Jeep Wrangler and Issues with Advanced Safety Group

[Cardiff RV]

Hi All,

We are ordering a 2021 Jeep Wrangler and wanted to add the Advanced Safety Group option. The dealer mentioned he heard there were some issues with this option and using this as a towable. He said that he heard the warning light may come on and the Jeep may detect something like the tow bar in front or too close to the Jeep. Anyone hear of this or have any insight they can share?

Thanks

 

[J&JD]

Our Wrangler JK is towed with the key out so the ignition is off. Wouldn’t that preclude the safety group from functioning If the new Wrangler is towed in the same configuration?

 

[Cardiff RV]

Our Wrangler JK is towed with the key out so the ignition is off. Wouldn’t that preclude the safety group from functioning If the new Wrangler is towed in the same configuration?

Yes, I would think that would be the case when towing. What I heard, it was not when towing but when actually driving the Jeep around. The modifications from adding the tow bar and what is needed to tow are causing the Saftey sensors to trip. This would make sense if something was installed that blocked the sensor (Radar Sonar, whatever they use to detect stopped traffic in front) However I have to think that even if this is true, there should be a workaround by choosing the right equipment, etc. that does not interfere.

 

[MapNerd]

Hi All,

We are ordering a 2021 Jeep Wrangler and wanted to add the Advanced Safety Group option. The dealer mentioned he heard there were some issues with this option and using this as a towable. He said that he heard the warning light may come on and the Jeep may detect something like the tow bar in front or too close to the Jeep. Anyone hear of this or have any insight they can share?

Thanks

Yes, we had this issue on our 2019 Cherokee. It's the forward parking sensors, they get tricked by your protruding baseplate arms and always think there is something close. A few times while driving, the forward collision mitigation thought there was something in front of us and hit the brakes - hard. The solution is just to turn those features off. The forward parking assist can be turned off via a button on the console and the forward collision mitigation can be turned off somewhere in the UConnect settings. When one of them is off, I forget which one, an orange light illuminates in the cluster. You get used to that light being on though.

Thinking about it now, I never tried removing the baseplate arms which might have resolved the issue completely.

 

[Cardiff RV]

Yes, we had this issue on our 2019 Cherokee. It's the forward parking sensors, they get tricked by your protruding baseplate arms and always think there is something close. A few times while driving, the forward collision mitigation thought there was something in front of us and hit the brakes - hard. The solution is just to turn those features off. The forward parking assist can be turned off via a button on the console and the forward collision mitigation can be turned off somewhere in the UConnect settings. When one of them is off, I forget which one, an orange light illuminates in the cluster. You get used to that light being on though.

Thinking about it now, I never tried removing the baseplate arms which might have resolved the issue completely.

Hum thats along the lines of what I heard. The dilemma is I would really like to have those features (Advanced Saftey) active aka why I was planning on ordering the Jeep with it. I wonder if there is any other physical workaround with the baseplate arms? Removing the base plate and putting it back on, is not something you would do on a regular basis, is it? I'm not familiar with the process, we have not started to tow anything yet, so new to this part of things. I assume this is the same for all Jeep Wranglers and still the case in 2021 but just assuming. Thanks for the responses so far.

 

[MapNerd]

Hum thats along the lines of what I heard. The dilemma is I would really like to have those features (Advanced Saftey) active aka why I was planning on ordering the Jeep with it. I wonder if there is any other physical workaround with the baseplate arms? Removing the base plate and putting it back on, is not something you would do on a regular basis, is it? I'm not familiar with the process, we have not started to tow anything yet, so new to this part of things. I assume this is the same for all Jeep Wranglers and still the case in 2021 but just assuming. Thanks for the responses so far.

Removing the baseplate is certainly not something you would do often or hopefully ever again after installing it. The baseplate typically gets installed behind the bumper and bolted directly to the tow vehicle's frame. Typically, this replaces your vehicle's front tow/recovery hooks with mounting brackets for your tow-arms, which are often easily removable. The bumper then gets remounted over the baseplate and those mounting brackets poke through the front bumper where your tow/recovery hooks used to be. You then install the arms into these mounting brackets. They usually lock in place via a locking pin. These tow arms protrude from the front of your bumper another 3-4 inches and that is what sets off the parking and forward collision assist. Those sensors think nothing is supposed to be there and yet, there are these two steel rods there.

The tow arms are usually very easy to remove and take maybe 1 minute each, no special tools required. Most people usually leave them on and drive around with them because it would otherwise be one more thing to keep track of, but if you wanted those features active, making attachment & removal of the tow arms part of your hookup and unhooking process might be a solution.

