Join the movement and help make this non-sponsored independent channel become the top subbed car channel on TH-cam, instead of corporate channels like Top Gear, subscribe to scotty: th-cam.com/channels/uxpxCCevIlF-k-K5YU8XPA.html Check out the newest repair videos (Updated daily): th-cam.com/play/PLY9mgCQatPBxQT0a1LoXpfUN0-DBhpltY.html Check out the newest Q&A videos (Updated daily): th-cam.com/play/PLY9mgCQatPBzOStAy8udT44cn_e6d26v5.html ⬇️Scotty’s Top DIY Tools: 1. Bluetooth Scan Tool: amzn.to/2nfvmaD 2. Cheap Scan Tool: amzn.to/2D8Tvae 3. Basic Mechanic Tool Set: amzn.to/2tEr6Ce 4. Professional Socket Set: amzn.to/2Bzmccg 5. Ratcheting Wrench Set: amzn.to/2BQjj8A 6. No Charging Required Car Jump Starter: amzn.to/2CthnUU 7. Battery Pack Car Jump Starter: amzn.to/2nrc6qR ⬇️ Things used in this video: 1. Common Sense 2. 4k Camera: amzn.to/2HkjavH 3. Camera Microphone: amzn.to/2Evn167 4. Camera Tripod: amzn.to/2Jwog8S 5. My computer for editing / uploading: amzn.to/2uUZ3lo 🛠Check out the tools I use and highly recommend ► goo.gl/rwYt2y 🔥Scotty Shirts and Merch ► goo.gl/pTAeca Subscribe and hit the notification bell! ► goo.gl/CFismN Scotty on Social: Facebook ► facebook.com/scottymechanic/ Instagram ► instagram.com/scotty_the_mechanic/ Twitter ► twitter.com/Scottymechanic?lang=en
Scotty I have been following ur videos for a very long time and let me tell u, you have a lot of followers from India and we are always loyal to u. So keep up the great work ur doing. And please do visit India. Love from India
Hirum Biffidum for a front wheel drive car you use a tow dolly or a trailer. rear wheel drive cars use a trailer . I have seen cars being towed by a motorhomes as well being they take the cars along
Hirum Biffidum some of the information in this one is incorrect. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
teratonexplosion you can’t tow in park. That’s like trying to push your car in your driveway while it’s in park. In park the drive wheel(s) will be locked and you can’t move it. But if you put it in neutral you can push it no problem. Same concept here. If you towed it in park then you would be skidding the drive wheel down the road and it would not be long before you destroyed the tire and maybe some suspension or driveline component. Scotty should correct his comments in another video but he seems to be a guy who don’t do that sort of thing, it would mean admitting he was wrong with 51 years experience! 🐴😂
@@newfie-dean5803 Hi, its called capillary action the heat will transfer via the hot fluid as it will still circulate a bit, though not under normal pressure and the rad will still get hot, the engine not running this resultant heat in the rad will back circulate in the same way through the engine. Your theory about a moving vehicle will cool the rad a little, but the non pressurized transmission fluid will be upward of 200'c and without the water pump & fans running the back circulation of the heat will destroy the engine seals & the weakest point more than likely will be the head gaskets.
You can tow any vehicle if you just start the engine, let it idle and put in nutreul. You can push any vehicle doing the same but by strapping 2 old tires together on front of the grill area without rims to the car that is pushing. Works the best. We use to repo cars that way all the time. You can really smack the cars together on the freeway without damage.
The head gasket is probably why it was being towed in the first place. That story was 100% bullshit. The oil isn't being pumped, but somehow it ended up being pumped into the transmission cooler?
I towed tons of cars from the 30s to mid 70s w/o issue with a tow bar. I did keep it to 45-50 mph and no more than 20 -30 miles, anything more and they got trailered.
Scotty, a few exceptions to these tow rules that you should have mentioned are 1) You can tow a 4x4 with all the wheels on the ground if it has a "manual" transfer case that can be put into neutral. I'm talking about the transfer case, NOT the transmission. This is why Jeep Wranglers and Geo/Chevy trackers are so popular to tow behind motorhomes... 2)If the car will run (like if it runs fine and you just need to move it) you can leave the car running and in neutral and as long as the engine is running the transmission pump will be pumping fluid keeping your transmission safe. I wouldn't recommend doing this for extended periods of time but for a short tow it will work 3) Disconnect and remove the driveshaft (many people who tow their vehicles behind motorhomes do this. Some even install auxiliary transmission pumps that run without the engine being on)
Superdutychase His logic here makes no sense. The thermostat on the engine is closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant inside the engine through the radiator. Also, to circulate coolant the water pump needs to be running which is only possible if the engine is on since it’s driven by the belt. Even if the radiator had hot fluid there’s no way for it to get back inside the engine with the engine off! And how would transmission fluid get circulated through the radiator with the car towed? He already said with the car off there’s no lubrication of the transmission so what’s moving the transmission fluid through the radiator?
Superdutychase definitely had a blown head gasket already, maybe why it was towed to begin with, LOL! It’s physically impossible for what he said to happen! There’s no oil pump moving fluid to the transmission cooler on the radiator with the car off so there’s no way to overheat the radiator. And on top of that even if that was possible there’s air movement through the radiator while towing it so it would cool it down. And hot coolant needs to be inside the engine to blow a head gasket!
Joe Casson this video is complete hogwash. It’s physically impossible to blow a head gasket towing! There’s air flow the entire time and no circulation of coolant through the engine. If you google honda CRV AWD automatic towing it tells you specifically to tow with all 4 wheels on the ground at highway speeds no greater than 65 mph.
lindsey607 yes many ppl in my area in NY use a tow hook license plate holder. Reason being we don’t want to drill front holes in the bumper as it ruin aesthetics. And a tow plate can easily be removed as well for car shows. Win win
Keep in mind that if you have a vehicle with a 4WD transfer case then you CAN tow with all 4 wheels on the ground as long as the TRANSFER CASE is in neutral - not the transmission by itself, but also the transfer case. This disconnects the drive wheels entirely and is often explained in a 4WD vehicle's manual as an option for towing! Great video Scotty! 👍
@Tony Humbert if you're transfer case is out in neutral (different than your transmission) then the transmission won't be connected to the moving wheels at all - therefore the transmission won't spin or get hot. A lot of manufacturers actually specify this method for flat towing. The Subaru likely didn't have a transfer case at all - meaning that it couldn't be flat towed and destroyed the transmission.
@Tony Humbert If I'm not mistaken most suabrus don't even have what we would consider a transfer case traditionally because they aren't shiftable - as you said.
