spitfirepete
Great Outdoors RV resort
Senior Member
Joined: 11/17/2003
View Profile
 Offline
|
Just bought one and it is a very nice car.
However I do not like the fact that the manual says to disconnect the battery before towing because it causes loss of several settings.
I spoke with someone who says that all that is really needed is to pull the GPS fuse so that the battery does not drain. Anyone have any experience regarding this issue? Any other reason that the battery would have to be disconnected?
Peter and Linda
2011 Tiffin Phaeton
2007 Saturn Vue toad
Bichon and Cocker (spoiled puppies)
|
Tripalot
Golden Horseshoe, Ont. Canada
Senior Member
Joined: 02/06/2001
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
We are contemplating the purchase of a Focus so am also interested in comments with regards to using it as a towed.
2007 Holiday Rambler Admiral 30 SFS with lots of good stuff!
|
veronicaB
Los Angeles, CA
New Member
Joined: 04/09/2012
View Profile
Offline
|
Pretty cool car indeed. 
|
DouglasC
Summerdale, AL
Senior Member
Joined: 04/03/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
Removing the battery cable is not a big issue with me. It only takes a minute. If you want to reduce that time, you can always add an off/on switch between the negative battery cable and the grounding lug.
Resetting the default temperature (from Celsius to Fahrenheit), date/time and the auto up/down feature on the power windows takes maybe 2 minutes. The radio station presets are maintained, but you do loose Trip 1 and Trip 2 data.
I have no idea why the battery cable needs to be disconnected but I did contact Ford to find out if it was acceptable to disconnect the positive cable rather then the negative one and I was informed that I MUST follow the procedure as outlined in the Owners Manual.
I suspect it's a CYA on Ford's part as they want to make sure that once the transmission is in neutral, there will be no way for it to move out of neutral while being towed. With the battery being disconnected, there is no way for that to happen since all operations in the transmisison are controlled electronically.
Doug
2006 Jayco Greyhawk Model 27DS
Towing 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid with Brake Buddy
|
charles
Ohio
Senior Member
Joined: 08/11/2002
View Profile
Offline
|
Is the Focus towable with an automatic transmission? If so, other than a base plate and wiring harness what does it need?
Thanks
Nick
|
|
|
DouglasC
Summerdale, AL
Senior Member
Joined: 04/03/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
My comment above was regarding the 2012 Focus automatic (I have an SEL hatchback model). The only thing that needs to be done to tow the car (once you have base plate, tow bar and wiring installed) is to put the transmission in Neutral, turn the key to the off position - - and disconnect the negative battery cable. (There is NO need to stop periodically, start the engine and run the transmission through the gears as is required for some other Ford vehicles.)
|
charles
Ohio
Senior Member
Joined: 08/11/2002
View Profile
Offline
|
Douglas, thank you that was the information I was looking for.
Nick
|
Tripalot
Golden Horseshoe, Ont. Canada
Senior Member
Joined: 02/06/2001
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
DouglasCraw wrote:My comment above was regarding the 2012 Focus automatic (I have an SEL hatchback model). The only thing that needs to be done to tow the car (once you have base plate, tow bar and wiring installed) is to put the transmission in Neutral, turn the key to the off position - - and disconnect the negative battery cable. (There is NO need to stop periodically, start the engine and run the transmission through the gears as is required for some other Ford vehicles.)
Thanks also for that information - that is the same model we are contemplating.
|
wny_pat
Western NYS
Senior Member
Joined: 08/11/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
charles wrote:Douglas, thank you that was the information I was looking for.
Nick
Nick,
Only the 2012 model year!!! Not the years before that. Those are manual only.
|
brick
Kiawah Island, SC 29455 USA
Full Member
Joined: 12/01/2000
View Profile
Offline
|
What do you do for power to brake buddy? Run a hot wire from RV?
1997 Kountry Aire,Ford
Banks
Saturn L series
|
|
|
