Would Doing Transmission Flush of Vehicle Cause Air Force One to Lock Up Towed Vehicle Brakes
Updated 08/27/2025 | Published 08/16/2025
Question:
We have a Demco Air Force One braking system installed on our 2022 Lincoln Nautilus for towing behind our motorhome. It has worked well for 2 years, but recently we had the transmission fluid changed on the car and twice since then when the car is being towed and we stop the motorhome the car brakes lock up upon trying to drive off again. Once we just stopped the coach to switch drivers and once we turned it completely off to go inside at a rest area. What should we look at/for? It hasnt done this on every stop but its something that needs to be addressed asap. Do you think the transmission fluid work caused this? Thanks for any help you can provide.
asked by: Robin B
Expert Reply:
Hey Robin, that is a pretty crazy problem to have but I don't believe it's directly related to the transmission fluid change. What most likely happened is the person doing the transmission work bumped something or broke something to do with the Air Force One and it's causing the brakes to lock up. How were you able to get the brakes to release? Was it the Air Force One that was holding the brakes? You might check the breakaway pin of the Air Force One to make sure it's fully seated and not partially pulled out which would cause the brakes to lock up.
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Demco Air Force One Flat Tow Brake System for RVs w/ Air Brakes - Proportional
- Flat Tow Brake System
- Brake Systems
- Proportional System
- One-Time Setup
- Vehicle Battery
- Fixed System
- Power Assist Brake Compatible
- Air Brakes
- Indicator Lights
- Demco
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Robin B.
8/27/2025
Thanks, Jameson, for your reply. It seems that the strap that is used in the Nautius to disengage the transsmision for towing did not stay in place. It is under the steering column area and has a little hook that is set before towing. We were able to get the brakes to release by setting up the towing procedure from scratch again, which disengaged the transmission. I dont think it was an Air Force One issue. We are going to replace the hook assembly that holds the strap, so hopefully the issue won't happen again.