Jeep Cherokee Flat Tow Issue Repair (NOT)

[gatordave]

I don't know how many Cherokee owners that tow their vehicles behind their motor homes are on here, but here is what happened to me today.
After checking to be sure the wiring harness was delivered to the dealership I arrived for my appointment at 10:00. 3 recalls and the towing issue to be taken care of. I presented all the official FCA paperwork to the service person and all was good until he got to the towing paperwork. Then it was like I had just stepped off a spaceship.
I explained the issue and was then directed to the waiting area. A few minutes later another person asks me who installed the tow hitch on my Cherokee. I told him the factory. (Tow package installed)
7 hours later I have 3 recalls done but no FCA authorization to do the TSB fix for the towing issue.
Actually no returned call, or email from FCA with authorization after waiting all day!

The issue for the dealer is who pays for this fix? The owner, or FCA who built the vehicle and, advertised it as being capable of being flat towed. I told then it was FCA's problem and I wasn't paying for it. Apparently that isn't wanted to hear. Now I get to spend another day in the dealer's waiting room next week hoping to get this issue resolved.

By the way, if you haven't heard about this. The directive from FCA is DO NOT TOW your Cherokee until it is fixed.

[wayne]

 I found the same problem. They advertise the Cherokee is towable and that is the reason I bought it and now they want $365 to install the wiring in this to make it Coble I told him I would not pay for it to be done It looks like they know that if I don't pay it will not be done. In the meantime I am using a bungee cord to anchor my steering wheel to the bottom of my seat and that seems to work so far.

[wayne]

Just now, wayne said:

 I found the same problem. They advertise the Cherokee is towable and that is the reason I bought it and now they want $365 to install the wiring in this to make it Coble I told him I would not pay for it to be done It looks like they know that if I don't pay it will not be done. In the meantime I am using a bungee cord to anchor my steering wheel to the bottom of my seat and that seems to work so far.

 

[marcrv]

Quote

I filed a "Lemon Law" claim against FCA over other electrical problems with my Cherokee. The vehicle was fixed, including broken frame parts caused by the violent wobble and the flat tow wiring kit was installed and they did it all for free and gave me a lifetime warranty to boot. It's amazing what happens when you involve the State Attorney General's office, and they face giving you your money back!

 

[thejoco]

I just had the flat tow wiring kit installed yesterday, so I have not had a chance to use it yet. It seems easy and yet it seems hokey to me.  I traded my perfectly good 2012 Honda CRV for the 2018 Cherokee Latitude Plus.  Having had 2 Grand Cherokees in my lifetime, I figured the Jeep is the best product on the market for towing.  Not any longer.  I had no idea that I needed the Kit until late in the sale process. So I figured Jeep will make it good with the kit.  WRONG!!  First of all, my dealer did not have the part/kit and had to search for one and one was found.  Mopar is evidently back logged with orders. One was found and after an additional $436 plus tax, I am set to go .... I think. Yes, I paid for it like a dummy. The 'fix' seems easy enough but it is one more thing to do. There is a switch now located in the compartment between the front seats which needs to be switched on and then the procedure calls for inserting a 10 amp fuse which is located under the hood. I hate lifting the hood to insert a fuse and having to remove the fuse each overnight stop and re inserting the fuse in the morning.  This must be done because it will drain the battery if the fuse is left in.  

I have a question for anyone who is in the know.  If I have a battery charger or maintainer, do I need to pull the fuse at each overnight stay or can I just leave it alone until I reach my destination.  I have the Stealth brake system and it has a battery maintainer because of the brake system so I am thinking that having the maintainer will keep the battery charged enough that I can leave the fuse installed.  Any suggestions?

I appreciate your input.

Carol

 

[bobged]

On 12/2/2017 at 2:25 PM, thejoco said:

I just had the flat tow wiring kit installed yesterday, so I have not had a chance to use it yet. It seems easy and yet it seems hokey to me.  I traded my perfectly good 2012 Honda CRV for the 2018 Cherokee Latitude Plus.  Having had 2 Grand Cherokees in my lifetime, I figured the Jeep is the best product on the market for towing.  Not any longer.  I had no idea that I needed the Kit until late in the sale process. So I figured Jeep will make it good with the kit.  WRONG!!  First of all, my dealer did not have the part/kit and had to search for one and one was found.  Mopar is evidently back logged with orders. One was found and after an additional $436 plus tax, I am set to go .... I think. Yes, I paid for it like a dummy. The 'fix' seems easy enough but it is one more thing to do. There is a switch now located in the compartment between the front seats which needs to be switched on and then the procedure calls for inserting a 10 amp fuse which is located under the hood. I hate lifting the hood to insert a fuse and having to remove the fuse each overnight stop and re inserting the fuse in the morning.  This must be done because it will drain the battery if the fuse is left in.  

I have a question for anyone who is in the know.  If I have a battery charger or maintainer, do I need to pull the fuse at each overnight stay or can I just leave it alone until I reach my destination.  I have the Stealth brake system and it has a battery maintainer because of the brake system so I am thinking that having the maintainer will keep the battery charged enough that I can leave the fuse installed.  Any suggestions?

I appreciate your input.

Carol

 

Carol, regarding your question.  If I understand how the Stealth operates it only activates the pump to restore the vacuum system after the brake has been applied.  When you're parked the brake system is not in use so the pump doesn't need to run.  The other issue is some coaches have constant power at the umbilical plug at the back of the coach, and some (like mine) are only live when the ignition is on.

However even if your coach has constant power I believe trying to maintain the Jeep's EPS system without the coach engine running would probably run down the coach batteries as the EPS draws quite a bit of power.

To make the process a little easier I installed another switch inside the Jeep so I don't have to open the hood to remove and insert the fuse.  I have attached a file showing the steps I went through.  HTH

Bob

Tow Wiring Kit Switch Installation.pdf

[cwswine]

Would one of these work

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Ox-BX88271-Bypass-Switch/dp/B009APJ2UU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514330687&sr=8-1&keywords=Tow+fuse+switch

Pulling fuses is pain and this would just have flip a switch....

[rayin]

What I have gleaned from reading about vehicles with electric power steering, and being towed 4-down, the negative battery cable must be disconnected in a positive way or the "fly-by-wire" electric power steering constantly keeps trying to sync the steering wheel and front wheel positions, as it is constantly powered. The result is destruction of the steering.