Fiat Chrysler Addresses Jeep Issue
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has issued “Customer Satisfaction Notification P73,” which is directed at owners of certain 2005 through 2010 model-year Jeep Grand Cherokee and certain 2006 through 2010 model-year Jeep Commander vehicles equipped with a Quadra-Trac II full-time active four-wheel-drive transfer case. The notification may be of interest to FMCA members who tow those vehicles four wheels down behind a motorhome.
The notification says that the final drive control module (FDCM) software may cause the “Service 4WD” light to come on and may cause an inability to switch from one four-wheel-drive mode to another. FCA will fix the problem by reprogramming the FDCM with new software. The work will take about 30 minutes to complete, but because of service schedules, additional time may be needed.
The notification also says: “If you have already experienced this specific condition and have paid to have it repaired, you may visit www.fcarecallreimbursement.com to submit your reimbursement request online, or you can mail your original receipts and proof of payment to the following address for reimbursement consideration: FCA Customer Assistance, P.O. Box 21-8004, Auburn Hills, MI 48321-8007, Attention: Recall Reimbursement.”
For more information, call the FCA U.S. Customer Assistance Center at (800) 853-1403.
Ford Steering
My last four Type A coaches have been on stock Ford chassis, and the brochures always have noted that the steering had an “automatic centering” feature. I often wondered exactly what that meant until one day I had a sidewall blowout at 65 mph. As I was passing an 18-wheeler at a freeway entrance ramp, my left front tire blew. After the initial left-side jerk, I centered up the steering wheel, took my foot off all pedals, and slowly got the coach off the highway and onto the right-side emergency lane. There was no fighting the steering wheel, wobbling back and forth, or hard pulling to the left.
I was very surprised at how little effort was required to control the coach. Was this the result of using proper techniques to maintain control, or was the “automatic centering” feature working to stabilize the coach?
Ed Williams, F233050
St. George, South Carolina
Fortunately, I’ve never experienced a blowout in a coach. But it sounds to me that both you and Ford’s centering system did your jobs. You did what all of us hope we do in the same situation. I’m very happy you had such a great outcome in such a potentially dangerous situation. Michelin provides an excellent video that describes how to maintain control of a motorhome when you experience a blowout. Titled “RV: The Critical Factor,” it is available for viewing at www.michelinrvtires.com.
Michelin Ride Quality
In May 2015, six new Michelin 275/80R22.5, type XZE, load range H tires were installed on our 2000 Dutch Star motorhome. These tires were balanced before installation. They replaced Michelin tires that were the same size and load rating, but the old tires were type XZA3. The XZA3 tires provided great performance; however, they are no longer manufactured. I was told by a Michelin representative that the characteristics of both tires are identical except for the tread design and the material composition. The XZE is designed to provide better fuel mileage. The motorhome’s front end has been checked (one bearing replaced), aligned, and fitted with new shocks.
My experience with the XZE tires as compared to the XZA3 is as follows. The XZE tires provide a harsher ride, and when traveling on a grooved surface, the motorhome shifts from side to side. After being stopped at a rest area in Florida when the temperature was 98 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit, the tires seemed to have flat spots until driven for a length of time. When riding on an uneven surface parallel to the motorhome, the steering overcorrects, and the GPS indicates a higher speed than the odometer. None of this occurred with the XZA3s. Are other FMCA members experiencing the same?
George Hay, F195453
Liverpool, New York
Have you contacted Michelin’s customer service department? That’s the first thing you should do. The phone number is (888) 622-2306.
Next, it sounds as though you’re experiencing what we older folks used to call “the California wobble.” Back in the early days of RVing — about the same time that FMCA was born — California was the first state to begin the practice of grooving the highways, which reduces the chance of hydroplaning during a rainstorm. Cars, trucks, and everything in between would wobble when they encountered the newly grooved roadways. Since many states were following California’s example and starting to groove their highways as well, tire engineers scrambled to find a solution to the California wobble. They did that in short order, but in the meantime, a lot of us had to suffer the wobble until we could afford a new set of tires.
Now that I’ve given you a bit of highway history, I have some suggestions.
- Make sure your coach’s alignment and tire balance are correct.
- Weigh your coach when it’s loaded for a trip. If possible, weigh each wheel position separately; if that’s not possible, weigh each axle separately.
- Adjust your tire pressures to the safe minimum for each axle for that weight, remembering to keep all tires on the same axle at the same pressure, based on the heavier wheel position. Do a test drive on a section of highway that’s giving you problems.
- If you still experience the wobble, raise all the tire pressures by five pounds and repeat the driving test.
- Continue the five-pound increments and road testing until the wobble goes away or you’ve reached the maximum authorized air pressure. (Never exceed the tire or wheel manufacturer’s maximum air pressure specification.)
If changing the tire pressures doesn’t work, contact Michelin’s customer service department and explain what you’ve done to try to correct the problem. They should be able to help you.
V-10 Problems
I have a 2006 Winnebago Adventurer with a Ford V-10 engine and 40,000 miles on the odometer. As we were headed home through Missouri recently, running about 70 mph down a slight decline, the engine quit. There were no warning lights, no engine miss, and no visible problems. I was able to get the RV off the road and stopped. I shifted into “park,” turned the key off, turned it back on, and the engine started immediately. We continued our trip home without further incident. I would appreciate your direction and advice in seeking a resolution to this issue. My RV is in storage until my service appointment with our RV dealership.
Don Sarver, F440110
Greenville, Ohio
Take your motorhome to a Ford dealership that has experience working with large vehicles. The tech can hook a computer to the engine and tell you immediately if it reveals a code. If there’s no code in the engine’s computer history, it probably was just a momentary hitch in your get-along. That is, the computer might have “burped,” or for some reason the electrical system might have become disconnected for a second, or the ignition system lost contact momentarily. Check the electrical connections at the battery and engine.