2019 Ram 2500 Power Locking Tailgate Wiring

[steve49]

Ordering an A.R.E. Z series fiberglass shell for my truck, anyone have info on the power locking tailgate wiring to tap into? Really don't want the dealer to do any of the wiring..., thanks!

 

[Tsys100718]

Welcome to the Forum! I've only had experience, unplugging it! Not sure what you want to tap into it for? Does the A.R.E. Z series have a lock tie-in? If so, I would imagine the selling dealer might be able to help, or it might come with a plug and play wiring harness!

 

[Gondul]

Looking at the site, if you are talking about the 'keyless entry' it appears to be an independent stand alone system with it's own fob.
Most likely the dealer will not wire it into the truck's system and you'll have to do it yourself (or find someone willing to do it)

 

[jsalbre]

The keyless entry option for both Leer and ARE can be either stand alone fobs or tied in to the vehicle.

The dealer that installed my Leer tied it in, but they didn’t listen to me and connected it to the driver’s side rear door, so I have to unlock the entire truck to open it. I’ll be rewiring it to the tailgate when I have the chance.

per Jimmy07 on another forum, on a 2018 the wiring is as follows:

”I’m seeing pin 7 (DG/BG) as the unlock signal.
Pin 8 (GN/BG) as the lock signal. Pin 3 is the ground. This is on the connector at the tailgate lock.”

I would thing the 2019 & 2020 would be the same, but I’ve not confirmed yet.

 

[Gondul]

The keyless entry option for both Leer and ARE can be either stand alone fobs or tied in to the vehicle.

That's one of those things they should make clear on their website... thanks for the clarification.

 

[steve49]

I had this same shell on my 2014 Ram 1500 with the locking tailgate, and it was wired in with the tailgate locking system, so just used the trucks key fob. The tailgate actually had the same solenoid or whatever setup as the doors, so when they locked you could hear it engage or disengage. These new trucks the setup is totally different with the tailgate, no lever to pull to open, and no sound or mechanical movement heard when locking or unlocking. Which makes me wonder if the voltage is different to the tailgate switch, which requires the shell locking setup to be powered by the rear passenger door power instead. I did pull the cover plate on the tailgate and there are two wires that run to each latch and the middle button release setup. One is beige with a yellow strip and the other is black, 'll have to test them to see whats what with power. When I worked the key fob locking and unlocking the truck, there was no movement of any kind with the latches. So maybe the tailgate push button setup just loses power when the truck is locked, thus locking it? Anyway more research!

jsalbre, I saw your post on another forum I believe, and the blue tap they used to get the power for the third brake light, I'm surprised it works! I removed some of the tape and the piece they pierced thru is a sleeve protector that is slid over the brake light wire to protect it. The wire is a light gauge wire, white with a purple strip.

 

[jsalbre]

I had this same shell on my 2014 Ram 1500 with the locking tailgate, and it was wired in with the tailgate locking system, so just used the trucks key fob. The tailgate actually had the same solenoid or whatever setup as the doors, so when they locked you could hear it engage or disengage. These new trucks the setup is totally different with the tailgate, no lever to pull to open, and no sound or mechanical movement heard when locking or unlocking. Which makes me wonder if the voltage is different to the tailgate switch, which requires the shell locking setup to be powered by the rear passenger door power instead. I did pull the cover plate on the tailgate and there are two wires that run to each latch and the middle button release setup. One is beige with a yellow strip and the other is black, 'll have to test them to see whats what with power. When I worked the key fob locking and unlocking the truck, there was no movement of any kind with the latches. So maybe the tailgate push button setup just loses power when the truck is locked, thus locking it? Anyway more research!

jsalbre, I saw your post on another forum I believe, and the blue tap they used to get the power for the third brake light, I'm surprised it works! I removed some of the tape and the piece they pierced thru is a sleeve protector that is slid over the brake light wire to protect it. The wire is a light gauge wire, white with a purple strip.

The electronics on these trucks are complicated, that’s for sure. Hopefully there’s a way to tie it in to the tailgate.

