual.

Peter

I just found this forum, and just went past the first year of ownership last September.

Towing was a major desire when I was looking for this car. So far, I have done one local, and moved a 6x12 U-haul from Rogers, AR to my home in Orange Park, FL, plus one about a month ago towing a U-Haul Car Transporter with a 1996 Corvette that had been in storage up there.

I really like the way the Sport tows! It's almost like not having anything back there! I'm very glad we got it.

Maybe I just noticed it more when I started the car (remotely) on Sunday then jumped into a warm car with a warm steering wheel.

 

[ProjectSHO89]

There is an 8-pin connector on the back on the switch panel. Those wires leading to the female side show the following (left to right):
1- Brown/Yellow or white stripe
2- Grey - No stripe seen
3- Purple/ Grey Stripe
4- Not used
5- Brown/Green Stripe
6- Not used
7- Not used
8- Black / Blue Stripe

Other than reversing the pin numbering and a couple of so-close color IDs, you did fine.

I've appended the schematic for the switch assembly along with the pin out and wire list for the connector. The TOW/HAUL switch is a momentary contact switch that should apply battery voltage (in START/RUN) to the TCS input of the PCM. Check fuse F19 under the dash and make sure it's not blown and is HOT in START/RUN. There is no additional wiring shown that might support a third switch. I think that the park assist function is controlled through the left IP and left steering wheel control switches on the "newer" Explorers. My '15 XLT is set up that way for the parking aid.

 

[bkimbel]

Other than reversing the pin numbering and a couple of so-close color IDs, you did fine.

I've appended the schematic for the switch assembly along with the pin out and wire list for the connector. The TOW/HAUL switch is a momentary contact switch that should apply battery voltage (in START/RUN) to the TCS input of the PCM. Check fuse F19 under the dash and make sure it's not blown and is HOT in START/RUN. There is no additional wiring shown that might support a third switch. I think that the park assist function is controlled through the left IP and left steering wheel control switches on the "newer" Explorers. My '15 XLT is set up that way for the parking aid.

View attachment 436982
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View attachment 436984

This was precisely what I needed. I was able to find the under dash fuse block and with a little grunting and groaning (I'm 6'3") was able to pull the 7.5 amp fuse in slot 19-20. I was not familiar with the Micro 3 fuses with three pins. Sure enough the side of the fuse in the 19 end was open (but the 20 end was still operational, with no use according to the owner's guide).
I turned that fuse around, then re-inserted it, and pushed the Tow Haul button, and the lamp lit up on the dash. "Success", I says!
Next stop was Autozone where they didn't have any of those weird fuses, then O'Reilly's where they DID have some. On the way home I tried punching the button again while watching the tach and saw that it was shifting from the apparent Overdrive to a couple of hundred rpms faster when the dash light came on, and back lower when I turned it off. I wil try to read up on anyother changes to the operation under TOW/Haul mode.
When I originally reported my problem, I may have mentioned that there was a spare wire under the dash. That turned out to be an aftermarket speaker wire that was connected to a ground. I removed and discarded that one.
Again, thanks to ProjectSHO89 for the help!

Regards