Ford Escape Service Says Not To Use Solid Rock Guard

[enjhudson]

I had a transmission failure on a 2011 Ford Escape while it was being towed with a Roadmaster Guardian Rock Guard. After it was repaired by Ford, the service manager said not to use the solid rock guard as it was blocking the air flow to the radiator and affecting the transmission cooling. The Escape was towed in accordance with the Ford Owners Manual guidelines and was near its 6 hour limit when it failed. The Escape had only 6,000 driving miles plus 4,000 towing miles. Has anyone had any problems with a solid rock guard causing heating of the transmission. I am not using the rock guard until I can get more clarification.

[johnf]

I've been using the Guardian Rock Guard on my 2007 Saturn Ion since I bought the car new and have had no problems.

Sounds hokey to me, never heard of anyone having problems like you described.

JohnF

[tbutler]

I don't know how the transmission fluid is circulated to the radiator but if it is, I guess this could happen. We have a different toad, different system so it doesn't really relate. With over 100,000 miles towed mileage and another 107,000 driving miles, no transmission problems and all of the towed miles had the Guardian plus a tow car cover from Coastal Car Cover for the last 50,000. The latter covers the whole front end with a virtually air tight cover over the grill area.

[retiredblade]

I've been using the Guardian Rock Guard on my 2007 Saturn Ion since I bought the car new and have had no problems. Sounds hokey to me, never heard of anyone having problems like you described.

JohnF

I dragged a Saturn around with a rock guard for years, but it was one of those kind that looked like of bunch of stiff nylon strings, can seem to fine one of those, it came with my 93 Bounder. You can't beat a Saturn to tow, it's 3 speed tranny seemed almost indestructable! I put a solid rock guard on my pusher, going to tow a Buick Regal and I read things about that solid rock guard not letting air get to the toad. Well, I'm not taking a chance, so I took the rock guard off, when I towed my Jeep Wrangler, it didn't matter. I'm going to error on the side of caution!

[Grandriver]

This does not surprise me at all. DW has a 2011 Escape that we have towed 3,000 miles. At this time last year we did a complete switch and went from 3 bow ties to 3 blue ovals. Our previous MH's have all had rock guards. On the last one (Kodiak) we added it ourselves. Our toad was a Tahoe and of course it has a manual transfer case with a Neutral setting. So nothing is turning and airflow is not relevant.

I've been debating adding a rock guard to our Impulse and a couple of months ago decided against it for this very reason - airflow and cooling of the transmission. This could well be an issue and I'd rather go without than find out by having to sit around someplace while the transmission is being replaced.

GR

[FunbeamChuck]

My advice to you would be to get a second opinion from another Ford Service Manager. To those who offered their opinions: The transmission cooler is the smaller "radiator" usually in front of the larger engine radiator and blockage of air would affect cooling.

Also, to Grandriver who wrote, "So nothing is turning and airflow is not relevant.” I would add that when towing my '03 Miata 6-speed manual transmission, the rear wheels turn the rear axles, which rotate the ring and pinion, which turn the drive shaft that does turn inside of the transmission. Therefore, to be safe and make sure the final "shaft bearing" in the tranny is lubricated while being towed, I over-fill the tranny by a pint of transmission fluid. I have towed it for over 50K miles this way and have... so far... not had a tranny problem....Every transmission is different so I would get advice from a trusted transmission tech.

[rfox54]

Ford has a TSB on this transmission. Not sure if you had the dealer adjust the transmission fluid level as recommended. A lot of dealers aren't aware (or won't admit) of it. Here is a link. http://www.maliasmiles.com/RVTravel/Ford%20TSB-11-07-15.pdf

I would get another opinion as well. I have a Mercury Milan with the same transmission and no problems. I take a copy of the TSB every time I go in for service.

[jmonroe]

All automatic transmission equipped vehicles have a cooler. In most it is built into the radiator. You will find cooler lines running from the trans to the radiator and then back to the trans. Some heavier duty/service vehicles will have a cooler separate from the engine radiator and of course many of us have added supplemental cooling capacity to protect the trans while towing a big travel trailer or 5th wheel.

I can see how a particularly large/effective solid rock guard could also block airflow through the cooler, depending on where it was located relative to where the engineers expected cooling air to be routed from. `

[Grandriver]

My advice to you would be to get a second opinion from another Ford Service Manager. To those who offered their opinions: The transmission cooler is the smaller "radiator" usually in front of the larger engine radiator and blockage of air would affect cooling.

Also, to Grandriver who wrote, "So nothing is turning and airflow is not relevant." I would add that when towing my '03 Miata 6-speed manual transmission, the rear wheels turn the rear axles, which rotate the ring and pinion, which turn the drive shaft that does turn inside of the transmission. Therefore, to be safe and make sure the final "shaft bearing" in the tranny is lubricated while being towed, I over-fill the tranny by a pint of transmission fluid. I have towed it for over 50K miles this way and have... so far... not had a tranny problem....Every transmission is different so I would get advice from a trusted transmission tech.

This does not apply to the Tahoe as going into N in the transfer case is a LOT differen,t I understand.

The transmission is NOT turning like it does in our Escape.

Oh, you sure don't overfill the transmission of an Escape or you are in REAL trouble.