Thats a crazy way to hook it up. My installer used an adaptor that plugs in behind the 7-pin (which is causing some problems of its own), but our trucks have a dedicated brake light wire under the box. I’ll be moving my brake light wiring to that too, as well as moving the inside light wiring over to the OEM bed light wiring.

 

[steve49]

This is what the ARE dealer sent me when I requested info on the keyless entry wiring.

 

[jsalbre]

That document definitely points to the wrong wiring for the 3rd brake light. It probably works, but why not use the one that the factory already provided for exactly that purpose?

It doesn’t give a location for the lock wiring, but that looks like engine compartment to me. I wonder if that’s a door lock or actually the tailgate lock?

 

[Jimmy07]

The keyless entry option for both Leer and ARE can be either stand alone fobs or tied in to the vehicle.

The dealer that installed my Leer tied it in, but they didn’t listen to me and connected it to the driver’s side rear door, so I have to unlock the entire truck to open it. I’ll be rewiring it to the tailgate when I have the chance.

per Jimmy07 on another forum, on a 2018 the wiring is as follows:

”I’m seeing pin 7 (DG/BG) as the unlock signal.
Pin 8 (GN/BG) as the lock signal. Pin 3 is the ground. This is on the connector at the tailgate lock.”

I would thing the 2019 & 2020 would be the same, but I’ve not confirmed yet.

2019+ HDs tailgate wiring is way different. There is no secondary lock and unlock wires in the tailgate anymore. There is “technically” no tailgate lock, either. You have a switch that, when pressed, sends a pulse to the BCM. If the BCM recognizes the doors to be unlocked, then it will send the release signal to the tailgate actuators, and the tailgate will drop. If the BCM recognizes the doors to be locked, then it will ignore the pulse from the tailgate switch. You must grab an unlock circuit from one of the doors for something like this.

 

[Jimmy07]

That document definitely points to the wrong wiring for the 3rd brake light. It probably works, but why not use the one that the factory already provided for exactly that purpose?

It doesn’t give a location for the lock wiring, but that looks like engine compartment to me. I wonder if that’s a door lock or actually the tailgate lock?

This appears to be the location of that connector they want with the violet/green wire-

 

[steve49]

Right as far as the third brake light for sure!. Actually I pulled up the drivers step plate and found the door locking wires there, tested them both and they are correct as stated under ARE keyless entry. One wire locks and the other unlocks. I unplugged the tailgate wire harness and checked the wiring there and didn't get the same results, or any result. I think that push button system in the tailgate functions different electrically, which is why ARE setup is what it is. So I will tap into the door wires and run to the bed where I'll have everything pre-wired for the shell. Not gonna spend anymore time on it, and the results will be the same with locking and unlocking with the truck key fob,

 

[steve49]

Jimmy07, yep your diagram is correct and that's what I was thinking the locking setup being different for the tailgate, thanks for the diagram!

 

[jsalbre]

2019+ HDs tailgate wiring is way different. There is no secondary lock and unlock wires in the tailgate anymore. There is “technically” no tailgate lock, either. You have a switch that, when pressed, sends a pulse to the BCM. If the BCM recognizes the doors to be unlocked, then it will send the release signal to the tailgate actuators, and the tailgate will drop. If the BCM recognizes the doors to be locked, then it will ignore the pulse from the tailgate switch. You must grab an unlock circuit from one of the doors for something like this.

Argh. Well that’s disappointing. I wonder if I could rig up a microcontroller that would handle the logic. It just really irks me every time I grab the tailgate button and I remember that doesn’t unlock the cap.

 

[Brutal_HO]

2019+ HDs tailgate wiring is way different. There is no secondary lock and unlock wires in the tailgate anymore. There is “technically” no tailgate lock, either. You have a switch that, when pressed, sends a pulse to the BCM. If the BCM recognizes the doors to be unlocked, then it will send the release signal to the tailgate actuators, and the tailgate will drop. If the BCM recognizes the doors to be locked, then it will ignore the pulse from the tailgate switch. You must grab an unlock circuit from one of the doors for something like this.

The tailgate release also won't trigger if in R or D.