@Tony Humbert Correct - but in a lot of full-time 4WD systems and AWD systems it isn't shiftable in a standard form like a part time 4WD t-case which is the most common type used in flat towing applications.
@Tony Humbert dude it's a forum for conversation - it is somewhat relevant because people watching this video may not know that some vehicles CAN be flat towed with a t-case and some can't . This video, while Scotty is great - makes it seem like almost no vehicle can be flat towed. Lighten up
PEOPLE, THINK ABOUT THIS. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
TheGomezIndustries Very common thing to happen with Subaru's! It's in their owners Manuel's " do not sneeze while driving... You will blow your Head Gasket .. Reference pg. 24!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I think those 'tow hooks' are actually transport tie down points for use on car ferries during rough weather crossings etc. That's why they are at each corner. Love the videos, thanks for posting them.
Scotty is right. I live in Florida and when the accident happened it got towed to west way towing. Where my clothing was stolen. No where to be found and the cops didn’t kinda care.
Thank you, Scotty. My father would turn off the engine in neutral on longer hills on his '64 Impala (283 V8) with Powerglide and coast then start it by turning on the ignition then put it into gear. He put it into gear once before turning on the ignition and blew out the muffler.
Oh yeah? Try calling them when the temperature is below zero and they tell you to wait three days until it warms up! I will admit that they do come when the weather is nice. Triple A is a big corporation and has ethics that fit that category.
@@peaceonearth8693 I live near Buffalo, and I've never had AAA give me trouble unless it's a busy day. Most bad winter days, are in fact busy, for obvious reasons.
@@peaceonearth8693 oh yeah. i've never had a issue with them coming out in any type of weather. wait times were anywhere from 20 minutes to about an hour. sounds more like the towing company that services your area has issues, not AAA.
I work at an rv park in california. Wont believe how many people loaded their cars on uhaul car dollys the wrong way. Expensive vacation for the dozens ive seen. A little knowledge does go along way. Thanks scotty
To tow a bike. Loop rope around HEADSTOCK ONCE. Then to one bar and hold with thumb pressure only. Ensure ROPE PULLS OUT EASILY WHEN RELEASED. 20 MPH MAX. I have been towed twice. In 30yrs, it`s OK.
The fact that you do something incredibly stupid and it doesn't kill you does not mean it is not an incredibly stupid thing to do, it just means that you were fortunate that your stupid move did not get you killed this time. 30 years of riding, and I've never seen anyone need to do something that stupid. If you can't fix it at the side of the road, you can always find somebody with a truck or trailer. I've even seen complete strangers help out - five of us were on a secondary highway essentially in the middle of nowhere, and one of the bikes had a rear tire blow (a spoke had worked loose and punctured the inner tube). With the nearest bike shop 4 hours away, we were at the side of the road contemplating strategy when a couple of guys in a pickup pulled over to see if they could help. We loaded the bike into the back of their truck, and it spent the night in a small town garage while we went back to the city for a new tire. People with motorcycles doing stupid things are organ donations waiting to happen.
You're a fun guy. These videos are informative. Thanks. Here's a tip (or maybe not), On my Honda Odyssey there wasn't much to tie my kayak to at the front, on the Prius V I replaced it with, there's nothing at all-- except that single point screw in eye-bolt. What I did was take about 18" of 1" webbing, put the ends together and using a soldering iron melted a hole through the ends. Then under the hood I removed one of the fender screws, they all seem to have flanges, so you don't need a washer, then screwed it back down over the webbing. Now on either side there's a 6" loop sticking out from under the sides of the hood (and if I want I can tuck them inside the hood) Not for towing obviously but works great for tying loads down.
Scotty, you are right about towing and smart to not mention that towing can be done on a manual trans with a tow rope and the hooks but it should only be done by someone who is aware about towing with a rope. Towing a car with a tow-rope is legal, subject to complying with the relevant road rules and regulations, but it's not something we generally recommend as there is a lack of power assistance to steering and brakes on the towed vehicle. Its pretty scary as I've done it a few times. The person towing needs to look ahead and drive in such a manor that the vehicle behind can stop both cars in time without the aid of power brakes. This can be a challenge as generally the car towing is larger. In some states you are only allowed to tow the car to a safe place while others you can tow home. I have had the hooks on cars just rip off before too! Not for the faint of heart and I would defiantly highly recommend using a different system if available.
His wife probably throws him out of the house a lot. So instead of the dog house, his preference is the Toyota. Besides, more room in the car over the dog house (LOL!).
Scotty, having done roadside assistance for the CAA I have towed a lot of cars. I need to point out though, that what you referred to as "Tow Hooks" on the Toyota are not that. They are tie downs for when the car is being transported. The other "Tow hook" is a recovery attachment that should never be used for towing, but for when the vehicle needs to be winched, like out of a ditch or moved to be properly loaded onto the tow truck. Also, I would advise against towing cars backwards, the aerodynamics of today's cars are finely tuned, it's ok if you're doing a short hop, but once you get up to highway speeds, things have a tendency of flying off, mirrors and tonneau covers especially. Use a flatbed of dolly wheels if you're transporting a rear wheel drive car over a distance. In Canada, the CAA charges about $150.00 for their premier package that gets you 5 service calls - anything from fuel delivery, if you run out of gas, battery service, tire changing, or towing up to 200 kms; that's 1000 total towed kms! It's the best insurance you can get, considering that just a hook up is about $150.00 in Toronto plus mileage to the shop. Not sure what AAA charges, but I bet it's similar.
It's better to get that higher coverage anyway, you get much more distance free. Though towing a bike is better with a truck and trailer not a flatbed.
Thanks Scotty your wise advice came in handy the other day when I was in an accident. A bunch of tow trucks arrived trying to take my car. I called a friend and he let me use his AAA to tow it to my house, its awaiting the appraiser. But your advice came in handy, I had seen it on another video you did a few months back. Thank you Sir.
Manual transmissions rely on a splash lube system, not an engine driven pump like an automatic. In a perfect world you still pull by the drive wheels but it's not necessary on a stick.
My 2007 H3 is designed for flat towing. Transmission in park, buttons allow each wheel to spin freely. Also automatically unlocks steering wheel so it can steer around curves. Pretty cool that they came from the factory with all those features.
A tip, even if you don’t use your tow hook and you have a little square cover. It’s good idea to spray some WD40 and screw in the tow hook a few times 2-3x. This makes it easier to install and remove the hook and also helps it from not rusting. Always make sure the cover is not missing. It will rust. If you don’t have the cover. Just leave the inserted tow hook in. Just spray some WD40 before you insert.
