I'm wanting to tow our Honda Fit. I've been reading about four wheel down, trailer, etc. Some web sites say, "No". Others imply I can but need to take certain precautions. Ideas ??? Thanks
hi Danny, I thought a Fit was a Honda? lvmci...
HaHa. Yeah - I made the change
Get the owners manual for that year make/model car and see what it says about towing.
I think you'll find manual OK. Automatic, stop every 2 hours and run car for 15 minutes. BUT-find out for yourself from Honda. Good Luck, TomC
Quote from: TomC on January 04, 2017, 09:58:27 AMI think you'll find manual OK. Automatic, stop every 2 hours and run car for 15 minutes. BUT-find out for yourself from Honda. Good Luck, TomC
On many cars with automatic transmissions, that run time in neutral is to circulate/cool the transmission fluid. VW says that their manual cars have a pump that runs off the input (from the engine shaft) to provide lube oil to the transmission and they shouldn't be towed in neutral because there would be no oil pressure inside the transmission; a number of people have towed VW manual cars for thousands of miles with no problems (I can't believe that splash-lubrication wouldn't be good enough for a transmission that's turning with no load, so I'm going to tow and forget about it).
Just saying, there are many different design details on cars and different recommendations out there.
Depends on what transmission you have in your Fit. I bought a 2013 CRV because it could be flat towed but the following year Honda started using their continuously variable transmission in the CRV, that cannot be flat towed.
Do like some and let the car idle while towing will sip very little gas and you'll know your transmission is safe!
;D BK ;D
Also, don't forget the "flooding" option, where you over-fill it while towing.
I liked George Brock's Chrysler minivan set-up, that he towed behind the mid-door 4104 when I first met him and Marg.
Install an underhood reservoir of appropriate volume, (washer or radiator bottle from another vehicle)
A line out the bottom with valve plumbed to the transmission cooling line via a T.
To toad 4 down, simply open valve, watch contents drain down into transmission.
Running the engine with the valve open pumps the reservoir back up.
A line drawn on the reservoir shows when the transmission is back at operating level, close valve, go motoring.
Lots of ways to keep that transmission happy!!
happy coaching!
buswarrior
You can find list here...
http://www.motorhome.com/download-dinghy-guides/ (http://www.motorhome.com/download-dinghy-guides/)
If that says no, you can google a search for towing Honda Fit.
Thanks guys for all the information.
Even towing a manual transmission, you have to be careful. When the engine is running, it is spinning the gears in the transmission throwing oil all over the gears. When the engine is off, and you're pulling, the gears are not turning, but the inner shaft is-where lack of oil can burn up the transmission. Follow manufacturer recommendation Good Luck, TomC
Check with Remco. They are a pretty solid source of information
http://www.remcoindustries.com/Towing/ (http://www.remcoindustries.com/Towing/)
A lot of manufacturers (such as Honda) no longer reccomend towing 4 down because of the liability. They found most people don't follow instructions well.
We have a 2005 Honda pilot that we just bought specifically for towing 4 down and it fits all the kids.
When it was new towing was no problem but now 12 years later its no longer reccomended.
One thing you can do is check the transmission and transfer case manufacturer. Sometimes you might find that your make (Honda) says no but you'll see another vehicle with the same drivetrain (Acura) that says yes its okay.
Anyway you do it, there will be a risk. I can't see a car being hauled around the country with 4 down to be in the same shape as a car that was just driven around town for the same amount of miles... wear and tear will differ.
-Sean
Been flat towing a fit for a year.Engine on, drive to neutral for 3 min then engine off. Leave in neutral and key in
acc. Repeat every day if towing over 500 miles. All autos and manuals are towable, newer cvt transmission 2013 up? are not.
Great toad, only about 2500 lb.
According to the owners manual for the 4X4 Geo Tracker chassis under my toad I am supposed to stop at 100 mile intervals and run the engine/transmission in drive for 3 minutes to lube up the front half of the transfer case. Seems like a PITA but I'm usually ready to stretch my legs after a hundred mile drive anyway so no big deal for me. Besides, that way I don't have to deal with a dolly or car trailer.
Jack
I flat towed for years and now because of gm I had to go out and buy a trailer to put my colorado on . at first it was a pain in the @$# getting use to it but now that I have done it for over a year it tows better then flat towing and I can and do back up + now I am legal because of the trailer brakes . with a honda fit you could use a single axle trailer with brakes , very light , small if you get a aluminum one
just an idea
dave
I couldn't imagine towing a trailer or dolly around. Some parks just don't have the space for what is essentially 3 vehicles. Heck, some are tight with a single vehicle when it's 40 or more feet long. We tow our Mini 4 down and the only drawback is having to leave the key in the ignition so the steering can free wheel. I watch the rear camera whenever we're at intersections in case someone tries to jump in it. I did forget to unlock the steering one time and drug it almost a mile before I realized the front tires were smoking. Needed new tires anyway haha. I had an excuse, I'm old.
