FLAT TOW EMERGENCY

[Travler]

I have flat towed for a long time , I had this happen several years back with a Jeep grand Cherokee, some times it worked and some times it didn’t, I have been flat towing my 2021 Bronco for about a year , the park break light in it is intermittent also , as someone else suggested always check and make sure every thing is in order and free wheeling

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[Dusty]

I dunno, man. I've been flat towing for years (Early Bronco, JK Rubicon, and my 6G Bronco). I learned a long time ago to keep an eye on things back there when you first pull away after hooking up. I watch everything back there closely as I start rolling, using the rear camera and side mirrors, or my wife will watch from outside the coach as we start to roll, then jump in when everything looks good. A couple of times we've seen that the parking brake was still on (once with the Rubi, and once with the 6G). Both times we caught it after only a couple of feet. Is this something that I can blame on the manufacturer? Not really, in my opinion. Like most things about operating and towing a motor vehicle, you need to pay attention.

 

[Haddixx]

I would have expected when you put the Bronco into Neutral Tow mode it automatically disables the electronic parking break. The issue I have with the current process of enabling neutral mode is that you need to be in accessory mode and cannot see the parking brake status or turn off the parking brake in accessory mode. It makes ensuring everything is setup correctly a little klunky.

The checklist we created has us first connect the tow bar so the vehicle is secured and wont move, then we fully start the Bronco and disable the parking brake, then turn the Bronco off and then turn it back on in accessory mode and follow the instructions in the manual to enable neutral tow mode.

 

[Dirtrider]

eBrake dash light DOES NOT work when in Flat Tow neutral. So you have no way of knowing if the brake is ON or OFF.
I found this out this morning when evidently the brake was ON when I began to flat tow. NO INDICATOR LIGHT.
When I saw smoke in my rear RV mirror, it was too late. It shredded both back tires.
1,800 miles on the Bronco.
Do I think Ford will own up to this major problem ?? Hell no.

I just finished the install and did my first test of the Air Force One braking system in my 2.3l 7 spd black diamond. It went into neutral tow mode just fine but after towing for a while when I was disconnecting and taking it out of neutral tow, I set the ebrake and I didn't get the sequence correct to take it out of neutral tow (my first time). Finally, after not finding the instructions during a search of the on-board manual, I stumbled upon getting it out of neutral tow. However, the ebrake light stayed on even though I could drive it and the ebrake was obviously off. I was a bit worried that I had created a problem but shut it down, parked the RV and when I restarted the Bronco, the light was out. No further drama.

I stopped using the ebrake when hooking up to the RV on our previous TOAD (2014 Honda CRV) after I left the ebrake on and dragged it a mile before I remembered (RV didn't even feel it). Fortunately the ebrake wasn't on hard, just enough to heat the brakes a little, no harm. Lesson learned! No 'easy' setting on the Bronco ebrake......

 

[tfrazier]

Yeah, drive it. Park it. connect it without engaging the park brake. This is a true guarantee that the park brake was not on.

Yeah...uh.. drive it. park it. connect it without engaging the park break. This is a true way of knowing you have connected it without having the park brake on.

 

[dgorsett]

Sorry this happened to you. I seldom use the p brake and never when setting up neutral tow.
Years ago a friend helping set up flat tow on my jeep set the p brake, fortunately it never worked very well and worked even more poorly after that.
I always watch in the mirrors on a turn to be sure wheels turn and steering turns and starts back to center, especially on the first turn after hookup.
Lots of stuff can go wrong. I once forgot to unlock the steering on the Jeep, jacknifed and crashed two of my cars in one wreck.

 

[Mr Toad]

Sorry that happened. Ford should update the Neutral Tow mode to show parking brake status, but as of January 2026, it has not. This happened the very first time I hooked up for flat towing- fortunately I noticed immediately the rear wheels were dragging and figured out the parking brake was engaged. Now my flat tow check list says "Place Bronco in Park but DO NOT set parking brake".

 

[Desmolicious]

The only time the owner’s manual says to apply the parking brake is when disconnecting from the neutral tow setting:

RECREATIONALLY TOWING YOUR VEHICLE - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

WARNING: Do not disconnect the battery when recreationally towing your vehicle. This prevents the transfer case from shifting properly and could cause the vehicle to roll, even if the transmission is in park (P). WARNING: Placing the transfer case in its neutral position could cause your vehicle to freely roll. Make sure you press and hold the brake pedal and the vehicle is in a secure, safe position when you place the transfer case in its neutral position.