Alex you have to toe in neutral. You’re not going to tow in park. This logic makes no sense. The thermostat on the engine is closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant inside the engine through the radiator. Also, to circulate coolant the water pump needs to be running which is only possible if the engine is on since it’s driven by the belt. There’s no way for this to happen! And how would transmission fluid get circulated through the radiator with the car towed? He already said with the car off there’s no lubrication of the transmission so what’s moving the transmission fluid through the radiator?
No one should be the only place you get information from. Scotty seems great, but no one is always right about everything. I bet even Scotty would admit he still learns new things =)
Just Some Guy without a Mustache some of the information in this one is incorrect. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
HAVE A COMMENT AND OR FOR YOU ABOUT TOWING FRONT WHEEL DRIVE CARS!! FIRST I AM 59 YEAR OLD MAN AND I HAVE ALWAYS TOWED THEM AND NEVER OVER 50 MPH AND ALSO NEVER OVER 5-6 MILES TOPS!! SO I WAS SHOCKED WHEN SAID THAT!!! I always watch your videos because you ARE PROFESSIONAL GRADE MECHANIC!! I HAVE ALWAYS WORKED ON MY OWN VEHICLES!! ALL MY LIFE!! UNTIL 2 YEARS AGO!!!! AND ENDED UP BEING A HUGE HUGE MISTAKE!! I GOT A SHODDY HORRIBLE MECHANIC!!! I hope you read this and can get back TO ME ME!! Thanks man!!
if you must tow it with the drive wheels on the ground: Automatic Transaxle - Your vehicle may be towed under the following conditions: The gear selector must be in NEUTRAL, the distance to be towed must not exceed 15 miles (25 km), and the towing speed must not exceed 25 mph (40 km/h)...Wiki
I don't think that I'd do that. There is no oil being pumped in the transmission when the engine is off. The bearings can get hot and dry without lubrication. I'd say that Wiki is mistaken. Automatic transmissions have not been designed to be towed like that since the 1950's or so. There was no reason to put a pump that is attached to the output of the transmission, so they saved money by not putting one in. The only oil pump is connected to the input from the engine.
I bought a Stehl Tow dolly about 7 years ago & its paid for itself all the times I’ve used it to tow my & other people’s vehicles for them. The only thing that makes me nervous about it is when you use the straps to secure the vehicle to the dolly. Seems like the pressure needed to safely secure the car to the dolly (not too much, not too little) via the straps may do some damage to suspension parts.
... Unless the drive shaft is needed to seal the transmission rear end. I had an old Toyota that could be towed that way (if it was an automatic, but mine was a manual), BUT if you remove the drive shaft, you have the put a plug into the back of the transmission to prevent the oil from pouring out.
GEAUX FRUGAL some of the information in this one is incorrect. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
Dana Jorgensen it is impossible to blow a head gasket towing a car. If there is heat transferred to the radiator it is being dissipated by air movement through the radiator as the car is towed. That’s why you don’t need a cooling fan when moving but you need one when parked and idling. The cooling fan pulls air through the radiator to dissipate heat from it. The exact same thing is happening with air flow through the radiator as the vehicle is towed. On top of that there is air flow beneath the vehicle that will also dissipate heat build up in the transmission through convection heat transfer. There is absolutely no way a car overheats the engine from towing it. He also said to never tow an AWD on 4 wheels. Yet if you look up the Honda CRV AWD with an auto it says you can tow it on all 4 wheels at highway speeds. These blanket statements that Scotty makes to encompass every vehicle are incorrect. It’s the same deal with whenever anyone asks a question about a transmission shift problem. Every time he says the transmission is worn and needs to be replaced. Man, you cannot diagnose a transmission based on a shift issue comment and say it needs to be replaced. I had a transmission shift issue and had people say it was an Internal issue on a Mustang GT with 90,000 miles. It turned out to be an electrical short in my engine fuse box that was interfering with the reference voltage used for the transmission. Fixed the short and no more transmission issue. Just because Scotty has 51 years experience people take his word as gospel without ever logically thinking about it in many cases. Years don’t always mean you know everything. It comes down to what kind of experience you have more than anything. There are people working in jobs for 25 years and someone working the same job for 10 can know more. This is a fact.
@@newfie-dean5803 As a transporter of cryogenics I have an education in fluid and gas dynamics. A radiator is both higher and cooler heat naturally seeks a higher and cooler level as a gas or liquid seeks these polar opposites a convection occurs same action that causes wind, ocean convection etc stratification is a factor here all these atmospheres play off one another . All of these , fluid Dynamics, air / liquid interaction is sure to increase the temperature of transmission fluid .
GEAUX FRUGAL what? I understand heat transfer well. Airflow is going to reduce temperature. Air flow over a radiator reduces temperature, that’s how it works. Same principle with airflow under the car. The point here is this, no tow job caused a head gasket to blow and if you think so then I can’t help you.
@@newfie-dean5803 NO !, the greater heat and lack of water circulation in the normal direction is never going to keep the situation under control. Airflow around a water cooled engine is not going to have much of a cooling effect.
I was told the "tow hooks" on my 1998 Toyota Camry are just tie down points for the car delivery truck and not to be used for towing. I never did figure out where I was supposed to tie off to if I ever had to call a friend to get pulled out of the mud. Fortunately I only got the car stuck once, it was in the snow and no tow rope was needed.
Thank you for this common sense wisdom, Scotty. Towing company drivers aren’t all so scrupulous. And in some counties that have loose and lax “anything goes” towing laws, these tow truck drivers and their companies are horrible thieves getting away with financial murder.
You’re talking about a rollback wrecker. They do great for what they were designed to do. Ram trucks have a full neutral so they can be towed. As always, great video
I towed a 2001 Subaru Forester AWD for 50 miles on a tow dolly, front wheels on the dolly rear wheels on the roads. We did this with the car in Park because the rear end never engaged with the car not running so the rear wheels actually spun freely.
Don't laugh, but I always wondered what that little square thing was for on the front pumper! I'm 38yrs old and I didn't know that's where you put the two hook!!🤣😂🤣
Budget Impreza that’s impossible!! This logic makes no sense. The thermostat on the engine is closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant inside the engine through the radiator. Also, to circulate coolant the water pump needs to be running which is only possible if the engine is on since it’s driven by the belt. There’s no way for this to happen! And how would transmission fluid get circulated through the radiator with the car towed? He already said with the car off there’s no lubrication of the transmission so what’s moving the transmission fluid through the radiator?
6:11 Tow hitches are illegal in some European countries. There you have two options basically, a tow rope (they are not allowed on highways, you can tow no faster than 50 km/h using them) or just get a flatbed.
