Flat Tow Engine Failure

[Jurata75]

Hey All,
Just got back from a trip to Missouri from San Diego. Did a lot of research on flat towing my bronco. How to engage it properly, how to disengage it properly, and what causes failure. For the most part it seems battery drain is what was the main culprit. I added a hot lead off my coach to the battery to maintain charge for the long days of travel. Well, on the last leg back to SD my coach broke down in Pheonix. We sat for a bit and during that time my wife took the bronco to a friend's house to grab a scanning tool. She returned, I hooked the bronco back up when the service tech was finished getting the RV back up and running. We pulled off the dirt shoulder, saw the Bronco was turning and wheeling freely and hit the road. When we got home, i disconnected the Bronco and started it up. I instantly got a stop engine, coolant too hot. Shut it off, let it cool for a little, smelt burnt engine oil and looked under the hood. No leaks, so I started it back up. Same warnings came on but this time I tried to put it in gear to see if I could move it out of the way of the RV. The Bronco just jolted in place like the torque converter wasn't engaging. I'm guessing the transmission and motor are toast. Before I go to the dealer, I'm just curious if anyone else has had this issue and any luck with Ford/warranty. My insurance Broker says he thinks he can get it covered that way but all the posts I've seen (short time I have been looking) have been a few years back and/or seem to be just confirming it's an issue and not anyone that had directly had this issue. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

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[dgorsett]

FWIW probably the transmission only, not engine.

 

[Mize442]

Sorry to hear about your Bronco.
My wife and I flat towed our Big Bend for probably 30k miles over the last few years.
We use walkie talkies to communicate during a pull and light/signal check also we do a pull test for a good 10ft.
Are you using a tow bar like Roadmaster or BlueOx? Also do have your lights connected between both the RV and Bronco with a light kit installed?
Check the Roadmaster website it will show you whats compatible. If so power to run the lights will come from your RV not your Broncos battery which will solve your dead battery issue.
It's so easy to not engage Neutral Tow Mode correctly. You never have the motor running while doing this and when engaged it shows on the center of the dash. Then you turn your rig off completely and close the door. Never leaving the keys inside.
There is a cool and easy to follow YouTube video on how to do this.

 

[Iowa Hawkeye]

Jurata75, I'm curious what brake system do you use?

 

[Iowa Hawkeye]

Sorry to hear about your Bronco.

What u-tube video are you recommending? You have the Bronco lights run off of the RV battery, what set up do you use for that? Are you also running a charge line between the two vehicles? Thanks

 

[Coosguy]

Hey All,
Just got back from a trip to Missouri from San Diego. Did a lot of research on flat towing my bronco. How to engage it properly, how to disengage it properly, and what causes failure. For the most part it seems battery drain is what was the main culprit. I added a hot lead off my coach to the battery to maintain charge for the long days of travel. Well, on the last leg back to SD my coach broke down in Pheonix. We sat for a bit and during that time my wife took the bronco to a friend's house to grab a scanning tool. She returned, I hooked the bronco back up when the service tech was finished getting the RV back up and running. We pulled off the dirt shoulder, saw the Bronco was turning and wheeling freely and hit the road. When we got home, i disconnected the Bronco and started it up. I instantly got a stop engine, coolant too hot. Shut it off, let it cool for a little, smelt burnt engine oil and looked under the hood. No leaks, so I started it back up. Same warnings came on but this time I tried to put it in gear to see if I could move it out of the way of the RV. The Bronco just jolted in place like the torque converter wasn't engaging. I'm guessing the transmission and motor are toast. Before I go to the dealer, I'm just curious if anyone else has had this issue and any luck with Ford/warranty. My insurance Broker says he thinks he can get it covered that way but all the posts I've seen (short time I have been looking) have been a few years back and/or seem to be just confirming it's an issue and not anyone that had directly had this issue. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

You said you had a hot wire to charge the battery for the long days of travel, the power drain on the Bronco battery is from the solenoid that keeps the transmission in tow mode. If you did not have a charger to monitor the battery level it may have overcharged your battery or if it was only connected for long trips them it’s possible that several short trips cooked the transmission due to lack of proper voltage. That solenoid will drain the battery in less than one hour. What ever the cause towing should not have affected the engine? I wish you the best in getting this taken care of . I highly recommend something like the RVI towed battery charger it monitors the battery and allows it to charge and stay charged to the proper level and you can monitor this on a screen while driving. Good luck

 

[evofxdwg]

Sorry you had the dreaded flat tow failure. I set our 2024 up in June and probably have 1000 towed miles so far on our current multiple stop summer trip. I don’t believe the claims simply leaving it in flat tow mode would drain the battery in a short time. I tested mine by leaving it in flat tow mode overnight in the garage a couple times before actually towing it. No problems next morning. I also hooked up the aux charge wire (thru a 30A self resetting breaker at Bronco battery) from the RV. I also don’t believe you can “overcharge” your Bronco battery unless RV charge system malfunctioning.

