Ford F-150 Taillights Have A Feature Previously Unknown In All Of Taillightdom -- Onboard Scales

[P0H0]

The 2021 Ford F-150 has a feature called “Onboard Scales,” which uses the taillights to help make sure you don’t overload the truck beyond its payload capacity.

Best Of 2021: Ford F-150 Taillights Have A Feature Previously Unknown In All Of Taillightdom

Was 2021 a great year? Not exactly! But we did have some posts that got a lot of attention. Take a walk down memory lane with us, as we think back on 2021, a year that will seem much better by this time in 2022.

jalopnik.com

This Is How The Ford F-150's Taillight Scales Work

The 2021 Ford F-150 has a feature called “Onboard Scales,” which uses the taillights to help make sure you don’t overload the truck beyond its payload capacity. Here’s how this works.

jalopnik.com

 

[Robb1]

Interesting you brought this up. I have been on a quest for the last week to see if we can activate this and the other onboard scales / smart hitch features in the Tremor with FORScan. End result as of today is that we are missing one module, the VDM, to make it work. We have every other piece of hardware already onboard. If you have the full LED tails you have the indicators.

 

[P0H0]

Interesting you brought this up. I have been on a quest for the last week to see if we can activate this and the other onboard scales / smart hitch features in the Tremor with FORScan. End result as of today is that we are missing one module, the VDM, to make it work. We have every other piece of hardware already onboard. If you have the full LED tails you have the indicators.

I wasn’t even aware of the option until today. I do have the 402A package.

 

[deucedevil]

So for clarity, the LED taillights have the capability but the VDM module is not on the Tremor, standard or option. Is this something that can be added with dealer or aftermarket?

 

[P0H0]

So for clarity, the LED taillights have the capability but the VDM module is not on the Tremor, standard or option. Is this something that can be added with dealer or aftermarket?

And is it an option for a 2022 Tremor?

 

[Robb1]

So for clarity, the LED taillights have the capability but the VDM module is not on the Tremor, standard or option. Is this something that can be added with dealer or aftermarket?

Sorry for the delayed response. Correct my research and testing with FORScan (and others doing the same on non Tremor F150s) indicates those with the 402A package have all of the components required for onboard scales / smart hitch except the vehicle dynamics module (VDM). I have been able to activate the tail lights and the feature screens on the center display, but it will not function without the VDM.

As far as installing a VDM: It appears for 2021 Ford only installs this module on trucks with the factory onboard scales or CCD suspension. Since nether is offered on the Tremor, I do not think the dealer would help. This would be a custom mod, but it should be doable if you installed a VDM and do some adjustments with FORScan.

Obviously I can’t fully test without a VDM so I do not want to give false hope, but everything indicates it should be possible. If I can acquire a VDM for a reasonable price at some point, I will try and workout getting the scales online on our trucks. This will require at a minimum FORScan as-built changes, so it will not be a plug and play mod.

 

[Robb1]

And is it an option for a 2022 Tremor?

Not to my knowledge. It is offered as a option on the Lariat which electronically is almost identical to our Tremors and is one of the baselines I’m using for the FORScan changes that are required.

 

[P0H0]

Yeah, I dunno — just thinking of the consequences of adding the scale lights…

Your wife may see you’ve put on an extra light and cook more turkey bacon.