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Yellowboat_'s avatar
Yellowboat_
Explorer
Jun 23, 2018

Ford Edge Question.

I've been reading about different tow vehicles. On many of the new Ford's the towing instructions say to disconnect the negative side of the battery. Does this not cause the vehicle's computers and electronics to lose stored memory?

Safe travels. JD
  • Yes. Not that big of an issue for the engine/transmission. It will re-learn within a few miles.
  • We have a 2014 Ford Flex. The manual does not say we have to disconnect the battery, but after experiencing a dead battery twice, DH installed a knife-blade switch on one battery post and the last thing he does when setting up to tow is throw that switch.

    As soon as we open the car up, we pull the hood latch and he reconnects. I read somewhere that if you restart within so many minutes it will remember all the settings. It does. We've never had anything we have had to reset.

    Also, if you don't start it quickly, the alarm goes off. LOL

    It works great!

    Dale
  • If my memory is correct the reason for disconnecting has something to do with the electric power steering. Something with steering input from the wheels instead of the steering wheel. I know on my buddy’s focus he needs to disconnect the battery after hooking up.
    Or you could run a charge wire to the car if it’s not necessary to disconnect the battery.
  • dodge guy wrote:
    If my memory is correct the reason for disconnecting has something to do with the electric power steering. Something with steering input from the wheels instead of the steering wheel. I know on my buddy’s focus he needs to disconnect the battery after hooking up.
    Or you could run a charge wire to the car if it’s not necessary to disconnect the battery.


    The Focus is much more important to disconnect. It prevent it from going into "Park". Park is in quotes because in really just engages both clutches and locks the two output shafts together, and default low-voltage state is Park, so its safer for the the trans to not have any power at all.

    I haven't heard of any issues with the EPS on the Fords, but a charge line is a good idea.
  • 2016 Edge I just run a charging line Easiest toad to hook up Ive had.