Where I live we call that type of tow truck a rollback. And it's a side note I have a four-wheel drive with an automatic transmission and I have no issues towing it with any of the drive wheels on the ground because I can't engage the transfer case to neutral.
I've been following your videos for a while this is your homeboy juice got a question I got a Saturn 2007 Aurora my acceleration pedal is acting sluggish when I push down on the gas it feel like is going 60 miles but then it goes down and then I got to push her further with the gas pedal to keep in there what is going on with my car please contact me as soon as possible
They're great in colder climates when you inevitably get stuck in snow. And not just necessarily from the angle that you might be pulling something out from being stuck, but that someone ELSE might be pulling YOU out from being stuck. They're convenient to have even if some folks think they're just for show.
Great video! AAA is great for towing. I have 100 mile limit for a tow, and I have them tow it to my driveway so I can fix it on my own. They will do it even from an accident.
Hey Scotty quick question, how do I keep the front wheels straight if I tow a rear wheel vehicle? Not sure if they'd stay straight on their own?? Or if the wheel will lock up in the "straight" position? Thanks Man your the best!
neftv1 Some of the information in this one is incorrect. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
In Europe towing with a rope or a pole is allowed only on main road, not on motorway. On motorway you can only use a towing cart. Here towing is not a problem because we mostly drive a manual transmission cars which have a different neutral than automatics.
I've seen people strap down cars by those tow points just a little too hard and bend the frame! They started strapping cars down by the wheels now to avoid bending frames on new cars from the factory..
From what I know Neutral only disengages the engine from the transmission, but not the transmission from the wheels. Hence why you would mess up your transmission if you towed it any real distance.. (which is exactly what Scotty is talking about in the video) The point of Neutral is for other things.. Example: Going through a car wash.. or Starting a Car when you can not use park (for whatever reason).. Or say if you have a stuck throttle and you need to safely get to a place to stop. Lastly if you are stuck and need to push your car out of whatever (It is easier to push in Neutral).. Also if it is getting pulled onto a flatbed they would put the car in Neutral to get it up. FYI you should not put your car in Neutral while regular driving.. one of the reasons is that when you put it back into drive it will not be in the correct gear as it has not properly progressed through the gears for the speed the car is going.
TisJester XxX This logic makes no sense. The thermostat on the engine is closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant inside the engine through the radiator. Also, to circulate coolant the water pump needs to be running which is only possible if the engine is on since it’s driven by the belt. Even if the radiator had hot fluid there’s no way for it to get back inside the engine with the engine off! And how would transmission fluid get circulated through the radiator with the car towed? He already said with the car off there’s no lubrication of the transmission so what’s moving the transmission fluid through the radiator?
with rear wheel drive cars you can disconnect the driveshaft and tow with the rear wheels on the ground if you tow long distances. also some automatic transmissions do have a rear oil pump driven by the output shaft in addition to the front pump driven by the engine. granted they are old hydromatic transmissions from the 50s, and a few early model AOD ford automatics. the owners manual will tell you for sure.
This is one of those ymmv. Grew up giving and getting tows… with a tow strap and nary a transmission was fried. Interstate, city, night and day. Otherwise good advice, thanks for the video.
1:56 FO NOT EVER DO THAT. Thats insanely dangerous if the wheel turns even slightly itll shift a lot of weight and be dangerous. Just get a traiker like a full size one u can put all 4 on.
Always check your owners manual before towing your car. They say any manual transmission car can be safely towed. Unless you own a TR7. That 5 speed trans uses power from the input shaft to lubricate the transmission.
A slipping transmission is usually a worn or damaged transmission. You could try replacing the fluid if it smells burnt or replacing the filter if it has alot of mileage, but chances are the clutch plates and/or bands are worn out. The only fix is a rebuild. This is exactly why people should stop buying automatics.
I know that in the 4x4 chevy Silverado and the 4x4 Jeep Grand Cherokee you have the ability to shift your transfer case into neutral. Yes even the electronic transfer cases can be shifted into neutral. Just have to read your manual for instructions. With the transfer case in neutral the wheels are disengaged from the transmission. Now I don't know if your differentials will be safe.
Tip if you don't know who to call call your insurance company and get them to send a tow truck. Never ask the police to call a tow truck they will send it to a lot somewhere.
Edward Anthony I don’t have time to explain to you how an automatic transmission works. Just know that I’m a professional tow operator, and I probably know quite a bit more about safely towing than you do.
Edward Anthony the short version is that you cannot disconnect the front and rear wheels from each other in an AWD system, or from the transmission by simply putting the trans in neutral. You’d still be turning the transmission internals without proper lubrication. But don’t take my word for it. Do whatever you like. HMU when you need a tow.
Scotty, can I tow my front wheel drive (2002 Toyota Camry) with all four wheels on the ground at a moderate speed (like 35 MPH) for just a short distance (like under 5 miles) without causing damage? If no, how far and how fast can I make it without causing damage?
In all honesty all the information about towing your vehicle is in the drivers hand book that comes with the car when you buy it. It is normally the book in the glove box that you always mean to read but never get around to! If its missing your dealer will supply you a copy or most manufacturers have 'pdf' versions on their web sites where you can download it for FREE !. This video by Scotty really is just the hand book information, that you should have read anyway. Perhaps seeing it here will make you think about the perils of this, should you ever be in the unfortunate position of needing to tow a non running car any distance in excesses of a few yards.
Only a select amount of AWD/4WD cars can be towed with all four wheels on the ground, usually Jeeps, that's why they're popular with RVers. But you need special equipment and a flat towbar to do so. There are RV dinghy towing magazines with every new specific make and model that can be flat-towed according to the manufacturer.
The pump on an automatic transmission is sometimes referred to as the “Front Pump” the reason why is ... they USED to have a Rear Pump that was powered by the rotation of the drive shaft ... SO towing the car would not damnage it ... also made it possible to “bump start” the car by pushing it ... if the battery was dead or starter failed.
My car has those 'tow hooks' that you screw on the bumper after popping the little cover off. However, the owners manual says that they were only used to 'secure' the cars during transportation and not to actually use them for towing, but that they can be used to secure something to the roof rack like a kayak. My car is a 2014 Mazda 3 if anyone's wondering, I'm sure the rest of the Mazdas as the same.
I think the "tow hooks" on some cars are really just meant for tying the car down during transport. I know the one on my neighbors Honda didn't hold up to a very gentle tug out of the snow. I'm sure glad I wasn't the one who hooked it up.
