2007 Wrangler Towing
The January 2007 issue of FMC magazine indicates no special requirements regarding setting up a 2007 Jeep Wrangler for towing four wheels down. I read in a Wrangler owner’s manual that there is now a final step 12 that is included for towing preparation. In this step the negative battery cable is to be removed from the battery and securely stowed away. I understand that there was a revision in the owner’s manual subsequently requiring this additional step (a friend’s first-edition owner’s manual did not have this step in it), and the addition of this new step may have taken place after the January issue was published. Could you shed light on this requirement?
I called Jeep’s customer service and I was told that this is to prevent the battery from being drained while towing the vehicle. Having towed a Jeep Wrangler since 1999, this has not been a problem to me before, even after two or three days of towing.
ED NACKMAN, F189837
Titusville, Florida
You’re right; the second edition of the Jeep Wrangler owners manual does include this step, and it is intended to prevent battery drain.
The difference between earlier Jeep TJ models and the 2007 JK models is a redesigned ignition switch. It was a DaimlerChrysler corporate decision to use the new ignition switch, which, unlike the switch used in TJ models, does not have an “Off” position that unlocks the steering wheel but does not activate any electronics. In order to release the wheel on the JK Wrangler, the key is turned to the “Acc” position, which turns on the dash lights and allows the radio to be played and the power windows to be operated. While towing, you can turn off the radio and not use the windows, but you can’t turn off the dash lights. Because of this, after a day or two of flat towing, the Jeep’s battery may become drained and be unable to start the vehicle or even allow the power door locks to be opened.
By removing the negative cable from its battery post, the owner effectively turns off the dash lights. However, doing this also deletes the radio’s preset button memory and clock setting. This also requires the owner to open the hood and secure/remove the cable each time he or she hooks up or detaches the cable, which could become tedious and prove very unfortunate should an emergency occur and the towed vehicle needed to be unhooked quickly. However, several things can be done to avoid disconnecting the battery.
As I said earlier, the newly designed ignition switch was a corporate decision, which means that most, if not all, of the DaimlerChrysler vehicles approved for flat towing will require removing the negative cable or at least one fuse. (Other auto manufacturers also require the pulling of at least one fuse while towing.) For this reason, I’ll go to some length here to provide several ideas on how to avoid disconnecting the battery.
It is my opinion that the reason Jeep officials included the step for removing the battery cable instead of removing a fuse is a liability issue. In most cases, the same fuse that protects the dash light circuit also protects the taillights, so that if your dash lights don’t come on when you turn the lights on, you’ll know that you probably don’t have any taillights either. So, if you remove the dash light fuse for towing and forget to put it back in, you won’t have any taillights. Jeep engineers know this, hence they tell you to remove the cable, eliminating company liability should someone drive the vehicle without taillights. And even if you just remove a fuse, on a 2007 Wrangler, you still have to get under the hood to do that.
The first and easiest way to avoid disconnecting the battery is something I’ve done for years while flat towing my CJ-7. At each fuel or food stop, I start the vehicle’s engine and, leaving the transfer case in neutral, slowly run through the gears on the transmission. This does two things simultaneously. First, running the engine recharges the battery. Second, you can assure that nothing in the drivetrain has changed since the last time you ran the engine. If you get into this habit, you also can do a quick walkaround to make sure all of the towing apparatus is functioning properly. If you can live with this solution, there’s no need to read any further.
The next idea is a kit called a Tow Minder fuse replacement kit from Rock Lizard 4X4 LLC (2344 Butler Ave., Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-716-0738). This kit replaces the specified fuse with another fuse of the same amperage and a toggle switch. Once installed, the Tow Minder allows the owner to simply turn off the dash light with a flip of a switch. It includes a stick-on decal to remind the owner to flip the dash light circuit back on so that all lights in the circuit work.
Another option is Priority Start! from BLI International (509-467-4203; www.prioritystart.com), which is available at 4 Wheel Parts (with stores all over the United States). This product is an automatic battery power protector. The device, once installed, prevents accidental battery discharge by monitoring the battery power whenever the ignition is off. If it detects excess voltage drain or a short circuit, it automatically disconnects the load to protect the battery’s level. When the ignition is turned back on, it automatically reconnects. It is compatible with electrically powered security systems and is said to be easy to install.
Last, but definitely not least, is the Battery Brain, which is also a small device that connects to a car’s battery. Battery Brain uses advanced electronics and software to continuously monitor the charge strength of the battery. If the charge drops below a preprogrammed level, Battery Brain automatically cuts off power to anything draining the battery, ensuring that there is enough charge remaining to start the engine. It essentially operates as an on-off switch between the battery and the electrical system, preventing battery drain resulting from electrical devices being left on, or from an unknown short in the system. It also protects electronic devices in the vehicle – such as DVD players, radio presets, or GPS systems – which can be damaged if the electrical current and voltage do not remain at a constant level. Should Battery Brain need to disconnect power because of excessive drain, all it takes is a simple push down on the device’s reset control knob to start the engine, at which point the alternator will recharge the battery. (Battery Brain III comes with a remote-control device to restart the battery without having to lift the hood of the car.) Visit www.batterybrain.com or call (973) 340-6000 for more information.
Clean Coach?
We purchased a new 2003 Scottsdale motorhome. We wash and wax it by hand, but when it dries it has a chalky film and swirls on the finish. How do we get it back to its original shine, and what kind of wax should we use?
DON FREEBERG, F250556
Gardner, Kansas
I also have had experience with a chalky film on the motorhome finish. In our case, it was the result of alkali in the groundwater. This may or may not be related in your situation.
The maiden voyage of our then one-month-old Vectra diesel pusher took us to the March 1995 FMCA convention in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The trip west from Indiana was through the usual winter slush, and our new coach soon was a grimy mess. At an overnight stop near Pecos, Texas, I washed our coach at a self-service car wash. It was late in the day in which there had been little sunshine. At the nearby campground we noticed that when the coach dried, it had a dingy, chalky, dirty-looking finish. My wife, Betty, and I were puzzled and a little upset, to say the least. That night it rained – a real goose-drowner, as we Hoosiers are apt to call a heavy rain. The next morning our new coach sparkled once again. It was evident that the soft rainwater had neutralized the high alkaline residue from the water we used to wash the coach, which is common to that area of the country.
May I suggest that you test, or have a water professional analyze, the water used to wash your coach. According to Microsoft Encarta Dictionary, alkali is a water-soluble salt that may be evident when exposed to oxygen. And then again, there is always the possibility this may have occurred to your coach at another time or place. If this is the case, there very possibly may be an uncomplicated way to chemically reverse the effects you describe.
The type finish on your motorhome (enamel paint or fiberglass) may factor in when determining what product will effectively neutralize the alkali (if this is the culprit) and not compromise the finish. Lastly, I wonder whether the swirls you mentioned in the finish may be the result of a power polishing/buffing wheel?