Steering Wheel Question on Toad

[Jim Estes]

Wow...you would think it would be somewhere in the owners manual in the "towing" section...

[amanda_h]

Originally Posted by Open-Road-Pr

Our last toad had a mechanical steering wheel lock, if the key was left in the igntion it held the lock 'off'. Didn't like leaving the key in & the vehicle unlocked, so 'altered' the Locking mechanism!! Our new toad, '13 Focus, has push button start, electrical steering wheel lock! I can't find any information what-so-ever on how to 'override' this system. Any information would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Ron

Ron, as Jim says, it will be on page 217 and 218 of your owner's manual. I've attached pages 216-218 to the bottom of this post so you can just view the exact pages.

Look under the heading "Vehicles With an Automatic Transmission and Push Button Start System" which says:

Note: There must be battery power to properly move the transmission’s
internal components to N (Neutral) in Step 3. Also, moving the gearshift
to the N (Neutral) position without first turning the ignition to the on
(II) position limits the towing capability to 35 mph (56 km/h) and
50 miles (80 kilometers).

1. Release the parking brake.

2. Activate the ignition by pressing the START/STOP button, but not applying the brake pedal.

3. Press the brake pedal, then move the gearshift to the N (Neutral) position. Release the brake pedal.

4. Wait for TRANSMISSION READY to appear in the multi-function display, then deactivate the ignition by pressing the START/STOP button.

5. Disconnect the negative (black) cable from the battery. (The door key [inside the Intelligent Access Key] is needed to lock/unlock doors when the battery cable is disconnected. Also, the anti-theft system is disabled until the battery cable is reconnected.) Refer to Battery in the Maintenance and Specifications chapter when disconnecting and reconnecting the battery cable.
•The maximum towing speed is 70 mph (113 km/h).
•There is no limitation on towing distance.

When done towing, start the engine within 15 minutes of reconnecting the battery cable. When reconnecting that cable, tighten it until it’s snug against the terminal; be careful not to overtighten.


-harry

[Open-Road-Pr]

Harry;
I can't thank you enough.
Due to a winter storm moving through yesterday, we had to postpone taking delivery of the '13 Focus until Monday. When Jim mentioned looking in the Owner's Manual, I felt pretty dumb, as that was so obvious and it didn't even cross the vacant area inside my skull!!
I hope Jim received my thank you. I'm posting this one differently to make sure you receive yours.
iRV2 and its members are just great. I can never say enough good about them and this is just one other example of why.
Thank you very much once again, Jim & Harry. Many safe & enjoyable miles.
Take care,
Ron

[wyorancher]

Originally Posted by dennis45

X2,,,,,Unless you want to back up a few feet then it is critical to lock the steering.
I have done this in emergency situations and had my navigator sit in the car and hold the steering wheel. If it decides to turn, you will have Major Trouble. Other than that, let er rip. It will follow you where ever you go.

Many alignment shops claim you will damage alignment if you back up with your toad connected.

[Glenn and Kathy]

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

Your wheels will track to the path of least resistance. Castor, or a slight tilt in geometry of your steering means the wheels will track. Sort of like the wheels of a shopping cart.

Wait, you found a shopping cart that had wheels that tracked???

Glenn

[glenda1908]

We used to tow a Ford Edge that had push button start. The manual gave instructions on towing...not sure if your car does.

1. Place transmission in neutral
2. Place ignition in accessory position (refer to ignition switch in the starting and stopping chapter)
3. Do not exceed 65mp
4. Start engine after every 6 hrs of towing and run for at least 5 minutes. With foot on brake shift into drive and then into reverse before placing back into neutral.
Make sure you place the car back into accessory again.

[Jim Estes]

Glad you were able to figure it out! Have fun and maybe we will see you out there one day!