I am very concerned due to these reported failures and double and triple check it is actually in neutral tow mode, ignition off, brake off, etc. before pulling out. I keep wondering if the braking system is causing battery drain on some. It certainly could if not adjusted correctly. I used the RV brake control wire (usually blue) to send an actual brake applied signal to an LED on the RV dash (from an aftermarket brake light switch) in the Bronco. This aids in setting the sensitivity of the Demco Stay And Play braking system. I watch this light behaves as expected throughout the drive.

 

[Mize442]

Hello here is some of the info you asked about
Also keep in mind I had these things set up by a Hitch and Tow Shop.

If you go to this website and use the fitmaster tab it will help you get all the things you need

https://www.roadmasterinc.com

But we have the base plate, Towbar and wiring harness needed.

And we use the Airforce one braking system

here is the youtube video I spoke about

 

[Iowa Hawkeye]

I'm pretty sure you aren't running your Bronco lights off the RV battery with this roadmaster set up. You probably have a charge line. You would have to add completely different tail lights and or bulbs to have it as a separate system charging directly off the RV.

 

[Jurata75]

FWIW probably the transmission only, not engine.

Hey All,
Just got back from a trip to Missouri from San Diego. Did a lot of research on flat towing my bronco. How to engage it properly, how to disengage it properly, and what causes failure. For the most part it seems battery drain is what was the main culprit. I added a hot lead off my coach to the battery to maintain charge for the long days of travel. Well, on the last leg back to SD my coach broke down in Pheonix. We sat for a bit and during that time my wife took the bronco to a friend's house to grab a scanning tool. She returned, I hooked the bronco back up when the service tech was finished getting the RV back up and running. We pulled off the dirt shoulder, saw the Bronco was turning and wheeling freely and hit the road. When we got home, i disconnected the Bronco and started it up. I instantly got a stop engine, coolant too hot. Shut it off, let it cool for a little, smelt burnt engine oil and looked under the hood. No leaks, so I started it back up. Same warnings came on but this time I tried to put it in gear to see if I could move it out of the way of the RV. The Bronco just jolted in place like the torque converter wasn't engaging. I'm guessing the transmission and motor are toast. Before I go to the dealer, I'm just curious if anyone else has had this issue and any luck with Ford/warranty. My insurance Broker says he thinks he can get it covered that way but all the posts I've seen (short time I have been looking) have been a few years back and/or seem to be just confirming it's an issue and not anyone that had directly had this issue. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

UPDATE:
So the dealership has had it for 3 weeks. They reported that the turbo and transmission are bad. I know the motor

Hey All,
Just got back from a trip to Missouri from San Diego. Did a lot of research on flat towing my bronco. How to engage it properly, how to disengage it properly, and what causes failure. For the most part it seems battery drain is what was the main culprit. I added a hot lead off my coach to the battery to maintain charge for the long days of travel. Well, on the last leg back to SD my coach broke down in Pheonix. We sat for a bit and during that time my wife took the bronco to a friend's house to grab a scanning tool. She returned, I hooked the bronco back up when the service tech was finished getting the RV back up and running. We pulled off the dirt shoulder, saw the Bronco was turning and wheeling freely and hit the road. When we got home, i disconnected the Bronco and started it up. I instantly got a stop engine, coolant too hot. Shut it off, let it cool for a little, smelt burnt engine oil and looked under the hood. No leaks, so I started it back up. Same warnings came on but this time I tried to put it in gear to see if I could move it out of the way of the RV. The Bronco just jolted in place like the torque converter wasn't engaging. I'm guessing the transmission and motor are toast. Before I go to the dealer, I'm just curious if anyone else has had this issue and any luck with Ford/warranty. My insurance Broker says he thinks he can get it covered that way but all the posts I've seen (short time I have been looking) have been a few years back and/or seem to be just confirming it's an issue and not anyone that had directly had this issue. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Update:
So we have a bad motor, transmission and one turbo that I’m aware of. Ford has an internal bulletin (GSB 22-7086) that if its known the vehicle was flat towed all warranties are no longer covered due to operator error. I have made a case with Ford Motor Company for a buy back or replacement. Doubt they will approve but it’s the next box to check before I get a lawyer. As I stated to the claims department lady. I don’t see how you can put the Bronco in flat tow “neutral tow” incorrectly. It tells you if you are ok to proceed or not. If the wheels turn with the coach, in my mind that means the steering lock is off and you are good to tow… If it’s not dragging the tires, how can you be sure the transfer case has fully disengaged? Ford cannot wipe their hands of this and just say operator error. There is no way I towed my beautiful bronco behind my pusher without being totally certain I did the steps correctly.