Quote from: PP on January 08, 2017, 09:23:19 AM... the only drawback is having to leave the key in the ignition so the steering can free wheel. I watch the rear camera whenever we're at intersections in case someone tries to jump in it. ...
I got a "valet" key cut for my VW. It won't open the tailgate or the glove box but it will unlock the steering. The trick was to not get it "initialized" on the computer -- it will unlock the steering and you can drive around with the steering unlocked but if someone tries to start it with that key, it will only stumble for 2-3 seconds and go off then show a red key-symbol on the instrument panel next time some one starts the engine with a key that the computer recognizes. Also, the "main key" will lock the doors using the key - I don't think it will lock the doors using the fob/remote is a key is in the ignition, but using a "dead" valet key, you can unlock the steering, protect from an engine start, and lock the doors with the working key. This works well. Dunno if it works with a Mini, though but you may be able to do something similar.
Hey Bruce, we did that with our Liberty. But when I went to the locksmith's to get a 'valet' key for the mini I was told that if it goes far enough to unlock the wheel, it will have gone far enough to set off the alarm and it will take his services to set it right after that. Maybe he blew a little smoke you know where, but I do have to turn the key far enough that the radio and other dash lights come on before the wheel unlocks. But where I was going in the original post is that in the owner's manual it is not recommended for towing over 50 MPH. I've towed it almost 6000 miles and usually in the neighborhood of 60-65 MPH with no problems and for distances of around 300+ miles at a time.
Quote from: PP on January 08, 2017, 05:53:05 PMHey Bruce, we did that with our Liberty. But when I went to the locksmith's to get a 'valet' key for the mini I was told that if it goes far enough to unlock the wheel, it will have gone far enough to set off the alarm and it will take his services to set it right after that. Maybe he blew a little smoke you know where, but I do have to turn the key far enough that the radio and other dash lights come on before the wheel unlocks. But where I was going in the original post is that in the owner's manual it is not recommended for towing over 50 MPH. I've towed it almost 6000 miles and usually in the neighborhood of 60-65 MPH with no problems and for distances of around 300+ miles at a time.
I was afraid that there might be variations between vehicles (but, since the Mini is basically a German car, I was hoping that it might be enough like a VW for the same procedure to work) and I'm sorry that it doesn't seem like a valid option for your car. I might not have read your post but the Mini is manual, right?
I bought the towing baseplate for my first TDI from a member here. He had towed his Jetta about 70,000 - 90,000 miles with no troubles but his missus wanted a Passat so they were trading the Jetta. He said that sometimes he did the startup in neutral for 3-5 minutes thing, esp if they were doing many hours in a day, but mostly he didn't bother. I understand that VW feels that they want to cover their you-know-whutts, but I just don't see that "splash lubrication" for a manual transmission isn't enough when there's no load on the gears and bearings.
If it works OK to unlock the steering with the "good key", is it still possible to lock the doors with a spare key? I just like having the doors locked (after I've finished my pre-towing checklist, of course -- I wouldn't want to drag my tires or anything and I need a checklist because I'm old). :)
Good luck with working out something that does good for you.
Quote from: Oonrahnjay on January 09, 2017, 04:19:00 AM
I was afraid that there might be variations between vehicles (but, since the Mini is basically a German car, I was hoping that it might be enough like a VW for the same procedure to work) and I'm sorry that it doesn't seem like a valid option for your car. I might not have read your post but the Mini is manual, right?
I bought the towing baseplate for my first TDI from a member here. He had towed his Jetta about 70,000 - 90,000 miles with no troubles but his missus wanted a Passat so they were trading the Jetta. He said that sometimes he did the startup in neutral for 3-5 minutes thing, esp if they were doing many hours in a day, but mostly he didn't bother. I understand that VW feels that they want to cover their you-know-whutts, but I just don't see that "splash lubrication" for a manual transmission isn't enough when there's no load on the gears and bearings.
If it works OK to unlock the steering with the "good key", is it still possible to lock the doors with a spare key? I just like having the doors locked (after I've finished my pre-towing checklist, of course -- I wouldn't want to drag my tires or anything and I need a checklist because I'm old). :)
Good luck with working out something that does good for you.
Yes, it's a manual 6 speed 'S' model. I sat in the car with the key in the ignition and tried to lock the doors and they won't lock. Safety feature to keep you from locking your keys in the car I guess. On another note-I learned the hard way last week when the battery died in the Mini that you can't access it to replace it without a jump from another vehicle or battery because the rear hatch locks electrically and the battery is under the rear hatch. Newer models now have a lever under the rear seat to manually unlock the hatch, but my older model didn't come with that. I was fortunate enough to be able to reach the jumper cables and used the new battery through the engine compartment to work the electric locks so I could get the old battery out. What fun! At least it happened in a Bi-Mart parking lot and they just happened to have the right battery and it was on sale. Must be doing something right haha.