Flat Tow problems since we bought it

[Cats toy]

I have had trouble with the flat tow since we got it in December 23. Have had it reset 4 times At different dealers as we were traveling. After the last reset we managed to get home before it gave up. When we unhooked it was like always it gets stuck between tow haul and ready to drive. Today we went to leave and everything went nuts. We turned around and went home the accelerator did it’s own thing all I did was apply brakes. Now with 6005 miles it’s on the way to the dealer. Has anyone else had flat tow issues.

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[OleFordGuy]

all i can suggest is search the term "flat tow" in the forums search feature. I know there's been discussions on the subject in the past

 

[Maverickman74]

Sorry to hear that. It's really a shame because it is an ideal vehicle for a rv traveller. One thing Ford really should have gotten right is all models be capable of flat towing. Axle disconnects or something.

 

[Hot Runr Guy]

You might want to consider changing the title of your post, to something more related to "flat tow" problems. Not everyone read every thread.

HRG

 

[Cats toy]

Suggestion taken. Thanks

 

[OldNavyGuy]

"We turned around and went home the accelerator did it’s own thing all I did was apply brakes. "
Can you amplify that a little? I rear ended a lady in a McDonalds drive through when I couldn't stop the car. It seemed like it wanted to just accelerate into her. Being brand new to it, I didn't have the muscle memory reflexes to be able to stop it. Any info would be most helpful.

 

[Cats toy]

"We turned around and went home the accelerator did it’s own thing all I did was apply brakes. "
Can you amplify that a little? I rear ended a lady in a McDonalds drive through when I couldn't stop the car. It seemed like it wanted to just accelerate into her. Being brand new to it, I didn't have the muscle memory reflexes to be able to stop it. Any info would be most helpful.

mine was a definite software problem. It may have been because a ford dealer incorrectly resetting out flat tow option. It was a limited bleed but the brakes were easy to apply. If we had been in heavy traffic it would been a problem.

 

[OldNavyGuy]

mine was a definite software problem. It may have been because a ford dealer incorrectly resetting out flat tow option. It was a limited bleed but the brakes were easy to apply. If we had been in heavy traffic it would been a problem.

Thanks!

 

[Bert Rooster]

Sorry for the long post, it has been a learning process. I've only towed the Mav 3 times. The 1st was uneventful and I was feeling great - perfect toad. 2nd time was a train wreck. We had gone to the NASCAR championships in Phoenix and when we got ready to leave on Mon. morning the truck would not go into neutral tow mode - the dash displayed "neutral tow mode enabled" even though it was not. Several attempts to get the truck unconfused did nothing, I eventually removed the negative battery cable and reattached it, truck is now happy. Hooked it up and off we go. Stopped for the night and next morning went out to the truck and was it completely dead - no lights, no clicks, nothing. Hooked my battery charger to the charge/jump posts under the hood and it drew max current and popped the over current on the charger. Tried that a couple of times and gave up. We were in Wilcox, AZ which does not have a Ford dealership. Nearest dealership wasn't answering the phone so I decided Ford dealer probably couldn't do anything anyway. Turns out Wilcox does have a NAPA store so I called and got a battery ordered. While waiting for the battery to be delivered to the store I decided to remove the old battery and for laughs hooked it up to the battery charger. Now it acts normal and started charging. Gave it a couple of hours and stuck it back into the truck. Now truck is happy!! Took the truck for a drive to see the sights around Wilcox, AZ, not much to see. NAPA called to tell my battery has arrived. Went and got the new battery and installed it into the truck and reset the battery monitor as per the owner's manual. Truck was happy to engage neutral tow mode and we had an uneventful drive home. Previous to replacing the battery I would routinely get the deep sleep message on Fordpass, but since replacing the battery I haven't gotten any. The 3rd time towing the Mav it again got confused, dash display has "neutral tow mode enabled", but it wasn't and this time the dash gear indicator displayed "N" even though the gear selector would allow me to change gears and the truck acted normally. I again disconnected the negative battery lead and truck was happy. In retrospect I again consulted the owners manual - I know who does that I found that I had not been using the proper procedure to disable neutral tow mode. I think I may have induced the neutral tow mode confusion.
My take aways: Ford OEM battery is junk and following the documented procedure is good. I did not try to get any warranty response from Ford because when I got home I charged the OEM battery and load tested it. It tested good, so expect Ford would deny any claim. I feel like at this point the couple hundred dollars spent on an after market battery was a pretty cheap remedy to the deep sleep problem. We'll be taking another trip in a couple weeks so I'll see if I've got this figured out.
My towing setup: self installed Roadmaster baseplate, Roadmaster Falcon All-Terrain tow bar, RVI Brake supplemental brake, Demco charge line, Demco light kit for the Mav, and a dedicated 12v line to cab for the RVI Brake.

