Transmission trashed during flat towing.

[islandboy1220]

I want to point out something Ford Technical wrote in my file. They said a voltage drop to 10.8v or lower could allow the TC to have shifted. And the following warning is in the owners manual:
WARNING: Do not disconnect the
battery during recreational towing. It prevents the transfer case from shifting properly and may cause the vehicle to roll, even if the transmission is in park (P).
We know our battery did not get low because there is a charge line already to it and the truck started right up, but the fact they do not want the power removed may be telling us something.

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[gmadams]

We did get an additional update. The transmission got damaged enough that they are replacing the transmission and cooling system. From what I was told, it means both metal and melted plastic were found in the system. We should get it back toward the end of next week, so that is good to have an end date in mind. It will also mean it took just about 7 full weeks. The timing was complicated by the dealer I purchased from not having full transmission capability. It waited in line to be looked at there and then at another dealer that is actually fixing it. I doubt we will ever know exactly what happened, but they confirmed the rotational forces that caused the transmission to heat up and self-distruct should have come from the TC engaging (or being engaged) when it was being towed. We know the screen said it (TC) was in the right place and that it also came back out and the transmission was in neutral. We also know the battery was fully charged, so I have to think something happened to drop electrical current from the TC, but no way to be sure.
Lots of people are towing these and systems like it and not having problems. We simply were unlucky. That being said, we are going ‘old school’ and switching to a Gladiator because they have a manual TC and are a favorite to tow behind a coach.
I truly appreciate the input and support received here! Thanks!!

Let me know what you get. I love my Gladiator. It is the Overland model.

 

[islandboy1220]

Let me know what you get. I love my Gladiator. It is the Overland model.

I test drove a Rubicon yesterday. Like the truck but was not impressed with the dealership. I have a nicer dealership working to get me another one from a different dealer...or I may just drive up there (80 miles is all) and get it. Snazzberry Pearl! ?

 

[RapidRedTremor]

Towed mine for the first time this weekend.
I did put the transmission in park to check to make sure it still rolled and the the transfer case was indeed in neutral. I noticed that even though the gear shift was moved to park the indicator on the dash still had the "N" for neutral showing. Didn't matter what position the transmission gear shift was in the dash read N for neutral.
So I made sure it was back in the neutral position and everything went fine.

 

[islandboy1220]

Well, they tell me the Ranger is fixed and the dealer I bought it from will pick it up tomorrow and make me an offer for it. I will make a decision to either sell it to them or sell it myself based on their offer. I am simply spooked with flat towing this specific truck. They really cannot adequately explain what happened so if I have to change, I want a manual transfer case.
I did purchase a Gladiator Rubicon last week and am very happy with it. I am much more comfortable with the manual transfer case!

 

[gmadams]

Congrats on the purchase!

 

[SilverSlugger]

After reading this entire thread I conclude that Ford does have an issue that needs to be addressed. Have there been any TSB's related to this. TSB's for this Ranger generation are starting to add up.....

 

[CHS]

Newbie Here.
Is this an issue with only the 2019 year model. I recently bought the 2021 model year for flt towing.

 

[islandboy1220]

Newbie Here.
Is this an issue with only the 2019 year model. I recently bought the 2021 model year for flt towing.

I cannot be sure it is a wide issue and in fact, I believe it is not a wide issue. I have not seen any 2020 or 2021 trucks with the issue. I think it was something peculiar with mine. I had what we now think were leading indicators (change in shifting, caught a whiff of hot transmission fluid) while just driving it (as opposed to flat towing it). Best guess is it simply failed while I was flat towing it and probably not because I was flat towing it, but I will never know for sure.
My brother also flat tows a 2019 Ranger and has towed it more than I have mine. He plans to continue to do so and I agree with that decision.
I will tell you Ford stood behind it 100%. The dealer and corporate genuinely felt bad it happened and did what they could to minimize the impact to me.
I have it back now and it shifts differently than it ever did before the failure. I believe that lends credibility to it simply having a manufacturing anomaly that manifested itself while I was towing it.
Sorry I cannot be more definitive, but I could not be there when they tore the tranny down to examine the failure in more detail.

 

[islandboy1220]

Newbie Here.
Is this an issue with only the 2019 year model. I recently bought the 2021 model year for flt towing.

You would not happen to need the Blue Ox baseplate for it, would you?

 

[CHS]

You would not happen to need the Blue Ox baseplate for it, would you?

No. Already bought / Installed.

 

[CHS]

I cannot be sure it is a wide issue and in fact, I believe it is not a wide issue. I have not seen any 2020 or 2021 trucks with the issue. I think it was something peculiar with mine. I had what we now think were leading indicators (change in shifting, caught a whiff of hot transmission fluid) while just driving it (as opposed to flat towing it). Best guess is it simply failed while I was flat towing it and probably not because I was flat towing it, but I will never know for sure.
My brother also flat tows a 2019 Ranger and has towed it more than I have mine. He plans to continue to do so and I agree with that decision.
I will tell you Ford stood behind it 100%. The dealer and corporate genuinely felt bad it happened and did what they could to minimize the impact to me.
I have it back now and it shifts differently than it ever did before the failure. I believe that lends credibility to it simply having a manufacturing anomaly that manifested itself while I was towing it.
Sorry I cannot be more definitive, but I could not be there when they tore the tranny down to examine the failure in more detail.

