Tow Assist (?)

[mrtp4]

Does it exist? I have a 2011 LR4 HSE Lux with vision assist package. One of the features that got me interested in the truck was the new Tow Assist (and tow hitch assist). But does it even exist??...

Now that I own an LR4, I have never seen any button on the screen that refers to Tow Assist, although it suggests in the manual that there should be one.

Presumably the car should detect when I attach a trailer and would then automatically activate the Tow Assist option, but that never happens - not even a hint that Tow Assist might be present on the vehicle.

My dealer installed the tow electrics before I picked up the truck, and they work (i.e. trailer lights work). I even installed the target sticker on my trailer.

I read somewhere here that the dealer had to program the LR4 to TELL it that they installed the tow electrics. Is that true? That could be the problem, although you would think my dealer would know to do that during the install... (and why would LR require a software change just to activate a feature that presumably came with the truck?). My dealership seems to have no clue about this re-programming and no idea what to do, and has asked me to bring in my trailer next time so they can try to figure it out.

Anyone else using tow assist? Or anyone not finding it, like me? Thanks,

M.

 

[crewcabrob]

Hi,

They should have updated the CCF "car configuration file" when installing the electronics. That sounds like the missing piece in your puzzle.

I installed the electronics myself and have no way to update the CCF to make tow assist work. The dealer wants a competative $139 to update the file, but I can most likely live iwthout it on the 2 or 3 times I tow with my LR4.

Good luck!

Rob

 

[tjp74]

Yeah my dealer charged 30 min labor to enable the feature after I installed the wiring my self (15 min, $135).

Another cool thing if you have the vision assist package (5 camera system) is you can now have your side cameras looking at rear of the car instead of straight down even moving forward.

 

[mrtp4]

Confirmed: My dealer reprogrammed something and now the Tow Assist features appear on the screen. So this does require a computer update after the trailer electrics are installed.

I can't really comment on how well the Tow Assist works, because my rear camera is blue-screen 90% of the time... But it looks neat in the photos!

 

[tjp74]

my rear camera is blue-screen 90% of the time...

Get that fixed! My dealer installed latest version of wiring for the rear cam and now it works 100% of time for past 2 month. Before it would fail 50%.

 

[Franky]

I dont have the vision pkg on my '11 lux, the dealer can enable tow assist on my vechicle, or do I need the vision pkg?

 

[tjp74]

There are other tow related features that have nothing to do with vision pkg. Such as ability to automatically detect and disable rear parking sensors when trailer is hooked up etc. Instruction shows you need to hookup the computer and enable tow related features after installing the wiring whether you have a surround camera system or not.

 

[jet1970]

tow assist option - tow electrics just installed