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Rear Sensor alert tone


Wade Swancey
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I have a 2016 TC and want to install a Bumper in the rear trailer hitch receiver.  The problem is that it sets off the rear sensor alarm tone.  Does anyone know of a way to turn off the interior tone from the rear sensors?  I do not need a trailer harness since I am not interested in a trailer.  Is there another way to shut it down or do I have to remove the alarm unit to silence it while in reverse?  Thanks.

Dominator Hitch Step 2.jpg

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There is a connector for the sensors behind the passenger side rear wheel that you could try disconnecting. That may work to silence the alarm but may give a failure warning. Just guessing here, not an expert. If you do disconnect it, make sure to protect the ends against moisture since you won't have the water seal anymore. Here's some photos of my 2015 showing the connector. The live end of the connector could probably be moved back to the interior of the vehicle through that grommet you see the flat trailer wire coming out of in the photo. You could also remove the sensors from the bumper entirely to protect them, but that would leave holes. Or you cold do a halfway solution and disconnect the wiring only at the individual sensors being triggered if it's just the hitch step in the middle triggering the center sensors and not the entire bumper length triggering them all. You can see the sensor connectors and how they are just held in by plastic tabs in the photos.

 

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A simple but more permanent and drastic solution, AND NOT ONE I WOULD RECOMMEND, would be to cut and cap the power wire to the sensors. I only mention it because I know some people are more willing to go the quick, simple, but harder to repair route than I am comfortable doing. Here's the wiring diagram for my 2015. The power wire for my 2015 is the Blue-White one on pin 5 of the connector.

 

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Maybe there is another solution. Your factory trailer wiring includes a trailer module (computer). I think the sensors are deactivated when a trailer is connected. Maybe a simple plug-in tester like this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0049MX8AY?psc=1

Will be enough of a load for the module to sense a trailer is connected. I will review the service manual to see what it says about the sensors. 

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  • 8 months later...

I did some testing and if you connect a trailer harness, and you have the tow package, the TC will expect all the trailer lights to work. I found the turn signals flashed rapidly and an error message displayed when I did not have turn signal bulbs installed.

 

If you want to permanently simulate a turn signal load you need at least 11watts (5w did not  work). A 10 ohm, 25w resistor will work well. So for a permanently installed rack or bumper, you could wire the resistors to a trailer plug and keep it plugged in. You probably will have to add another resistor to simulate the tail/running lights so the trailer module thinks a trailer is attached. This should disable the backup alarms.

 

I know this is complicated, but it will work.

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  • 1 year later...

does anyone know if this module is a stand alone unit or does it integrate with the cars computer?

I'm asking because i am thinking to add more sensors for side of vehicle warning ( if something is too close to the sides )

These would also be handy for a front bumper as well when parking in tight spaces.

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  • 1 year later...

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