Follow these guidelines if you have a need for recreational towing. An example of recreational towing would be towing your vehicle behind a motorhome. These guidelines are to make sure that you do not damage the transmission.
You can only tow your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground by placing the transfer case in its neutral position by engaging the recreational tow feature. Perform the following steps after positioning your vehicle behind the tow vehicle and properly securing them together.
Note: Switch your climate control system to recirculated air mode to prevent exhaust fumes from entering your vehicle.
Note: Failure to put the transfer case in its neutral position can damage vehicle components.
Note: You can check the towing status at any time by opening the driver door or turning the ignition to the accessory or on position. Neutral Tow Enabled Leave Transmission in Neutral appears in the instrument cluster display to confirm you can recreationally tow your vehicle.
Note: A tone could sound for up to 30 minutes if you recreationally tow with the doors removed.
Note: Make sure the vehicle is off after you activate the neutral tow feature to prevent the transfer case from switching out of neutral when the battery voltage is low.
Switching Neutral Tow On

1. Switch your vehicle to accessory mode by pressing the push button ignition switch without pressing any pedals.

1. Press the 2H button on the four-wheel drive mode control.

1. Press and hold the brake pedal and shift the transmission to neutral (N).

1. Using the instrument cluster controls on the steering wheel, select Settings.

1. Select Neutral Tow.

1. Press and hold the OK button until a confirmation message appears in the instrument cluster display.

Note: If successfully completed, the instrument cluster display shows 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 a confirmation message in the instrument cluster display, perform the procedure again from the beginning.
Note: You may hear noise as the transfer case shifts into its neutral position. This is normal.

1. Release the brake pedal and leave the transmission in neutral (N).

1. Switch your vehicle off by pressing the push button ignition switch once without pressing any pedals.

Note: If you are using a supplemental braking system, follow steps 9-14. If not, the activation process is complete, and your vehicle is ready to be towed.

1. Open the hood to gain access to the engine compartment.

1. Close all passenger doors and wait 5 minutes without interacting with the vehicle to allow it to enter sleep mode.

Note: Make sure you follow the correct fuses removal order.

1. Locate fuse 29 See Identifying the Fuses in the Under Hood Fuse Box. Carefully remove it using needle-nose pliers if necessary.

1. Locate fuse 28 See Identifying the Fuses in the Under Hood Fuse Box. Carefully remove it using needle-nose pliers if necessary.

Note: After removal, store the fuses in a safe place for reinstallation, and make sure to securely close the fuse box.

1. Close the hood.

1. Proceed with the supplemental braking system installation.

Note: If you use an add-on flat tow braking system during recreational tow, the battery may discharge during the remainder of the tow. Connect a 12-volt external power source to the towed vehicle’s battery for the duration of the tow.
Switching Neutral Tow Off
Note: Make sure to safely secure your vehicle to the towing vehicle before proceeding.
Note: If you are not using a supplemental braking system, skip steps 1-6.

1. Remove the supplemental braking system.

1. Make sure your vehicle is still off, then open the hood to gain access to the engine compartment.

1. Close all passenger doors and wait 5 minutes without interacting with the vehicle to allow it to enter sleep mode.

Note: Make sure you follow the correct fuses re-installation order.

1. Locate fuse 29 slot in the under hood fuse box See Identifying the Fuses in the Under Hood Fuse Box. Reinstall it into its designated location. Use needle-nose pliers if necessary.

1. Locate fuse 28 slot in the under hood fuse box See Identifying the Fuses in the Under Hood Fuse Box. Reinstall it into its designated location. Use needle-nose pliers if necessary.

1. Close the fuse box and then close the hood.

Note: If you attempt to start the vehicle while fuses 29 and 28 are removed, warnings may be displayed in the instrument cluster. These warnings may continue to show on the first 1-2 key cycles after the fuses have been re-installed. If this happens, allow the vehicle to enter sleep mode by letting it sit in the OFF position with the hood and doors closed without interacting with the vehicle for at least 30 minutes.

1. Press and hold the brake pedal and start the engine.

1. With your vehicle properly secured to the tow vehicle, switch your vehicle to accessory mode by pressing the push button ignition switch without pressing any pedals.

1. Starting with the brake pedal released and the transmission in neutral (N), fully press and hold the brake pedal for approximately seven seconds and shift the transmission to park (P). Continue holding the brake pedal until the instrument cluster display shows 2H and Neutral Tow Disabled.

Note: Perform the switching neutral tow on and switching neutral tow off procedures again from the beginning if the indicator and message do not display.
Note: You may hear a noise as the transfer case shifts out of its neutral position. This is normal.
Note: If successfully completed, the transfer case returns to 2H and the instrument cluster displays Neutral Tow Disabled.

1. Release the brake pedal.

1. Apply the parking brake, then disconnect your vehicle from the tow vehicle.

1. Release the parking brake, start the engine, and shift into drive (D) to make sure the transfer case is out of the neutral tow position.

1. If the transfer case did not successfully shift out of its neutral position, set the parking brake. Have your vehicle checked as soon as possible.

Resolving the Shift Delayed Drive Forward Message

1. Press and hold the brake pedal.

1. Press the push button ignition switch.

1. With the vehicle running, shift into drive (D). Let the vehicle roll forward up to 3 ft (1 m).

Note: You may hear a noise as the transfer case shifts out of its neutral position. This is normal.

1. Make sure the instrument cluster displays Neutral Tow Disabled.

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