 

[Cats toy]

Thank you at least we’re not the only ones.

 

[BradnChristine]

Sorry for the long post, it has been a learning process. I've only towed the Mav 3 times. The 1st was uneventful and I was feeling great - perfect toad. 2nd time was a train wreck. We had gone to the NASCAR championships in Phoenix and when we got ready to leave on Mon. morning the truck would not go into neutral tow mode - the dash displayed "neutral tow mode enabled" even though it was not. Several attempts to get the truck unconfused did nothing, I eventually removed the negative battery cable and reattached it, truck is now happy. Hooked it up and off we go. Stopped for the night and next morning went out to the truck and was it completely dead - no lights, no clicks, nothing. Hooked my battery charger to the charge/jump posts under the hood and it drew max current and popped the over current on the charger. Tried that a couple of times and gave up. We were in Wilcox, AZ which does not have a Ford dealership. Nearest dealership wasn't answering the phone so I decided Ford dealer probably couldn't do anything anyway. Turns out Wilcox does have a NAPA store so I called and got a battery ordered. While waiting for the battery to be delivered to the store I decided to remove the old battery and for laughs hooked it up to the battery charger. Now it acts normal and started charging. Gave it a couple of hours and stuck it back into the truck. Now truck is happy!! Took the truck for a drive to see the sights around Wilcox, AZ, not much to see. NAPA called to tell my battery has arrived. Went and got the new battery and installed it into the truck and reset the battery monitor as per the owner's manual. Truck was happy to engage neutral tow mode and we had an uneventful drive home. Previous to replacing the battery I would routinely get the deep sleep message on Fordpass, but since replacing the battery I haven't gotten any. The 3rd time towing the Mav it again got confused, dash display has "neutral tow mode enabled", but it wasn't and this time the dash gear indicator displayed "N" even though the gear selector would allow me to change gears and the truck acted normally. I again disconnected the negative battery lead and truck was happy. In retrospect I again consulted the owners manual - I know who does that I found that I had not been using the proper procedure to disable neutral tow mode. I think I may have induced the neutral tow mode confusion.
My take aways: Ford OEM battery is junk and following the documented procedure is good. I did not try to get any warranty response from Ford because when I got home I charged the OEM battery and load tested it. It tested good, so expect Ford would deny any claim. I feel like at this point the couple hundred dollars spent on an after market battery was a pretty cheap remedy to the deep sleep problem. We'll be taking another trip in a couple weeks so I'll see if I've got this figured out.
My towing setup: self installed Roadmaster baseplate, Roadmaster Falcon All-Terrain tow bar, RVI Brake supplemental brake, Demco charge line, Demco light kit for the Mav, and a dedicated 12v line to cab for the RVI Brake.

I ALWAYS use a tow card to make sure I follow the complete procedure with no deviation. It is TOO easy to screw up a step.

 

[Cats toy]

We did not install our Brake Buddy yet we have too many problems with it. I follow the instructions to a tee. I copied the 2 pages and have them on hand for every tow. (Have them memorized) We love the truck it is everything we wanted al we want is for it to work. I will show your info to the next person that we have work on it. I’m just hoping when we get it back from Ford it’s right.

 

[Bert Rooster]

Based on many different posts for several not connected issues it seems like the OEM Ford battery may be the root of all evil! Hope you get your issues resolved.
My checklist is much shorter - bullets only. I thought I had the disable neutral tow procedure down but missed the step to depress the brake and shift into Park, I was shifting to Park without depressing the brake that totally confused the Mav's brain. That step is now burned into my brain, though I did have delete another less relevant thing to make room in my brain for it (at 70 my brain is mostly full )

 

[rmhopper]

A couple of toad pulls under my belt, and no real issues. I agree with your conclusions to follow your procedures to a "T" though. Some issues are caused by various things that "disrupt" the normal Maverick stuff--like brake relay mods (the Roadmaster kit controls the brake switch function and if you are connected to the coach with lights on, the Maverick doesn't know when you are pressing the brake) and difficulties getting into "Acc" mode with the push button start because 4-ways may be on (and the Mav goes to engine start instead of Acc). I never assume everything works right and validate the functions--looks like you did too, and avoided potential drivetrain damage. Eventually you get more comfortable with the process, but always still follow the checklist. Its WAY too easy to forget a simple but important step.

My towing setup (all self-installed): Demco baseplate, Demco Commander II tow bar, Demco Stay-in-Play supplemental brake, Roadmaster charge line, Roadmaster Brake relay, and eBay towing diode kit.

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