Ford Kuga nightmare towing

BLAKES4
BLAKES4 Forum Participant Posts: 8
edited May 2016 in Towcars & Towing #1

I have a 2013 ford Kuga awd diesel manual.. Have a major problem of surging when towing..very careful of loading Caravan but still is a awful towing experience. Have contacted ford technical and CC technical neither have had any problems reported. I have
even changed Caravan and problem still exists.. It seems like the intelligent awd drive system is always changing from front to awd thus giving a surging effect. Ford gave checked system and said all OK.That bad I will now not tow with it..Feel like getting
rid of Kuga now... Any help or ideas would really be helpful

Comments

  • Settermum
    Settermum Forum Participant Posts: 127
    First Comment
    edited May 2016 #2

    Hi, my husband and I are towing with a Mk 1 Kuga and I am a member of the Kuga forum. They have a dedicated board for towing with a Mk 2 Kuga. I feel sure someone there will have some suggestions.

    www.kugaownersclub/forum

    Moderator edit: link made active.

  • HarleyDave
    HarleyDave Forum Participant Posts: 150
    edited May 2016 #3

    We towed over two years with a Mk2 two wheel drive Kuga no issues.Believe that if the towbar wiring hasn't been been done properly it can cause problems,the Kuga has trailer sway control that can cause problems if the caravan has Alko  ATC fitted.I found
    Ford UK useless with regards towbar issues,young lady dealing with my problem didn't know what a towbar was.Good advice looking on Kuga owners club forum

  • oldgeezer
    oldgeezer Forum Participant Posts: 7
    edited May 2016 #4

    Are all the road tyres worn to the exact same depth ?

    A lot of 4WD vehicles now with haldex couplings etc monitor front and rear wheel speed and the pressure sensors in the haldex units or speed senors in the viscous units will back the engine mangement on and off thinking that one wheel is spinning. Makes
    for an awful drive.

    I have seen models with one new tyre and three worn cause havoc. Read the manual. Landrover now state when replacing a tyre replace all 4 ! and oh boy do they need it  YES.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
    1000 Comments
    edited May 2016 #5

     ...... Landrover now state when replacing a tyre replace all 4 !  .....

    That's what Costco said of my 4x4 R Class ....... I wsn't prepared to fork out £1000 on 4 tyres. Funnily enough Mercedes said I didn't have to so long as the other pair weren't down to min tread

  • xtrailman
    xtrailman Forum Participant Posts: 559
    edited May 2016 #6

    I'm sure the new Kuga has a display showing the torque vector? distribution. Which would give you an indication of what's happening.

    One thing i loved about the xtrails was the AWD system was selectable, allowing FWD, Auto, or LOCK to be selected.

    However the Mazda CX-5 offers no control, but in practise the system operating is just about undetectable.

    I do put extra pressure in the rears while towing, and the tyres are reasonably worn the same, so providing your Kuga is set up the same it should operate correctly. If the tyre diameters were a problem then the tyre monitoring system would flag up a fault,
    claiming a puncture.

    Do you have the torque display?

  • xtrailman
    xtrailman Forum Participant Posts: 559
    edited May 2016 #7

    Looks like i was confusing two systems that ford use.

    [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh1yjD5tL6c] HERE[/url]

    And the display i was thinking off.

    [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-WkxqsPYho]AWD[/url]

  • mbee1
    mbee1 Forum Participant Posts: 557
    500 Comments
    edited May 2016 #8

    Even if it was changing from 2WD to AWD surely the change should be seamless anyway?  I have an AWD (not Ford though) and I wouldn't know at all when it changed whether towing the caravan or not.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
    1000 Comments
    edited May 2016 #9

    Mine is the 2WD Mk1 and is rock steady when towing.

  • BLAKES4
    BLAKES4 Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited May 2016 #10

    We towed over two years with a Mk2 two wheel drive Kuga no issues.Believe that if the towbar wiring hasn't been been done properly it can cause problems,the Kuga has trailer sway control that can cause problems if the caravan has Alko  ATC fitted.I found
    Ford UK useless with regards towbar issues,young lady dealing with my problem didn't know what a towbar was.Good advice looking on Kuga owners club forum

    Write your comments here...Ford technical have no idea as do my dealers.. Getting fed up may just bin Kuga and go for something else.

  • BLAKES4
    BLAKES4 Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited May 2016 #11

    Have display and you can see it shifting from fwd to awd...when in awd ride is greatly improved... Ford are worse than useless... Mat just start from scratch with another vehicle

  • jeffcc
    jeffcc Forum Participant Posts: 430
    edited May 2016 #12

    As harleydave said earlier i would check that your trailer wiring has been done correctly and that the correct harness has been used, so the esp and trailer stability programmes on the car know you have a trailer on. otherwise the vehicle will see any sideways
    movement at the rear of the vehicle as a potential stability issue and continually try to correct it via the esp and fwd system. however if wired correctly this will completely alter the vehicles behaviour with the trailer couple, Hope that helps

    Jeffcc

  • Settermum
    Settermum Forum Participant Posts: 127
    First Comment
    edited May 2016 #13

    Hi Blakes4, if it were me, taking on board what has been said about the towbar wiring, I would be onto the towbar fitter. It sounds very much like the car is reacting correctly to a percieved instability. Worth checking out, before you deprive yourself of
    a great towcar.