However, as I said I never thought to do this myself when I had the my Jeep so I can't make any assurances that it would fully solve the problem.

Take a look at this install guide from RoadMaster for a baseplate kit. Lots of pictures and should help you understand how the system comes together and how those tow arms end up setting off the system: https://www.roadmasterinc.com/pdfinst/521451-5.pdf

 

[Cardiff RV]

Removing the baseplate is certainly not something you would do often or hopefully ever again after installing it. The baseplate typically gets installed behind the bumper and bolted directly to the tow vehicle's frame. Typically, this replaces your vehicle's front tow/recovery hooks with mounting brackets for your tow-arms, which are often easily removable. The bumper then gets remounted over the baseplate and those mounting brackets poke through the front bumper where your tow/recovery hooks used to be. You then install the arms into these mounting brackets. They usually lock in place via a locking pin. These tow arms protrude from the front of your bumper another 3-4 inches and that is what sets off the parking and forward collision assist. Those sensors think nothing is supposed to be there and yet, there are these two steel rods there.

The tow arms are usually very easy to remove and take maybe 1 minute each, no special tools required. Most people usually leave them on and drive around with them because it would otherwise be one more thing to keep track of, but if you wanted those features active, making attachment & removal of the tow arms part of your hookup and unhooking process might be a solution.

However, as I said I never thought to do this myself when I had the my Jeep so I can't make any assurances that it would fully solve the problem.

Take a look at this install guide from RoadMaster for a baseplate kit. Lots of pictures and should help you understand how the system comes together and how those tow arms end up setting off the system: https://www.roadmasterinc.com/pdfinst/521451-5.pdf

Thanks so much for your answers and time on this!

Removing the tow arms seems like it could potentially solution.

I wonder if the design and position of the sensors in the Cherokee are different from the Wrangler.

Maybe there is someone with a Wrangler that has experienced this situation and can add to this?

Thanks!

 

[MapNerd]

Maybe @turbopilot can shed some light. I think he has a 2020 Wrangler Rubicon that he pulls.

 

[Cardiff RV]

That would be great, would be nice to find someone with the Advanced Saftey Group. Also, wonder if there is a better way to set things up or brands that work or mount different that would not get in the way with the sensors or could easily be removed when not towing.

 

[Cardiff RV]

That would be great, would be nice to find someone with the Advanced Saftey Group. Also, wonder if there is a better way to set things up or brands that work or mount different that would not get in the way with the sensors or could easily be removed when not towing.

Still, a little stuck here. Anyone have any other ideas of where I could look to see if I should skip this option when I order. Would be great to keep the option and just find a setup that works well with it. Thanks!

 

[redbaron]

are you going to be adding the steel bumper? If so, you have the option of using the Maximus 3 tow points that will not protrude, and will not interfere. They also look really good when installed.

MAXIMUS-3

JL TOW LOOPS

maximus-3.com

The steel bumper is not required after reading their install notes.

 

[Cardiff RV]

The steel bumper does look good, not sure about adding it as it's the first time I've check it out. Would that bumper cause its own issues with the sensors, maybe by blocking them?

Are you saying you could get the Maximus 3 tow points without the bumper and those might work well with the Advanced Safety Group because they don't pretrude?

Any other things out there like the Maximus 3, that might help provide less interference with the Advanced safety Group sensors?

Thanks

 

[redbaron]

The tow loops work with any OEM bumper.

 

[Gizmo]

I have a 2020 Jeep Rubicon with the advance safety group option and adaptive cruise and this is what the front of my Jeep Wrangler Rubicon looks like and I don't have any problems. As far as I know there nothing in the front bumper of the Wrangler that part of the Advance Saftey Group. It is a Rock Hard after-market bumper and just towed from Kansas to south Texas.

Edit - I just check the OEM bumper that I have on a shelf in my storage area and there no wiring in the bumper except for the fog lights - NO Sensors.

 

[Gizmo]

The steel bumper does look good, not sure about adding it as it's the first time I've check it out. Would that bumper cause its own issues with the sensors, maybe by blocking them?

Are you saying you could get the Maximus 3 tow points without the bumper and those might work well with the Advanced Safety Group because they don't pretrude?

Any other things out there like the Maximus 3, that might help provide less interference with the Advanced safety Group sensors?

Thanks

I replace my entire front bumper with a Rock Hard aftermarket bumper rated to tow with the Roadmaster towing loops and I have the Advance Saftey Group with Adaptive Cruise and I don't have any problems towing and have over 2,000 miles towing and 6,000 with the bumper installed.