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4t9erfans's avatar
4t9erfans
Explorer
Apr 26, 2016

Ford Expedition auto leveling

I have a new 2016 Ford Expedition with the auto leveling feature. Just looking for information on how people are setting up their vehicles to take advantage of this feature. It seems like mine is overcompensating for the trailer weight. Can you disable this feature or do I even need to?
  • 4t9erfans wrote:
    I have a new 2016 Ford Expedition with the auto leveling feature. Just looking for information on how people are setting up their vehicles to take advantage of this feature. It seems like mine is overcompensating for the trailer weight. Can you disable this feature or do I even need to?


    Had one of those. Prolly still works the same.

    Somewhere in your manual are instructions, and will tell you where to turn it off. Mine was on the wall infront of the passenger door.

    Anyway. Pull the TT to a level place, raise the TT off the ball. Leave the Expe running. Let the Expe level itself. Then turn OFF the air ride. Drop the TT back onto the ball, and adjust it as you would a TV without air ride. Once you get it right. Turn the air ride back on and you are good to go. You will not have to turn it off again.
  • I just see a problem with "auto" leveling. Too much "technology" being put into vehicles these days.
  • I have a 2015 Expedition with the self-leveling feature, and I don't think that there's a way to turn it off. There's a procedure for installing a WDH listed in the manual.
  • The correct procedure for using weight distribution in conjunction with the auto leveling can be found in your Owners Manual.

    DO NOT turn off the auto leveling (I don't even know if you can).

    Ron
  • Ron Gratz wrote:
    The correct procedure for using weight distribution in conjunction with the auto leveling can be found in your Owners Manual.

    DO NOT turn off the auto leveling (I don't even know if you can).

    Ron


    Must have changed it since I had mine. Because the procedure I described was exactly how the manual stated it.

    In fact. there were several reasons for turning it off.
    adjusting the WDH was only one. reason you let it level, and then turned it off. Is because when you shut off the Expe with the Air Ride on. It lowers it self. IF you let it level, and then turn off the air ride. The Expe will stay in the raised position, and you adjust the hitch to that height. Not at the lowered height, because when it then raises up. the WDH will be wrong. So you adjust with the Air ride off, and raised, and when done turn it back on, and it is good to go.
  • Not knowing which hitch you got I can tell that Equalizer Hitch requires you to make measurements based on fenders up front. As suggested by others you would leave the auto leveling on.
  • Terryallan wrote:
    Ron Gratz wrote:
    The correct procedure for using weight distribution in conjunction with the auto leveling can be found in your Owners Manual.

    DO NOT turn off the auto leveling (I don't even know if you can).

    Ron


    Must have changed it since I had mine. Because the procedure I described was exactly how the manual stated it.

    In fact. there were several reasons for turning it off.
    adjusting the WDH was only one. reason you let it level, and then turned it off. Is because when you shut off the Expe with the Air Ride on. It lowers it self. IF you let it level, and then turn off the air ride. The Expe will stay in the raised position, and you adjust the hitch to that height. Not at the lowered height, because when it then raises up. the WDH will be wrong. So you adjust with the Air ride off, and raised, and when done turn it back on, and it is good to go.


    Page 210 of the 2016 manual gives instructions on how to connect WDH. Quite the process and you do not turn the auto level off.

    2016 expedition Owner's Manual

    That is a change. My 1999 Navigator had me turn off air bags before hooking up.
  • Love the part where Ford wants me to tow two miles without the WD bars to 're-level' the suspension..no way I would do that. JMHO. Sounds like a child wrote that procedure.