Sorry to hear about your Bronco.
My wife and I flat towed our Big Bend for probably 30k miles over the last few years.
We use walkie talkies to communicate during a pull and light/signal check also we do a pull test for a good 10ft.
Are you using a tow bar like Roadmaster or BlueOx? Also do have your lights connected between both the RV and Bronco with a light kit installed?
Check the Roadmaster website it will show you whats compatible. If so power to run the lights will come from your RV not your Broncos battery which will solve your dead battery issue.
It's so easy to not engage Neutral Tow Mode correctly. You never have the motor running while doing this and when engaged it shows on the center of the dash. Then you turn your rig off completely and close the door. Never leaving the keys inside.
There is a cool and easy to follow YouTube video on how to do this.

I appreciate your sympathy but I disagree about easy to not get it into tow mode. If the dash says you are ready to tow then it’s done. If you don’t see that then you are not ready to tow. If you do it incorrectly then the steering is locked as well. I have the Roadmaster Nighthawk series and did not run a remote braking system because I had read that sometimes they will cause the bronco to come out of tow mode. I have a hot lead in the center of my 7 pin wiring that continued up to the battery with an inline fuse. Not sure what more I could have done.

 

[Jurata75]

Jurata75, I'm curious what brake system do you use?

I don’t have one. Read that it can sometimes cause the neutral tow to fault.

 

[dgorsett]

UPDATE:
So the dealership has had it for 3 weeks. They reported that the turbo and transmission are bad. I know the motor


Update:
So we have a bad motor, transmission and one turbo that I’m aware of. Ford has an internal bulletin (GSB 22-7086) that if its known the vehicle was flat towed all warranties are no longer covered due to operator error. I have made a case with Ford Motor Company for a buy back or replacement. Doubt they will approve but it’s the next box to check before I get a lawyer. As I stated to the claims department lady. I don’t see how you can put the Bronco in flat tow “neutral tow” incorrectly. It tells you if you are ok to proceed or not. If the wheels turn with the coach, in my mind that means the steering lock is off and you are good to tow… If it’s not dragging the tires, how can you be sure the transfer case has fully disengaged? Ford cannot wipe their hands of this and just say operator error. There is no way I towed my beautiful bronco behind my pusher without being totally certain I did the steps correctly.

I appreciate your sympathy but I disagree about easy to not get it into tow mode. If the dash says you are ready to tow then it’s done. If you don’t see that then you are not ready to tow. If you do it incorrectly then the steering is locked as well. I have the Roadmaster Nighthawk series and did not run a remote braking system because I had read that sometimes they will cause the bronco to come out of tow mode. I have a hot lead in the center of my 7 pin wiring that continued up to the battery with an inline fuse. Not sure what more I could have done.

Steering does not lock on Bronco. And since the transmission is left in neutral, the wheels will roll also. In my Wrangler i had to turn the key to 'Unlock Position' and put the transmission in 'Park' . If something was done incorrectly it showed up pretty fast, not so with the Bronco.

Saying all that I don't see how flat towing, properly or improperly, could cause an engine or turbo failure.

 

[Jurata75]

Hello all, following. Made a ford case and Ford bought the vehicle back from me. I would be very cautious before “neutral towing” your Bronco. Best vehicle I have ever owned up till that point. Very happy with how Ford handled my case.

 

[Iowa Hawkeye]

Did you get an attorney

 

[Jurata75]

No need to. Ford stepped up immediately and were very fair.

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