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Ford F-150 Lets You Check the Trailer Lights With Your Smartphone, Here’s How

When Ford pulled the veils off the new interpretation of the F-Series, it made sure to let us all know it will be the most advanced to date. And by that we don’t mean from performance or capabilities standpoints alone, but also the ease-of-use features it ships with.
FordPass trailer light check 1 photo
Photo: Ford
Making use of the technologies it already has in place, Ford is betting it can make the lives of pickup truck drivers much easier this year. For instance, the flagship of the F-Series will get access to a Trailer Light Check feature that will allow drivers to look into the functionality of the trailer lights without having to enlist the help of others, directly on the screen of their smartphone.

You see, checking trailer lights, just like checking a car’s taillights, requires at least two people (or many trips to the back of the car and some innovative solutions): one in the cabin, to engage and disengage switches and buttons, and another one out back to see what works and what doesn’t. Ford’s solution eliminates the need for a second person. In a short video released today, the Blue Oval shows how this is supposed to work.

For the technology to be used, and assuming you already have the F-150 with the Trailer Light Check feature, all you need is FordPass Connect and FordPass app (note they only work with and depend on available and compatible AT&T networks).

Checking the lights is simple and straightforward. First, you have to make sure the ignition is on, and the truck is secured in Park. Then you need to open and log into the app. Selecting Vehicle and then Trailer Light Check comes next.

With that out of the way, all you have to do is go to the back of the trailer and position yourself to see if the lights are working. Once you press the start button on the app, lights will start to come on in a cycle: left turn signal, right turn signal, brake lights, and reverse lights, if they are available.

This is done five times, provided you don’t get bored long before that, and press the stop button on the app.

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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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