Transmission trashed during flat towing.

[oldwirelessranger]

Did any Ranger owner need to have a special software load to see the "Neutral Tow" option under Settings-Vehicle?

I am looking at a 2021 Ranger Lariat 4x4 & the neutral tow option is not there.

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[Big Blue]

Did any Ranger owner need to have a special software load to see the "Neutral Tow" option under Settings-Vehicle?

I am looking at a 2021 Ranger Lariat 4x4 & the neutral tow option is not there.

Might need to use Forscan and go into the IPC configuration and enable the "Neutral Tow" option. My 2019 XLT FX4 with tow package had it enabled from the factory. I don't use it but as I remember it is kind of buried in the dash menus.

 

[RoadtripsOfUnusualSize]

No change needed for me. It was there. Hidden in the menus, but there.

I'd think the seller/dealer would be motivated to find that setting for you.

 

[gmadams]

Add me to the list of toasted transmissions. I have a 2019 Ranger XLT 4X4 with 8500 miles. I tow it behind our motorhome and have done so since May 2020. I have the neutral tow procedures printed out and laminated. It is in the door pocket and I follow it every time. We were on our way back to NC from the Florida Keys went it happened to me. The AutoNation Ford dealer would have got a new tyranny but we had to get back home so I plan on having it taken to my local dealer hen I get home.

 

[RoadtripsOfUnusualSize]

Add me to the list of toasted transmissions.

Sorry for your troubles. Keep us posted on the pickup's repairs.

 

[gmadams]

Sorry for your troubles. Keep us posted on the pickup's repairs.

Thanks. We get home on Wednesday and I will have it towed that day or the next day to the dealership.

 

[oldwirelessranger]

Might need to use Forscan and go into the IPC configuration and enable the "Neutral Tow" option. My 2019 XLT FX4 with tow package had it enabled from the factory. I don't use it but as I remember it is kind of buried in the dash menus.

My fault. I was looking at wrong menu.
The menu on left of dash is proper place to view setting. Howrver if you have the drivers door open it responds a little slower than my A D D. When I slooooowwwwed down, & gave the menu a chance to respond the proper settings appeared.
I had one leg out the door ready to push the truck once I completed the steps. The open door gives a warning to that screen.

 

[gmadams]

I wonder if anyone had this problem. We were flat towing our 2019 Ranger 4x4 Lariat with 3600 miles on the odometer. We purchased this so we could flat tow behind our motorhome. We had traveled about 4000 miles in the RV from our residence near Ft. Myers, Fl. We performed the prescribed computer entries to engage the flat tow and out of tow mode many times without any problems. BUT in Clayton, GA when we were uncoupling the Ranger it would not engage into drive mode. Luckily there was a Ford dealer about a mile away and they sent a wrecker.

They determined that there was lots of metal in the transmission pan. They queried us as to our towing procedures and they were satisfied we were towing correctly as we used a copy of the owners manual as a checklist to tow and untow. The service manager said the tranny was history an he would have to find a new one somewhere. We could not stay there longer than five days and departed for home w/o the Ranger. The service mgr said he found one in Utah but the dealer had promised it to a customer. His only choice was to get one shipped from the factory. He kept me up on his progress and about two weeks later he installed a new tranny. Ford area service said they would ship the car to the nearby dealer from which I purchased it. All in all it was about a month until we got the Ranger back. Everyone with Ford were very accommodating. The only hitch neither the service mgr and the area Ford agent could tell us what went wrong with the tranny. The service mgr suggested it was a screw-up in the computer. We really like our Ranger but worry about what went wrong. My buddy who was a new car mgr told me the tranny would be shipped back to the factory to determine what went wrong for such a new model.

I have only read in this forum about one transmission problem but nothing like mine.

I too have the same situation with my Ranger. Have you continued to5 tow your Ranger after the new transmission was installed? I am having second thoughts about towing my Ranger after I get it back.

 

[Trigganometry]

I too have the same situation with my Ranger. Have you continued to5 tow your Ranger after the new transmission was installed? I am having second thoughts about towing my Ranger after I get it back.

It seems that flat towing the Ranger has this issue. Some have found that adding a 12V supplemental supply from the tow vehicle to the Ranger keeps this from occurring. From my understanding the battery voltage drops beyond a certain point and transmission fails. If it’s power needs are met during towing no problems. Some of the other forum members can chime in with more on this.

 

[gmadams]

It seems that flat towing the Ranger has this issue. Some have found that adding a 12V supplemental supply from the tow vehicle to the Ranger keeps this from occurring. From my understanding the battery voltage drops beyond a certain point and transmission fails. If it’s power needs are met during towing no problems. Some of the other forum members can chime in with more on this.

I have a 12v line that goes from my RV to the truck battery.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

I have a 12v line that goes from my RV to the truck battery.

Hi Gary,

I have found no need for a charge line at this time, but keep the idea in reserve in the future. So far I found when I have the Aux Brake adjusted correctly, things work fine and the battery in the truck is still able to start the truck without any problem.

best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[gmadams]

Update to my situation. The dealer called me today and said that Ford will cover the costs. I should be able to get it tomorrow. Now my problem is that can trust the tranny to stay together. I follow the procedures to put it in Neutral Tow and I have a laminated sheet detailing the procedure that I use every time.

 

[gmadams]

So an obvious question for those with the blown transmission and all of us wondering about the need for a charge wire, did the truck start when you disconnected and tried to shift the transmission out of tow mode? Or, was the battery dead?

My battery was not dead. The truck started with no problem.

 

[gmadams]

So, now three dead transmissions on this forum. In each case Ford is Denying responsibility.

Not feeling really good about towing my Ranger next week for the first time. There’s really no conclusive way to prove you followed the flat tow procedure so Ford will blame the owner every time. The same thing is happening to F150 owners too and they’re getting the same treatment.

I’m still guessing it’s a dead battery issue so my rig is definitely equipped with a charge line from the motorhome. My guess is when the battery dies (because the key is not turned all the way off per their procedure) the transfer case can drop out of neutral. The Owner’s Manual specifically cautions against disconnecting the battery when flat towing because “It prevents the transfer case from shifting properly”. Apparently Ford thinks the transfer case needs constant power or something bad will happen.

So, my plan is to not let the battery run down, even a little.

Ford is not denying any responsibility. They are covering my repairs at no cost to me.

 

[Dennis64]

I have close to 10,000 towing miles on my 2019 FX4 Lariat and have not had any problems at all. Always following procedure in the manual and do not deviate at all from it. Never had an issue with the battery dying because I turn the vehicle off once it is set to tow.

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