As a lifelong Ford enthusiast I purchased my Blackwood new in September of 2002 and have had few issues over the years. The most difficult problem to solve was in 2012 when the tonneau control module failed. I was able to locate a new module at an online Ford parts dealer for $387.42 shipping and tax included. That said the module is located on the passenger side inside the truck bed and extensive disassembly is required to replace the module. I replaced the defective module and the tonneau cover worked perfectly until January 2021.

After an extensive search the only modules available are being sold for between $1000 and $1400 and repair of the old modules from the only ECM company with a BBB A+ rating is $350.

I did find some photos and videos online of at least 2 Blackwood owners that managed to bypass the tonneau control module with 12V relays however there were no schematics that provide the detail required for the task.

I have had my Blackwood for nearly 20 years and would like to keep it fully functional yet after reading many post in various places the tonneau control modules seem to have a weakness in the components and some owners have replaced the modules as many as 4 times.

That said if anyone has successfully bypassed the module any assistance would be greatly appreciated.