Also, if you don't know of a good tow truck company, but have a mechanic that you trust, ask who they deal with! My go to mechanic deals with a great tow company, but I didn't know that that tow company existed! & I needed a tow finally a few years back(lucky me, never had to get my vehicle towed the 1st 20 years I started driving! I started driving when I was 15, yes legally, va in 1995 changed the driving age to 15 years & 8 months when i was about to turn said age & my folks jumped on me to get my license) just make sure that the mechanic you go to is a mechanic you trust is all! Cell phone is a great resource to have but there are still great resources other than them so always use all your resources to their fullest!
@@MrRathel That's just what I thought. It seems like it could cause problems in communication in a battlefield. You don't want to accidentally deploy your AA guns when you meant field artillery, or vice versa. And if you call them both "artillery" there is a much greater risk of that happening.
@@mattr2238 Uhh, yes there is such a thing as Anti-aircraft Artillery. Never seen a war movie or anything where a pilot says "Hey, watch out for that triple A"
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Scotty I have been following ur videos for a very long time and let me tell u, you have a lot of followers from India and we are always loyal to u. So keep up the great work ur doing. And please do visit India. Love from India
6:28 Nissan with a bad automatic spotted :D
Scotty Kilmer good information!! Thank you
Excellent video Scotty,I own my own flatbed trailer with a 10-K winch on it and has came in very handy more then a few times!.
Scotty Kilmer love your channel.
Hey Scotty, are motor craft power steering pumps ( rebuilt in China) ok?
I have an 83 ford f150.
Thank you!🍹
That’s exactly how I’m going to tow my neighbors car when they park in front of my driveway.
HAHA!!.😎👍
Isn't that illegal in most places? Any place I lived in they could call the cops and have the car towed if you did that.
Do you mean, in the wrong way?
:V
Adrian The cops might show up or not. Ultimately; one might get away with it or one might find himself on the hook for damages and misdemeanors.
Mo Chubby's Music wouldn’t it be fun sometimes to be Tony Soprano?
For "free tows" I was hoping to see a bag of Fritos appear in the corner. ;-)
Thankyou Scotty; this is one of the most important videos you've made so far; and YES people do a lot of dumb things when a car breaks down.
Hirum Biffidum for a front wheel drive car you use a tow dolly or a trailer. rear wheel drive cars use a trailer . I have seen cars being towed by a motorhomes as well being they take the cars along
Hirum Biffidum some of the information in this one is incorrect. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
@@newfie-dean5803 maybe towing with the transmission in Parking mode? Bad video, I don't agree either.
teratonexplosion you can’t tow in park. That’s like trying to push your car in your driveway while it’s in park. In park the drive wheel(s) will be locked and you can’t move it. But if you put it in neutral you can push it no problem. Same concept here. If you towed it in park then you would be skidding the drive wheel down the road and it would not be long before you destroyed the tire and maybe some suspension or driveline component. Scotty should correct his comments in another video but he seems to be a guy who don’t do that sort of thing, it would mean admitting he was wrong with 51 years experience! 🐴😂
@@newfie-dean5803 Hi, its called capillary action the heat will transfer via the hot fluid as it will still circulate a bit, though not under normal pressure and the rad will still get hot, the engine not running this resultant heat in the rad will back circulate in the same way through the engine. Your theory about a moving vehicle will cool the rad a little, but the non pressurized transmission fluid will be upward of 200'c and without the water pump & fans running the back circulation of the heat will destroy the engine seals & the weakest point more than likely will be the head gaskets.
You can tow any vehicle if you just start the engine, let it idle and put in nutreul. You can push any vehicle doing the same but by strapping 2 old tires together on front of the grill area without rims to the car that is pushing. Works the best. We use to repo cars that way all the time. You can really smack the cars together on the freeway without damage.
Oh, you're messing with us, Scotty - Subarus don't need to be towed to blow head gaskets!
Blow the head gasket first, tow later!
Hahahhahahahah
Leave it to a Subaru to blow head gaskets without the engine running.
hahaha nice:)
The head gasket is probably why it was being towed in the first place. That story was 100% bullshit. The oil isn't being pumped, but somehow it ended up being pumped into the transmission cooler?
I towed tons of cars from the 30s to mid 70s w/o issue with a tow bar. I did keep it to 45-50 mph and no more than 20 -30 miles, anything more and they got trailered.
Scotty, a few exceptions to these tow rules that you should have mentioned are
1) You can tow a 4x4 with all the wheels on the ground if it has a "manual" transfer case that can be put into neutral. I'm talking about the transfer case, NOT the transmission. This is why Jeep Wranglers and Geo/Chevy trackers are so popular to tow behind motorhomes...
2)If the car will run (like if it runs fine and you just need to move it) you can leave the car running and in neutral and as long as the engine is running the transmission pump will be pumping fluid keeping your transmission safe. I wouldn't recommend doing this for extended periods of time but for a short tow it will work
3) Disconnect and remove the driveshaft (many people who tow their vehicles behind motorhomes do this. Some even install auxiliary transmission pumps that run without the engine being on)
You are correct sir!
Superdutychase His logic here makes no sense. The thermostat on the engine is closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant inside the engine through the radiator. Also, to circulate coolant the water pump needs to be running which is only possible if the engine is on since it’s driven by the belt. Even if the radiator had hot fluid there’s no way for it to get back inside the engine with the engine off! And how would transmission fluid get circulated through the radiator with the car towed? He already said with the car off there’s no lubrication of the transmission so what’s moving the transmission fluid through the radiator?
Superdutychase definitely had a blown head gasket already, maybe why it was towed to begin with, LOL! It’s physically impossible for what he said to happen! There’s no oil pump moving fluid to the transmission cooler on the radiator with the car off so there’s no way to overheat the radiator. And on top of that even if that was possible there’s air movement through the radiator while towing it so it would cool it down. And hot coolant needs to be inside the engine to blow a head gasket!
Joe Casson this video is complete hogwash. It’s physically impossible to blow a head gasket towing! There’s air flow the entire time and no circulation of coolant through the engine. If you google honda CRV AWD automatic towing it tells you specifically to tow with all 4 wheels on the ground at highway speeds no greater than 65 mph.
Talking with my wife's Uncle, talking car stuff and he say's, "I watch vids from this mechanic out of Texas", my eye's lit up.
