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Why can’t Ford wire the hitch and install later?

Strokes

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Recently dropped my standalone hitch because of the constraints. This seems like such a simple solution. So why can’t they just wire it up? From what I understand they considered doing this with the chip constraint for non-safety items.
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Yvonne Federowicz

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Recently dropped my standalone hitch because of the constraints. This seems like such a simple solution. So why can’t they just wire it up? From what I understand they considered doing this with the chip constraint for non-safety items.
I did the same. Lots of places install hitches.

I think I read that there might be software that helps towing, or some electrical differences vs. the factory installed version? Hoping someone will comment.

Hybrids only tow 2k. Maybe the 4k package is different...
 

Automate

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Like everything else on vehicles these days, the trailer connector is driven by electronics (micro-chips). Some micro-chips are still in short supply. This is the reason for the constraints on the hitch, not the mechanical receiver. So they can't have the wiring ready for a hitch install later.
 

MakinDoForNow

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Recently dropped my standalone hitch because of the constraints. This seems like such a simple solution. So why can’t they just wire it up? From what I understand they considered doing this with the chip constraint for non-safety items.
The wire up is apparently the hold up or part of it. When the trailer electrical is hooked up the circuits are checked to see if lights work etc. (Ground? Turn signals? Could determine bulb type by range of draw? If trailer hookup is valid the additional amount of amperage required to move truck to a certain speed could be used by chip to determine weight of trailer and only some guru knows what other chips could be notified so they could adjust function. There could be different chips for with trailer or without along with several additional chips that need to be changed out and maybe need different harness even for those?). With an aftermarket hitch and separate harness even if tow/haul is selected the control chip would be missing important data for optimal operation.). Not to imply that aftermarket hitch and harness would not function adequately. Notice that there is a fuse labeled "after market brake controller". I wonder if anyone has used that for a controller?
 

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scottp01

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scottp01

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I doubt the Mav hitch wiring harness is make in Ukraine and all the other wiring harnesses in the vehicle are made elsewhere. It's the chips. Ramping up chip capacity requires multi billion dollar plants.
Global supply chains. If companies in Ukraine can't make the harnesses, then other companies need to fill that hole in the supply lines.
 

Old Ranchero

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I doubt the Mav hitch wiring harness is make in Ukraine and all the other wiring harnesses in the vehicle are made elsewhere. It's the chips. Ramping up chip capacity requires multi billion dollar plants.
Yes and no. In this case, when world economies shut down from pandemic, vehicle manufacturers cancelled a majority of their IC orders fearing huge drop in sales and certain disaster if they tried to keep producing cars at forecasted levels pre-COVID. Semiconductor fab houses then took other orders that filled all manufacturing capacity on their schedule months out. When economies re-opened car manufactures went to order up again and found themselves at the back of the line for factory scheduling.

Another issue is car makers have not adapted their ICs to the latest technology with denser architecture used in newer chips. I read a very informative article on this maybe 1 year ago where a head of I think TMC in Taiwan explained they could react far faster if car makers had already changed over to new designs, but manufacturers were dragging their feet and resisting- preferring to stay with proven designs longer. Cost seemed to be a major factor in this.

There has been a major shift to bring IC production back to US and commitments to build new factories, but that is a year's long effort before production can begin.
 

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Global supply chains. If companies in Ukraine can't make the harnesses, then other companies need to fill that hole in the supply lines.
But it only effects the hitch wiring harness?

The Lux trim with all its extra features needs much more wiring harness than a hitch.
 
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Stive

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Recently dropped my standalone hitch because of the constraints. This seems like such a simple solution. So why can’t they just wire it up? From what I understand they considered doing this with the chip constraint for non-safety items.
From my experience, the hitch wiring is connected to cp360 which cancels some of its functions when you connect to the 4 prong. I tried the led bar below the tailgate and got the warnings. I ended up connecting directly to each taillight and cp360 works as it should.
 

Automate

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From my experience, the hitch wiring is connected to cp360 which cancels some of its functions when you connect to the 4 prong. I tried the led bar below the tailgate and got the warnings. I ended up connecting directly to each taillight and cp360 works as it should.
Need to be more specific on what part of CP360. It you are talking about the parking sensor warnings. Yes, the hitch connector should disable warnings that you may be getting too close to something when it's your own trailer.
 

cj99x

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the towing package on the eco has different gearing, tow hsul mode, brake controller, larger cooling capacity sway control, and a host of system changes that automatically occur when you tow
 

StephMavXLT

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Recently dropped my standalone hitch because of the constraints. This seems like such a simple solution. So why can’t they just wire it up? From what I understand they considered doing this with the chip constraint for non-safety items.
So if you search the ford accessory site they now have a ford maverick wiring harness $125 and hitch $336 which ford can install after market. I think the person on Facebook said the ford dealer quoted $750. So more expensive but there is an option now.
 

gte105u

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You can get a Curt hitch and harness. UHaul has a video on doing it yourself. There's a myth that they can't be added, it's not true.
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