Electric steering & towing

What does your owners' manual say? Towing 4 down usually requires pulling a fuse...not disconnecting the battery.

Yes a vehicle having EPS has introduced a new wrinkle into the Dingy towing scene. Some vehicles with it have needed modifications to the wiring and steering system to insure the steering wheel turns freely when under tow.

Pay close attention to the OM, and follow the instructions carefully for your vehicle.

My 2016 Chevy Colorado does not lose the settings.
Are you sure your truck will?

dan-nickie wrote:
My 2016 Chevy Colorado does not lose the settings.
Are you sure your truck will?

Not sure just what I read. If it's for a short time, like changing batteries, it will keep settings.

Does yours keep settings when towing for a few hours?

Thanks for the replies,

DICK

sch911 wrote:
...a vehicle having EPS has introduced a new wrinkle into the Dingy towing scene. Some vehicles with it have needed modifications to the wiring and steering system to insure the steering wheel turns freely when under tow.

Pay close attention to the OM, and follow the instructions carefully for your vehicle.

It sure has. About a year ago, we started towing an inherited Chev. Equinox.

A couple of weeks ago, after a long day of towing, I stopped at a Walmart for fuel. I went to the Equinox to let it run while I got gas.

The battery was dead! I jumped it from a battery pack and decided to tow it, with the engine running, to the Automotive Department to have the original battery replaced.

As I pulled away from the pumps, I noticed that the front wheels were NOT turning to follow the RV. They never did turn to follow the RV. I ended up pulling the front end of the Equinox sideways around corners.

Doing further research, after I got home, I found that Electric Power Steering (EPS) is designed ASSIST the movement induced by the Steering Wheel DOWN to the front wheels.

EPS is also designed NOT to transmit the forces induced by the front wheels UP to the Steering Wheel. That way, if you hit a pot-hole or a curb, the steering wheel will not be ripped from your hands.

With the ignition ON, the EPS is locked, awaiting for directions from the steering wheel.

The bottom line is that, with MY Equinox, the front wheels will not turn to track the RV with the key ON and/or the engine running.

Tim

By-the-way: A new battery solved the non-starting problem.

FWIW, I had a 2007 Chevy HHR. It had electric steering and the wheels DID TURN (saw that thru my mirrors. ) Followed the instructions in the owners' manual. Turn key one notch past "off" and pulled a (I think) 2AMP fuse. That prevents the battery from going dead.

What does YOUR owners' manual say? You got one?

jerseyjim wrote:
What does YOUR owners' manual say? You got one?

Jim,

Yep, I've got one and I have read it. I had already pulled this Equinox for nearly 8,000 miles without issue. I know what to do.

The fuse WAS pulled. The problem was a 6 year old OEM battery.

Tim

Glad you found the problem.

acker1 wrote:

dan-nickie wrote:
My 2016 Chevy Colorado does not lose the settings.
Are you sure your truck will?

Not sure just what I read. If it's for a short time, like changing batteries, it will keep settings.

Does yours keep settings when towing for a few hours?

Thanks for the replies,

DICK

I have towed it for 4 days straight without connecting the battery.
Never lost radio channels settings on the 'My Link' radio.

Have you tried it yet or just assuming?

I tow a 2015 Silverado 4x4 crewcab. I have a disconnect switch on the negative battery post. The only info I loose is the average mpg for the last 50 miles,