Does anyone else have a connector under their steering column?
It looks like a modular plug with a wiring harness going up into the darkness somewhere.

Anyone have a clue what this is?

At first I thought it was for a security chip, but I don't have one in there and it starts fine, so I'm not sure.

 

What you are asking about is most likely the plug that is for hooking the truck up to the service computer for diagnosis by technicians. I'm pretty sure these are required on all late model vehicles now.

 

Yes all vehicles are now required to have the diagnostic connector withing 5" of the steering wheel centerline.

 

Hey when you've got a little free time on your hands, lay down under the steering wheel and look up under the dash area. You'll find all kinds of "plug ends" that don't have anything hooked to them, but instead just terminate in mid air. The reason I found all these is because I still have a pesky little "chatter/rattle" from underneath my steering wheel so I've been trying to locate it. Also, if you remove the radio on a FX4 there are a good many terminal ends found inside the radio cavity, which leads me to believe with some effort a Lariat steering wheel could work on an FX4 to control the radio.