Thank you. Feeling a little easier now.
Love this truck.

 

[towpro]

I have a 2021 Ranger on order. I picked it because I will be flat towing it. (but to be truthful it will be our 4th Ranger over the last 30 years or so). to us a trip is usually 5-9 hour days of towing, sometimes 2 days in a row. I do run 12V feed on my rigs in case the Brakebuddy air pump runs the battery down.

Islandboy, I read you have a charge line but have you verified it really works? I know the 7 pin on my ForestRiver MBS chassis was not wired for charge or brake feed. I found the factory MBS trailer connector tapped up and hidden with foam along the frame. I extended that back to rear bumper and hide the forest river connector and now Charge and Brake lines work (after installing controller).
I also recall something in the past where maybe the 12V feed to the 7 pin does not turn on until the tow vehicle sees something is connected to the 7 pin (IE tow vehicle sees resistance on brake circuit) this stops corrosion on the 7 pin connector. I need to verify this on my MBS.

 

[towpro]

I just read the owners manual, for vehicles after 11/23/20 and see the following.

to turn Neutral Tow mode on.
Make sure you properly secure your vehicle to the tow vehicle.
Put the ignition in the on position, but do not start the engine. If your vehicle has an ignition key, turn the key to the on position. If your vehicle has intelligent access, press the engine START/STOP button once without pressing the brake pedal.
Press and hold the brake pedal.
Rotate the four-wheel drive switch to 2H.
Shift the transmission to neutral (N).
Enable Neutral Tow by selecting Settings in the information display menu.
Then select Vehicle.
Then select Neutral Tow and follow the instructions on screen.
Note: If successfully completed, the information display shows NEUTRAL TOW LEAVE IN N or Neutral Tow Enabled Leave Transmission in Neutral. This indicates that your vehicle is safe to tow with all wheels on the ground.
Note: If you do not see the message in the display, you must switch the ignition off and perform the procedure again from the beginning.
Note: You may hear an audible noise as the transfer case shifts into its neutral position. This is normal.
Leave the transmission in neutral (N) and turn the ignition key as far as it can go towards the off position. It does not turn fully off when the transmission is in neutral (N). If your vehicle has an ignition key, you must leave the key in the ignition when towing. To lock and unlock your vehicle, use the keyless entry keypad or an extra set of keys. If your vehicle has intelligent access, press the engine START/STOP button once without pressing the brake pedal. You do not need to leave your keys in the vehicle. You can lock and unlock your vehicle as you normally do.
Release the brake pedal.

To verify you are in Neutral Tow mode:
You can check the four-wheel-down towing status at any time by opening the driver door or by switching the ignition to the accessory or on position and verifying the confirmation message appears in the cluster.

To exit four-wheel-down towing and return the transfer case to the 2H position:
With your vehicle still properly secured to the tow vehicle, switch the ignition to the on position but do not start the engine. If your vehicle has an ignition key, turn the key to the on position. If your vehicle has intelligent access, press the engine START/STOP button once without pressing the brake pedal.
Press and hold the brake pedal.
Shift the transmission out of neutral (N) and into park (P).
Observe the messages on the information display screen.
Note: If completed successfully, the instrument cluster displays 4X2, and Neutral Tow Disabled.
Note: If the indicator light and message do not display, you must perform the procedure again from the beginning.
Note: You may hear an audible noise as the transfer case shifts out of its neutral position. This is normal.

so it sounds to me the actual event that causes the transfer case to shift to 2H is having the key ON -AND- Pressing the brake, -AND- putting the transmission into PARK.

1) Will it shut off in ACC instead of ON?
2) Is the pressing brake a needed computer input or a lawyer statement so it don't roll?

Now Phil adds a step her does:
I check this by putting the transmission in park and rolling the Ranger to ensure T/C in neutral. I then put the trans back in neutral as the manual requires.

So as long as leave the key in that "all the way to off as far as it will go" position, it should not switch transfer case into 2H when I move transmission selector to park for this test. But if it will switch to 2H in this test of the key is on (or maybe even ACC?)

 

[oldwirelessranger]

Putting your foot on the brake is a necessary computer input to disable flat towing. If you do NOT put your foot on the brake, put into park, you can test as Phil suggests. I have done this test (thanks Phil).

A couple things to note:
The left dash menu is slow to respond if drivers door is open. Close the door and you will find the Neutral Tow setting in the left dash menu right where they say.

My brake controller requires 12vdc. My 2021 Ranger came with a 75min timeout on the ACC (or ON mode in push button start). This means my RVi Brake3 system is not live for 45min of a 2hr drive.
If your braking system requires 12vdc, look for Youtube videos on getting & installing the free FORScan software first.
There are a series of steps.
And read up on what OBD adapter you want to get; I chose one that auto senses the bus speeds without using a switch, but did not have bluetooth & needs a USB port on your laptop.
Once you have saved all your original settings (more Youtube videos) then find the Youtube videos that talk about making changes.
This timer is easily changed.

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