When you made the "Uhh" noise and put the tennis player I lost it😂😂😂
I always wondered what those squares on the bumper were for n now I known. Thanks again Mr Scotty.
lindsey607 yes many ppl in my area in NY use a tow hook license plate holder. Reason being we don’t want to drill front holes in the bumper as it ruin aesthetics. And a tow plate can easily be removed as well for car shows. Win win
Me too...lol
Keep in mind that if you have a vehicle with a 4WD transfer case then you CAN tow with all 4 wheels on the ground as long as the TRANSFER CASE is in neutral - not the transmission by itself, but also the transfer case. This disconnects the drive wheels entirely and is often explained in a 4WD vehicle's manual as an option for towing! Great video Scotty! 👍
@Tony Humbert if you're transfer case is out in neutral (different than your transmission) then the transmission won't be connected to the moving wheels at all - therefore the transmission won't spin or get hot. A lot of manufacturers actually specify this method for flat towing. The Subaru likely didn't have a transfer case at all - meaning that it couldn't be flat towed and destroyed the transmission.
@Tony Humbert If I'm not mistaken most suabrus don't even have what we would consider a transfer case traditionally because they aren't shiftable - as you said.
@Tony Humbert Correct - but in a lot of full-time 4WD systems and AWD systems it isn't shiftable in a standard form like a part time 4WD t-case which is the most common type used in flat towing applications.
@Tony Humbert dude it's a forum for conversation - it is somewhat relevant because people watching this video may not know that some vehicles CAN be flat towed with a t-case and some can't . This video, while Scotty is great - makes it seem like almost no vehicle can be flat towed. Lighten up
@Tony Humbert even more of a reason to inform people in the comments ;)
PEOPLE, THINK ABOUT THIS. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
One day I sneezed so loud that the head gasket on my Subaru blew off.
TheGomezIndustries Very common thing to happen with Subaru's! It's in their owners Manuel's " do not sneeze while driving... You will blow your Head Gasket .. Reference pg. 24!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
😂🤣😂
I think those 'tow hooks' are actually transport tie down points for use on car ferries during rough weather crossings etc. That's why they are at each corner. Love the videos, thanks for posting them.
Scotty is right. I live in Florida and when the accident happened it got towed to west way towing. Where my clothing was stolen. No where to be found and the cops didn’t kinda care.
@Johnny Draco Floriduh
@Joaquin Valadez Yes...but they have the power, and you DON'T!! Remember THAT!!
Thank you, Scotty. My father would turn off the engine in neutral on longer hills on his '64 Impala (283 V8) with Powerglide and coast then start it by turning on the ignition then put it into gear. He put it into gear once before turning on the ignition and blew out the muffler.
AAA has taken care of me since i started driving.
first rate organization.
annual membership dues are totally worth it.
just in case.
I've been with them since the late 90s, I agree 100%.
Oh yeah? Try calling them when the temperature is below zero and they tell you to wait three days until it warms up! I will admit that they do come when the weather is nice. Triple A is a big corporation and has ethics that fit that category.
@@peaceonearth8693 I live near Buffalo, and I've never had AAA give me trouble unless it's a busy day. Most bad winter days, are in fact busy, for obvious reasons.
@@peaceonearth8693 oh yeah. i've never had a issue with them coming out in any type of weather. wait times were anywhere from 20 minutes to about an hour. sounds more like the towing company that services your area has issues, not AAA.
@@billybob042665 if you don't mind, who covers you? I had roadside assistance which was less expensive, but one major tow would even out the cost.
I work at an rv park in california. Wont believe how many people loaded their cars on uhaul car dollys the wrong way. Expensive vacation for the dozens ive seen. A little knowledge does go along way. Thanks scotty
HOLY SHNIKIES! Towing a motorcycle down the highway!? Sounds like a Darwin Awards candidate!
Oh, I thought the Harley motorcycle was towing another car. I guess I undeestood it backwards.
To tow a bike. Loop rope around HEADSTOCK ONCE. Then to one bar and hold with thumb pressure only. Ensure ROPE PULLS OUT EASILY WHEN RELEASED. 20 MPH MAX. I have been towed twice. In 30yrs, it`s OK.
being towed on a bike down the highway, he'd be lucky to live and to be able to collect the award !
The fact that you do something incredibly stupid and it doesn't kill you does not mean it is not an incredibly stupid thing to do, it just means that you were fortunate that your stupid move did not get you killed this time.
30 years of riding, and I've never seen anyone need to do something that stupid. If you can't fix it at the side of the road, you can always find somebody with a truck or trailer. I've even seen complete strangers help out - five of us were on a secondary highway essentially in the middle of nowhere, and one of the bikes had a rear tire blow (a spoke had worked loose and punctured the inner tube). With the nearest bike shop 4 hours away, we were at the side of the road contemplating strategy when a couple of guys in a pickup pulled over to see if they could help. We loaded the bike into the back of their truck, and it spent the night in a small town garage while we went back to the city for a new tire.
People with motorcycles doing stupid things are organ donations waiting to happen.
I drive a tow truck and I agree 100%on this answer
LOL at the blond girls when he's talking about two for one.
Scotty has the best pictures when he's talking. Best.
Robert Harvilla yes!!!! I was scrolling through the comments waiting for someone to say something about that
You're a fun guy. These videos are informative. Thanks. Here's a tip (or maybe not), On my Honda Odyssey there wasn't much to tie my kayak to at the front, on the Prius V I replaced it with, there's nothing at all-- except that single point screw in eye-bolt. What I did was take about 18" of 1" webbing, put the ends together and using a soldering iron melted a hole through the ends. Then under the hood I removed one of the fender screws, they all seem to have flanges, so you don't need a washer, then screwed it back down over the webbing. Now on either side there's a 6" loop sticking out from under the sides of the hood (and if I want I can tuck them inside the hood) Not for towing obviously but works great for tying loads down.
Hmmm I never knew what those lil covers on the bumper were for haha. Thanks Scotty 👍🏻
It's a recovery hook though, NOT a tow hook. At least mine is, check your owner's manual.
Scotty, you are right about towing and smart to not mention that towing can be done on a manual trans with a tow rope and the hooks but it should only be done by someone who is aware about towing with a rope. Towing a car with a tow-rope is legal, subject to complying with the relevant road rules and regulations, but it's not something we generally recommend as there is a lack of power assistance to steering and brakes on the towed vehicle. Its pretty scary as I've done it a few times. The person towing needs to look ahead and drive in such a manor that the vehicle behind can stop both cars in time without the aid of power brakes. This can be a challenge as generally the car towing is larger. In some states you are only allowed to tow the car to a safe place while others you can tow home. I have had the hooks on cars just rip off before too! Not for the faint of heart and I would defiantly highly recommend using a different system if available.
Does Scotty live in that Celica? He keeps popping out of it.
he lives in many car's luggage space
His wife probably throws him out of the house a lot. So instead of the dog house, his preference is the Toyota. Besides, more room in the car over the dog house (LOL!).
