Flat-Tow Jeep w/ Active Drive II 2-Spd Pwr Transfer Switch

[BobD8487]

The best vehicle for flat-towing behind our motor home by far was our '06 Jeep Liberty Sport. Two features made it the perfect tow vehicle: ignition switch position to unlock steering wheel but not turn on accessories; manual Power Transfer control to put it in 4-wheel drive Neutral. Never had an issue with a dead or low battery when we got to where we were towing, regardless of how long the trip. We had no idea how hard it would be to replace it when it finally came time.

The new Jeeps have Active Drive / Select-Terrain transmissions, which are all electronic. This automatically eliminates the ability to unlock the steering wheel only. Unfortunately, many dealerships have no clue what Active Drive II is - a.k.a. 2-speed Power Transfer Switch - or how important it is to some RV'ers. Besides adding low-range capabilities, it also adds a little button that will put the 4-wheel drive into Neutral, which is a necessity for flat-towing the Jeep.

I'm not sure even Jeep understands how this should work as the instructions in their user manual are incorrect. If followed, the Active Drive II button will never switch into 4WD Neutral.

On page 181 of the Cherokee manual, the instructions under 4x4 Models, 2-Speed Power Transfer Unit:

• Transmission in PARK
• Power transfer unit in Neutral (N)
• Tow in forward direction

need to be re-ordered and modified as follows:

• Transmission in Neutral (N)
• Power transfer unit in Neutral (N)
• Transmission in PARK
• Tow in forward direction

This is the exact same set of steps I had to follow on my manual 4-wheel drive power transfer system on the Libby. If you try to put the Active Drive II system in Neutral (i.e., pressing the little button), the red LED will flash for a bit, then go off. It will not switch to Neutral unless the Transmission is switched to Neutral first, then to Park *after* the Active Drive II 4-wheel drive is placed in Neutral (as indicated by the flashing LED which goes solid RED.

One reason we chose the Cherokee over the Grand Cherokee was the roof racks. Yep - if you are towing a vehicle you want to be able to load it with "stuff" to enjoy while camping. We have kayaks and the pseudo-racks the Grand Cherokee have would not accommodate our somewhat expensive Thule kayak rack system without additional pieces from Jeep and replacing the entire cross-bar assembly from Thule. We live in NJ. We purchased our Jeep Cherokee from Dave Smith Motors in Kellogg Idaho. No special order - they just know how to bundle accessories. We purchased one "off the lot"...and saved nearly $14k over special ordering it locally - and got more features than what would have come with the "special order".

Do your homework and ask questions. When you observe your sales person's eyes rolling back in their heads, or going off into some distant stare when you ask about flat-towing, 4-wheel drive Neutral, etc. - run!

[BobD8487]

Here's some good news for some 2017 Cherokee owners - I called Jeep CustSvc to order the Kit called out by Service Bulletin 08-010-17 - Kit #K6862569. The wiring harness applies power to the EPS (Electronic Power Steering) system when the engine is not running, which is the cause for the tracking and instability when flat-towing.

Apparently this issue was addressed on some 2017 models by a Recall Notice, which affected only 650 vehicles of which only 100 were in the US. Our VIN is not affected, which means FCA got their proverbial poop together and included this "fix" as part of the newer 2017 builds. All 2014 - 2016 Cherokees require the kit for flat-towing.

[dubdub07]

I have a '16 Trailhawk and have anxiously been awaiting the wobble. Thousands of miles towing and nothing yet! Fingers crossed.

W

[BobD8487]

Hi, John & Doris! I may have been a little unclear on the ignition and steering lock. The Libby could have the steering unlocked at the first position when you turn the key and no accessories were powered up. They could do that because of the manual power transfer control. They don't make the Libby any longer. With the all-electronic Cherokee, you power up the car as soon as you unlock the steering. I start the car and let it run for a while when we stop anywhere for lunch or driving breaks, and carry a Battery Boost just in case I do run it down where it won't start.

Hey there, richnorsworthy. Thank you so, SO much for the heads-up on the wiring harness. I will be sure to ask my dealer about this, and do some homework on the 2017 models to see if the issue was addressed. Out of habit, I make sure to remove the rest of the keys from the key fob as I don't want them to put undue stress on the key fob in the ignition.

[richnorsworthy]

The main issue with the new Cherokee is to ensure you have the proper wiring harness so the electronic steering stays "ON" while towing. Many of us went through this in 2014 and 2015. Finally, FCA decided there was a problem with the very unsafe wobble that was occurring with many of us when a rough spot was in the road. This problem was well discussed in an earlier thread. I still the video that shows how bad and dangerous this problem was and still is unless you have the proper wiring harness to prevent it. You would assume that the Jeep dealers would tell you about this, but I have run into two lately that were never told about this problem. One did ask the dealer and they told him not to worry about it. You had better worry about it! This is a very dangerous problem so please make sure you have this wiring harness and switch to provide power to the steering while towing!! Unless Jeep is now installing something in production for the 2017's, the 2014 to 16's did not have it. Make sure you ask and understand. Not only is it unsafe, we have had several issues with our motorhome that probably was caused from the terrible shaking that occurred during these events.

[accsys]

BobD8487 wrote:
The new Jeeps have Active Drive / Select-Terrain transmissions, which are all electronic. This automatically eliminates the ability to unlock the steering wheel only.

I understood that the new Jeep steering wheels aren't locked and you could leave the ignition in the locked position??

We love our 2004 Libby as well and are dreading when we have to replace it!!!

[Lwiddis]

"Unfortunately, many dealerships have no clue what..."
"and ask questions"

You expect knowledgable advice on any new vehicle at a dealership? You expect correct answers to your questions? You can't run...none know the specs or answers. Know what you want before you arrive at a dealership...verify from window sticker.