  • BLAKES4
    BLAKES4 Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited May 2016 #14

    As harleydave said earlier i would check that your trailer wiring has been done correctly and that the correct harness has been used, so the esp and trailer stability programmes on the car know you have a trailer on. otherwise the vehicle will see any sideways
    movement at the rear of the vehicle as a potential stability issue and continually try to correct it via the esp and fwd system. however if wired correctly this will completely alter the vehicles behaviour with the trailer couple, Hope that helps

    Jeffcc

    Thanks.. I had a feeling this may be the case.. It's a Ford towbar fitted at dealer..They assure me it was fitted correct and is working fine... I will throw back at them again

  • BLAKES4
    BLAKES4 Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited May 2016 #15

    My local dealers assure me it's not trailer wiring.... I tried to explain that it feels like car does not know it has a caravan on back so ECU does not compensate... Hey what do I know!!!

  • jeffcc
    jeffcc Forum Participant Posts: 430
    edited May 2016 #16

    A couple of quick questions Blakes4 does your vehicle have an onboard computer display and parking sensors? if so when you couple the trailer up you should get a message on dash saying parking sensors disabled as trailer connected as in this link;-   http://www.gttowing.co.uk/KUGA-Mk2-TOWTRUST-DETACHABLE-TOWBAR/product/TFD2VK/TFD2VK/

  • Settermum
    Settermum Forum Participant Posts: 127
    First Comment
    edited May 2016 #17

    This is a link to a thread on a similar issue on the Kuga Forum.

    http://www.kugaownersclub.co.uk/forum/ford-electrics_topic9762.html

    Can someone make that a clicky linky please.

  • jeffcc
    jeffcc Forum Participant Posts: 430
    edited May 2016 #18

    link from above
    http://www.kugaownersclub.co.uk/forum/ford-electrics_topic9762.html

  • Settermum
    Settermum Forum Participant Posts: 127
    First Comment
    edited May 2016 #19

    Thanks Jeff.

  • jeffcc
    jeffcc Forum Participant Posts: 430
    edited May 2016 #20

    No probs it took me Months to work that one outWorried. Use left and right arrows to navigate. 
    i can even do pictures now.lol

  • saisho
    saisho Forum Participant Posts: 5
    edited May 2016 #21

    i tow with a mk2 kuga awd and it tows like a dream

  • BLAKES4
    BLAKES4 Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited May 2016 #22

    A couple of quick questions Blakes4 does your vehicle have an onboard computer display and parking sensors? if so when you couple the trailer up you should get a message on dash saying parking sensors disabled as trailer connected as in this link;-   http://www.gttowing.co.uk/KUGA-Mk2-TOWTRUST-DETACHABLE-TOWBAR/product/TFD2VK/TFD2VK/

    Write your comments here... Hi Jeff ..no pdc on vehicle

  • HarleyDave
    HarleyDave Forum Participant Posts: 150
    edited May 2016 #23

    Ford dealers in my experience/opinion know nothing about towbars/towing,they are useless and they use any old towbar fitter to fit the towbars,the towbar needs fitting with Ford dedicated wiring harness and then needs a Ford technical person(if they can
    find one)to pare it up with cars wiring to let car know a towbar/caravan is present,I took my car to my caravan dealer to sort my issues and my towbar was fitted at the factory,turned out there was no problem with my towbarEmbarassedtyre
    pressures need increasing as per handbooks data for heavy loading plus 3 psi at rear when towing ie 42psi

  • paul 007
    paul 007 Forum Participant Posts: 19
    edited May 2016 #24

    I tow with a MK 2 Kuga AWD with no problems it's on a 64 plate I had the towbar fitted by a local towbar fitter and they used a dedicated harness as the car is sill under warranty 

  • BLAKES4
    BLAKES4 Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited May 2016 #25

    It's going back to dealer on Thursday so wish me luck!!! Love the Kuga so if they say they can't find anything I will go for another one and pray

  • paul56
    paul56 Forum Participant Posts: 937
    500 Comments
    edited May 2016 #26

    15 reg AWD Kuga and tows like a dream - will sit in 6th at 60mph all day long with power to spare. When the tow bar and electrics were fitted (by an independent fitter used by Ford!) he strongly recommended Ford dedicated wiring kit - never had a problem.
    Hope you get problem solved as it really is a good tug. 

  • BLAKES4
    BLAKES4 Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited May 2016 #27

    At a loss!!!! Kuga back from Ford dealer.. All OK  (so they say) all reprogrammed and set up for towing... Filled with hope just taken outfit out....No different .. Still awful... Si back to Ford again for last chance.. If not box if matches I think..

  • jeffcc
    jeffcc Forum Participant Posts: 430
    edited May 2016 #28

    One of my friends at the Ford dealers states that the rear tyres should be at 44psi( on my Antara 3psi makes a huge difference) and this does make a difference, also he states uneven tyre wear can also lead to instability problems. Just two questions
    what van are you towing and what noseweight are you using?

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
    1000 Comments
    edited May 2016 #29

    I run my Kuga rears at 41, 35 front. Nose weight between 85-90 on MTPLM 1350

  • HarleyDave
    HarleyDave Forum Participant Posts: 150
    edited May 2016 #30

    Ran my Kuga at 45psi (3psi above heavy load pressure as stated in hand book when towing)Have you checked the Alko ATC is not at fault,don't trust the Ford technical "experts" they know nothing about modern caravans in my experience

Categories