If not now is, because he just scratch the bumper of his wife's car.
It's more reliable than a house. A house becomes an endless moneypit when it gets older.
Scotty, having done roadside assistance for the CAA I have towed a lot of cars. I need to point out though, that what you referred to as "Tow Hooks" on the Toyota are not that. They are tie downs for when the car is being transported. The other "Tow hook" is a recovery attachment that should never be used for towing, but for when the vehicle needs to be winched, like out of a ditch or moved to be properly loaded onto the tow truck. Also, I would advise against towing cars backwards, the aerodynamics of today's cars are finely tuned, it's ok if you're doing a short hop, but once you get up to highway speeds, things have a tendency of flying off, mirrors and tonneau covers especially. Use a flatbed of dolly wheels if you're transporting a rear wheel drive car over a distance. In Canada, the CAA charges about $150.00 for their premier package that gets you 5 service calls - anything from fuel delivery, if you run out of gas, battery service, tire changing, or towing up to 200 kms; that's 1000 total towed kms! It's the best insurance you can get, considering that just a hook up is about $150.00 in Toronto plus mileage to the shop. Not sure what AAA charges, but I bet it's similar.
AAA will tow motorhomes and motorcycles also. You must pay for the additional coverage.
It's better to get that higher coverage anyway, you get much more distance free. Though towing a bike is better with a truck and trailer not a flatbed.
Harley Davidson owners will need extended AAA coverage.
A friends Harley broke down on a road trip. When I went for help, I said . 95 percent of Harleys are still on the road. 5 percent made it home.
@@glengerdes2447 Q: Why do Harleys have so much chrome? A: So they're easier to see for the tow-truck driver.
Q: What's the most common HD accessory? A: A motorcycle trailer.
Thanks Scotty your wise advice came in handy the other day when I was in an accident. A bunch of tow trucks arrived trying to take my car. I called a friend and he let me use his AAA to tow it to my house, its awaiting the appraiser. But your advice came in handy, I had seen it on another video you did a few months back. Thank you Sir.
Ok you discussed towing cars with automatic transmissions but what about manual transmissions?
Manual transmissions rely on a splash lube system, not an engine driven pump like an automatic. In a perfect world you still pull by the drive wheels but it's not necessary on a stick.
My 2007 H3 is designed for flat towing. Transmission in park, buttons allow each wheel to spin freely. Also automatically unlocks steering wheel so it can steer around curves. Pretty cool that they came from the factory with all those features.
A tip, even if you don’t use your tow hook and you have a little square cover. It’s good idea to spray some WD40 and screw in the tow hook a few times 2-3x. This makes it easier to install and remove the hook and also helps it from not rusting. Always make sure the cover is not missing. It will rust. If you don’t have the cover. Just leave the inserted tow hook in. Just spray some WD40 before you insert.
Correct me if I'm wrong, for front wheel drive or rear wheel drive vehicles with automatic transmission, putting in neutral won't help?
Alex you have to toe in neutral. You’re not going to tow in park. This logic makes no sense. The thermostat on the engine is closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant inside the engine through the radiator. Also, to circulate coolant the water pump needs to be running which is only possible if the engine is on since it’s driven by the belt. There’s no way for this to happen! And how would transmission fluid get circulated through the radiator with the car towed? He already said with the car off there’s no lubrication of the transmission so what’s moving the transmission fluid through the radiator?
I only gather information about cars from Scotty.
He's grandpa.
No one should be the only place you get information from. Scotty seems great, but no one is always right about everything. I bet even Scotty would admit he still learns new things =)
What do you drive a toyota
Just Some Guy without a Mustache some of the information in this one is incorrect. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
@@newfie-dean5803 grow a Mustache, then maybe it'll make logical sense to you. 😂😂😃
HAVE A COMMENT AND OR FOR YOU ABOUT TOWING FRONT WHEEL DRIVE CARS!! FIRST I AM 59 YEAR OLD MAN AND I HAVE ALWAYS TOWED THEM AND NEVER OVER 50 MPH AND ALSO NEVER OVER 5-6 MILES TOPS!! SO I WAS SHOCKED WHEN SAID THAT!!! I always watch your videos because you ARE PROFESSIONAL GRADE MECHANIC!! I HAVE ALWAYS WORKED ON MY OWN VEHICLES!! ALL MY LIFE!! UNTIL 2 YEARS AGO!!!! AND ENDED UP BEING A HUGE HUGE MISTAKE!! I GOT A SHODDY HORRIBLE MECHANIC!!! I hope you read this and can get back TO ME ME!! Thanks man!!
if you must tow it with the drive wheels on the ground: Automatic Transaxle - Your vehicle may be towed under the following conditions: The gear selector must be in NEUTRAL, the distance to be towed must not exceed 15 miles (25 km), and the towing speed must not exceed 25 mph (40 km/h)...Wiki
I don't think that I'd do that. There is no oil being pumped in the transmission when the engine is off. The bearings can get hot and dry without lubrication. I'd say that Wiki is mistaken. Automatic transmissions have not been designed to be towed like that since the 1950's or so. There was no reason to put a pump that is attached to the output of the transmission, so they saved money by not putting one in. The only oil pump is connected to the input from the engine.
I've read some people put it in neutral and leave the car idle. Doesn't sound like a great idea to me but sounds better than having it off
Remove a driveshaft and problem solved
Unbelievable, is this all just city slickers in this comment section?
@@garylangley4502when it’s in neutral the transmission doesn’t spin. It’s not in a gear and no parts are moving. It’s perfectly fine
I bought a Stehl Tow dolly about 7 years ago & its paid for itself all the times I’ve used it to tow my & other people’s vehicles for them. The only thing that makes me nervous about it is when you use the straps to secure the vehicle to the dolly. Seems like the pressure needed to safely secure the car to the dolly (not too much, not too little) via the straps may do some damage to suspension parts.
Dont forget if your flat towing on a rear wheel drive car/ truck you can remove the drive shaft and it be fine
Exactly right!
... Unless the drive shaft is needed to seal the transmission rear end. I had an old Toyota that could be towed that way (if it was an automatic, but mine was a manual), BUT if you remove the drive shaft, you have the put a plug into the back of the transmission to prevent the oil from pouring out.
Hey scotty , can you talk about Mercedes new engine inline 6 cylinder engine with isg starter ( integrated starter generator) is it good or not ?
Enjoying the channel & all the trolls without channels with their rudeness. Keep it comin Scotty.
Is it same thing when the position is neutral?
Thats what those little squares are for on bumpers!!!!! OMG I have wondered for YEARS!!! xD Scotty! Thank you.
Those would be the wheels..
