Towing an automatic car

[xbo11ox]

I have been tempted by a few old heaps on the bay lately which have been equipped with a slushbox. Collecting them might be tricky as my preferred option is an A-frame, and everyone knows you cannot tow automatic cars along the road as it can knacker up the gearbox. But what if, the towed car was ticking over in neutral while it was being towed? Then oil would be getting pumped round the box and it would be oK. Would it? What do we think.



cgi.ebay.co.uk/1982-HONDA-CIVIC-3AST-AUTO-BLUE_W0QQitemZ290165830110

[Stiff]

Depends if it's fwd or rwd. If it's rwd then put the steering lock on and tow it backwards?

[Mike]

Does it matter if the steering lock is off when its on the a-frame? As i 'm guessing it would have to be if the car is running, even if it aint bein driven..

[quantum stop]

rwd remove the prop fwd pop a drive shaft out when i got the shuvit from down south pulled the prop off job done

[hairnet]

tax and drive home FTW

[BenzBoy]

I've always been told that it knacks them, unless you're towing a very short distance under a certain speed.

If it's RWD, can you not undo the prop shaft? If it's FWD you won't have a problem cos the driven wheels are off the floor, but you knew that.

[hairnet]

you won't have a problem cos the driven wheels are off the floor

what he said

[Mike]

83golf said:

you won't have a problem cos the driven wheels are off the floor

what he said

Not in this case



Mr B's A-Frame leaves the towed cars front wheels on the floor

[Deleted]

You need the engine running, I don't know if it needs to be in drive thought, I think that depends on the gearbox. I towed my dad in his hotrod and we put it in D to be on the safe side. It was hard work but possible and quicker than getting the AA out

[Lewis]

If it's FWD and the front wheels are off the floor..........then no problem.

The general consenus with autos is that you can't tow 'em for more than 5 miles or 15 minutes in an emergency, IIRC.

It's the same with LT77 gearboxes - the oil is pumped around by a drive off the input shaft typically, so if the engine ain't running, neither is the boxes' pump.

[Retrojunkie]

If its not taxed and the wheels are in contact with the floor does this not break the law in some way? I thought they had to be off the road?

[arthurbrown]

Debatable.

I was under the impression that if it was on the towing devices as used by Mr_B & myself, i.e. sans driver, it became a trailer and the only thing you can get done for is an over-weight unbraked trailer. Seeing as you can buy & legally use trailers with the same wheelbase configuration ( new style paraglider trailers are articulating with a wheel at each corner), it ought to be OK.
They are certainly champion devices for towing non-heather-mills cars.

[Samage]

Borrow a trailer FTW. ;D

[xbo11ox]

Mike has got it! I am talking about all 4 'towed car' wheels being on the ground. Theory is, if the towed car is idling in N, the gearbox oil will be getting pumped and therell be no problem with towing.

Any suggestions?

[LowStandards]

I reckon your right, if the engines on the auto box pump should be on, regardless of wether your in drive, neutral etc... Though i don't think towing it in drive is a good idea, not one bit!

[dave21478]

I towed a mkIII astra auto with my a-frame no problems, but the manual said it was ok up to 40mph and a max of 40 miles iirc.

Leaving the engine running is a fine theory if you ask me, I never thought of that myself and I would give it a go.
Something to bear in mid though if you are stopped by plod who are unsympathetic to your a-frame (I cant find anywhere that states they are illegal, but neither can I find if they are actually legal either. i asked plod once and he "didnt have a clue" which was re-assuring) is that I believe it is an offence to leave a cars engine running when it is unoccupied.

[tetleysmooth]

30 miles at 30 mph and plus one litre of ATF.

[gnomad]

If the engine runs, then yes, let it run and leave it in neutral and tow away.

I rent out a tow dolly or have a truck do my projects. Tow dolly lifts the front wheels so no harm, no foul.

Some cars are set up to "flat tow" as we call it here. The fogies in their 40' motor homes tow a car behind them as they travel like a dinghy. They're great cars to buy second hand, been driven 1000 miles, 100,000 on the odometer from being towed all over the place.

[magnetteman]

I would be very careful towing in neutral with the engine running. I've seen it done and the 'box jumped from neutral to drive at 40mph nearly causing an accident when it started driving itself..

The driver doing the towing wasn't looking too clever after that experience either!!