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Topic ClosedIntermittent "Check Engine" light when towing
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Jul 2009
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Posts: 9059 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Intermittent "Check Engine" light when towing
    Posted: 11 Aug 2016 at 10:38pm
I didn't see the OP's posts when they were first made, but I'll insert my own thought now in case the problem is still occurring.  Since it relates to the cylinder head temperature probe (maybe) and it occurs after a stop, I wonder if the engine is being shut down while it is still too hot.  Looking at my oil temp (via an OBDII gauge) compared to the dash engine temp gauge, the oil can still be very hot even though it appears from the dash gauge that the engine is back to normal.  The coolant is, but the oil isn't.  There are some gas stops I won't even shut the engine down because I would have to wait too long (I want the oil to be below 230).
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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WillThrill View Drop Down
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Posts: 298 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Aug 2016 at 11:38am
Originally posted by TylerK9

Thanks for all the help! I could tell from the R-Pod owners we've met while traveling that this is a fantastic community of people, and this discussion forum is another great part of it.

Today we ran the fridge on propane while driving 350 miles from Elko, NV, to near Yosemite. We stopped 4 times for gas, lunch, etc. and the light came on twice. Now I'm thinking even charging the R-Pod battery from the truck may be placing an unexpected load on the alternator which is causing this to trigger. Will have my regular mechanic look at it when we get home in a few days.

I have had similar issues while towing.  Our GMC Envoy XL with the L6 engine has towed the 177 well, but we got intermittent and erratic errors codes.  It was usually some sort of timing-related issue but not always.  I've never had a check engine code come up except while towing, so I'm guessing that either the additional load on the engine or something electrical is somehow creating the issue.

Having a code reader is, IMHO, a must for anyone towing.  Ours was $20 I think, but it is a simple one that doesn't have Bluetooth capability or any cool features.  I just used it to cancel the bogus codes as they happened.

Originally posted by TylerK9

Other than that, I *love* the RP-171. Before this trip I was looking at the RP-180 because of the larger bathroom, but we've really only used the onboard toilet in the middle of the night (or when pulled over someplace for lunch) and have primarily availed ourselves of campground showers. So the wet bath combo is a great backup option. My wife thinks she'd like the larger space a slide-out provides, but until we start camping more than 3-4 times a year I think the smaller footprint of the 171 is perfect for us.

I did see in the "Podmods" forum that several folks have removed the sink in the wet bath, and I think that would make the shower much more usable.

We had the 177, which allows the entire kitchen and refrigerator to slide out about 16", until recently, and even though I'm a 6'2" guy, I didn't have a problem at all showering in the Pod.  I just sat down on the commode.  Standing while showering is more challenging in the wet bath I think.

The 177 was perfect for myself, my wife, and our young daughter, but we knew that once our little son comes along that it would just be too tight.  We sold it very quickly, and I'm still getting calls about it.  To be honest, as much as we loved our 177, I really think that we'll have to upgrade to a bigger RV if and when we get another one.  I've heard of families of five sleeping in one, but we don't want to try that, especially since our RV trips are usually several weeks long at least.
"Not all those who wander are lost." Tolkien

2014 Hood River 177
2005 GMC Envoy XL
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Luv2Q View Drop Down
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Posts: 309 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Aug 2016 at 11:07am
Tyler, we started with the 171 & thought we could manage fine with the limited space.  I guess we could have but, after a few trips, we were convinced the extra space & bigger bathroom of the 180 would be better for us.  We've taken several trips now with the 180 (one of which was a 28-day 3900-mile jaunt from TX UP to WI/MN with our granddaughter).  Loved the extra space every minute of those trips.  Footprint?  Negligible difference, IMO.
John & Teri
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TylerK9 View Drop Down
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Posts: 35 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2016 at 11:46pm
Thanks for all the help! I could tell from the R-Pod owners we've met while traveling that this is a fantastic community of people, and this discussion forum is another great part of it.

Today we ran the fridge on propane while driving 350 miles from Elko, NV, to near Yosemite. We stopped 4 times for gas, lunch, etc. and the light came on twice. Now I'm thinking even charging the R-Pod battery from the truck may be placing an unexpected load on the alternator which is causing this to trigger. Will have my regular mechanic look at it when we get home in a few days.

Other than that, I *love* the RP-171. Before this trip I was looking at the RP-180 because of the larger bathroom, but we've really only used the onboard toilet in the middle of the night (or when pulled over someplace for lunch) and have primarily availed ourselves of campground showers. So the wet bath combo is a great backup option. My wife thinks she'd like the larger space a slide-out provides, but until we start camping more than 3-4 times a year I think the smaller footprint of the 171 is perfect for us.

I did see in the "Podmods" forum that several folks have removed the sink in the wet bath, and I think that would make the shower much more usable.
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Posts: 4508 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2016 at 7:07pm
+1 
Leo & Melissa Bachand
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Posts: 611 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2016 at 5:29pm
Try running on Propane down the highway.  That would eliminate one variable if the lite does not come on.
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Posts: 457 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2016 at 4:25pm
Three words-  "New Gas Cap"  I will not go so far as claiming this is the cause of your problem,  nor will I profess to know how it could throw the code you're getting, but I will state (unequivocally) that every mechanic I have ever dealt with recommended this before going any further with the diagnostics.  Plus, it has solved my problem more than once.  And it's cheap!
Bob and Joyce
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Posts: 193 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2016 at 11:58am
Have you searched any F-150 forums?  Whenever I've had issues with my vehicles (including CELs), I've almost always found answers from other owners who have had similar problems on online forums.  I'm not an F-150 owner, so I can't speak to your issue, however.

Also, you are visiting some of our favorite places to camp and hike.  That's a great trip! 
2014 177
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"I lift my eyes to the hills."
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Posts: 35 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2016 at 10:15am
Thanks for the quick replies.

The light has only come on while towing, and only when restarting the truck after a stop for lunch, gas, etc.

After 3 different mechanic visits and two paid repairs (a new thermostat and a new fuel pump contoller) failed to fix the problem, I finally shelled out $70 for a little Bluetooth dingus that sits in the diagnostic port and lets me do my own code reads on my iPhone. That makes me feel a little better about ignoring the Check Engine light, since at least I can see if it's that same strange "temp sensor erratic" code and not something new. (At least for now that's a cheaper "buy my way out" solution than getting a new TV!)
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Posts: 38 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2016 at 9:35am
Do you get the light when driving the vehicle in non tow usage? Check engine lights can have so many reasons it's hard to serve any purpose discussing them. My 2015 F-150m has several pages of possible causes in the manual. I got one last year from a rodent chewing the carbon canister wires and being non warranty it cost me $150 to get find the cause via dealer hookup. They are not unique to Ford by any means.
The number of vehicles being operated with a check engine light glowing is surely in the tens of thousands or likely far more...
I say ignore it or "buy your way out of the issue", via a different TV.
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