How do you tow a car without damaging it? What precautions need to be made for 2 or 4 wheel drive vehicles with their parking brakes on to be able to tow it without causing damage?
Front-wheel drive vehicles can be towed quite simply by suspending the front wheels- either on a wheeled tow dolly or on the towing arm of the recovery truck. The parking brake (which acts on the rear wheels) must be released as the rear wheels must be free to roll. Automatic transmissions can be left in park in this case as the drive wheels are not rotating during the tow.Rear-wheel drive vehicles can be towed using this method as well, but the rear wheels must be suspended. The car is therefore towed backwards with the front wheels on the ground. The steering lock must be engaged with the front wheels pointing straight.Part-time 4x4 vehicles can also be towed by the above methods. The transfer case must be shifted to 2wd mode, and the driven axle lifted. Full-time 4x4 vehicles can't be towed with this method.With a manual transmission, flat towing with a tow rope or pole is possible. A second driver is needed to steer the towed vehicle, and the gear lever is simply left in neutral. This isn't possible to do for any distance with an automatic, as without the engine running many automatic transmissions can be damaged by towing.The most common way to tow a car without damage is to load it onto a flatbed tow truck. If the parking brake is applied and/or automatic transmission is in park, wheel skates can be used to allow the vehicle to be winched onto the back of the truck.
If you tow your car in neutral, does it add mileage to your odometer?
It really depends on the year of your car and how the odometer is set up. Older vehicles ran the odometer with a cable attached to a gear on the final drive of the transmission and in that case, yes it would add miles to the odometer. Modern cars use an electronic system. Most newer systems use the transmission or transaxle’s moving parts to pick up the signal needed. Most of these systems need the key turned to the on position. There is a half way point that does not activate the main power circuit, but lets the steering lock release. This is where the key needs to be in this kind of system in order to tow the vehicle, without adding miles. There are also a few other methods such as installing a manual override switch on the speed sensor or which ever sensor links the system to the odometer unit.
Can towing a car damage the transmission?
The reason for this is that Neutral only disengages the engine from the transmission, but not the transmission from the wheels. ... If a flat bed towing vehicle is not available, a wheel lift towing vehicle may be used. Rear towing is not recommended with the front wheels on the ground, as transaxle damage canresult.