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Topic: Towing a 2011 Ford Edge with Keyless Ignition (Read 453 times) previous topic - next topic
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Towing a 2011 Ford Edge with Keyless Ignition

Yahoo Message Number: 69193
For anyone contemplating a new(er) toad, like the Ford or Mercury (Lincoln?) crossover models with the key or keyless ignition, we've just gone through that process and share here what we learned.
We have completed 1,500 miles with our first-ever new car, a 2011 Ford Edge Limited, which is now our only car, and our toad. It replaces a 2002 Chevy Tracker, which was a great tow but we decided to sell it and a second car to get down to one vehicle. Here is what we did and learned.
We wanted a midsized, crossover type SUV with an automatic transmission that we could tow 4 down. We settled on the Ford Edge and are pleased with our choice.
As part of the purchase deal we got free labor from the dealer to remove the Unified Tow Brake (UTB) from the Tracker and mount a new Blue Ox Tow Plate (as we felt Ford would be most knowledgeable on that kind of job and we were correct). We bought the base plate from Amazon.com - great price and free shipping (no small savings on 40+ lbs.). The base plate connectors are high up - 26 inches - so a 4" adaptor was needed to match up the hitch and keep it level.
We took the car and UTB to an RV/Trailer service business to mount the UTB as we felt they'd be most knowledgeable on that kind of job. We also needed a brake light diode kit (Blue Ox), which they installed. We were correct, they got it all right the first time.
The Edge tows beautifully. Once you're all connected as usual, with the engine running, put the transmission in neutral, press the keyless ignition to turn the engine off. Then push the keyless ignition again, without touching the brake pedal. This puts you in Accessory. You are good to go.

Now it gets interesting.

THE UTB on the Tracker used a vacuum assist pump in the car for the brakes, with Accessory on. In the Edge, the vacuum assist pump is discarded and the braking is electric. On the Tracker we would stop every 200 miles to run the engine to lube the drive train, as required by Chevy. This would also be sufficient to keep the car battery charged. Not so on the Edge as the electric brake draws more Amps. We are installing a Toad-Charge, made by the Trik-L-Start folks, which will link the Coach chassis batteries with the car battery and keep the car battery fully changed.

Anyone with specific questions can email me direct.

--

Lee Zaborowski

07 Intrigue 12153, Cat C-13