I'd say the gasket was blown before, the gaskets not weaker than a hose or radiator tank......
Always learn something new on your channel. Some of your videos should be a part of drivers ED.
GEAUX FRUGAL some of the information in this one is incorrect. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
Dana Jorgensen it is impossible to blow a head gasket towing a car. If there is heat transferred to the radiator it is being dissipated by air movement through the radiator as the car is towed. That’s why you don’t need a cooling fan when moving but you need one when parked and idling. The cooling fan pulls air through the radiator to dissipate heat from it. The exact same thing is happening with air flow through the radiator as the vehicle is towed. On top of that there is air flow beneath the vehicle that will also dissipate heat build up in the transmission through convection heat transfer. There is absolutely no way a car overheats the engine from towing it. He also said to never tow an AWD on 4 wheels. Yet if you look up the Honda CRV AWD with an auto it says you can tow it on all 4 wheels at highway speeds. These blanket statements that Scotty makes to encompass every vehicle are incorrect. It’s the same deal with whenever anyone asks a question about a transmission shift problem. Every time he says the transmission is worn and needs to be replaced. Man, you cannot diagnose a transmission based on a shift issue comment and say it needs to be replaced. I had a transmission shift issue and had people say it was an Internal issue on a Mustang GT with 90,000 miles. It turned out to be an electrical short in my engine fuse box that was interfering with the reference voltage used for the transmission. Fixed the short and no more transmission issue. Just because Scotty has 51 years experience people take his word as gospel without ever logically thinking about it in many cases. Years don’t always mean you know everything. It comes down to what kind of experience you have more than anything. There are people working in jobs for 25 years and someone working the same job for 10 can know more. This is a fact.
@@newfie-dean5803 As a transporter of cryogenics I have an education in fluid and gas dynamics. A radiator is both higher and cooler heat naturally seeks a higher and cooler level as a gas or liquid seeks these polar opposites a convection occurs same action that causes wind, ocean convection etc stratification is a factor here all these atmospheres play off one another . All of these , fluid Dynamics, air / liquid interaction is sure to increase the temperature of transmission fluid .
GEAUX FRUGAL what? I understand heat transfer well. Airflow is going to reduce temperature. Air flow over a radiator reduces temperature, that’s how it works. Same principle with airflow under the car. The point here is this, no tow job caused a head gasket to blow and if you think so then I can’t help you.
@@newfie-dean5803 NO !, the greater heat and lack of water circulation in the normal direction is never going to keep the situation under control. Airflow around a water cooled engine is not going to have much of a cooling effect.
I was told the "tow hooks" on my 1998 Toyota Camry are just tie down points for the car delivery truck and not to be used for towing. I never did figure out where I was supposed to tie off to if I ever had to call a friend to get pulled out of the mud. Fortunately I only got the car stuck once, it was in the snow and no tow rope was needed.
Thank you for this common sense wisdom, Scotty. Towing company drivers aren’t all so scrupulous. And in some counties that have loose and lax “anything goes” towing laws, these tow truck drivers and their companies are horrible thieves getting away with financial murder.
You’re talking about a rollback wrecker. They do great for what they were designed to do. Ram trucks have a full neutral so they can be towed. As always, great video
Tow truck driver will pop off that cover and toss it in the bushes, lol
I towed a 2001 Subaru Forester AWD for 50 miles on a tow dolly, front wheels on the dolly rear wheels on the roads. We did this with the car in Park because the rear end never engaged with the car not running so the rear wheels actually spun freely.
Don't laugh, but I always wondered what that little square thing was for on the front pumper! I'm 38yrs old and I didn't know that's where you put the two hook!!🤣😂🤣
Not to pick on you Bennie but that's one reason why everybody should read the owner's manual ASAP.
I've seen people pull automatic vehicles before without destroying them. But they remove some pin from under the car. What is that?
they would have to disconnect the wheels from the transmission, if all your wheels are unlocked and spin freely then no problems.
SUBARU BLOWS HEADGASKET BEING TOWED
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Aint that somethin?
@@afroman5531 it's a Subaru, inevitably the headgaskets will blow
Budget Impreza that’s impossible!! This logic makes no sense. The thermostat on the engine is closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant inside the engine through the radiator. Also, to circulate coolant the water pump needs to be running which is only possible if the engine is on since it’s driven by the belt. There’s no way for this to happen! And how would transmission fluid get circulated through the radiator with the car towed? He already said with the car off there’s no lubrication of the transmission so what’s moving the transmission fluid through the radiator?
@@newfie-dean5803 I know... hence the "hahahahhahaha" part...
@@newfie-dean5803 he really likes going after certain companies like Subaru, Nissan, Dodge, and anything European
@6:16 what is the model of black car parked in the street?
Thank you for uploading the video, sir. Was waiting for your video.
6:11 Tow hitches are illegal in some European countries. There you have two options basically, a tow rope (they are not allowed on highways, you can tow no faster than 50 km/h using them) or just get a flatbed.
I had a 727 Chrysler automatic that had 2 pumps. Front and back. You could tow it no problem! Also you could push start it!! 1965 Dodge cable shift.
I wish my 66 still had twin pumps. 65 was the last year on the 727.
Where I live we call that type of tow truck a rollback. And it's a side note I have a four-wheel drive with an automatic transmission and I have no issues towing it with any of the drive wheels on the ground because I can't engage the transfer case to neutral.
LOVE THE 2 FOR 1 DEAL! Can you give that one away Scotty please?!?
I've been following your videos for a while this is your homeboy juice got a question I got a Saturn 2007 Aurora my acceleration pedal is acting sluggish when I push down on the gas it feel like is going 60 miles but then it goes down and then I got to push her further with the gas pedal to keep in there what is going on with my car please contact me as soon as possible
Some tow hooks are just show hooks.
They're great in colder climates when you inevitably get stuck in snow. And not just necessarily from the angle that you might be pulling something out from being stuck, but that someone ELSE might be pulling YOU out from being stuck. They're convenient to have even if some folks think they're just for show.
@@rcnelson Sounds dangerous.
Great video! AAA is great for towing. I have 100 mile limit for a tow, and I have them tow it to my driveway so I can fix it on my own. They will do it even from an accident.
Hey Scotty quick question, how do I keep the front wheels straight if I tow a rear wheel vehicle? Not sure if they'd stay straight on their own?? Or if the wheel will lock up in the "straight" position? Thanks Man your the best!
Scotties words of wisdom....great video.
I got a AWD. I not needed a tow but now I know I have to get a flatbed tow truck if I need it.
neftv1 Some of the information in this one is incorrect. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
I had to be flatbedded from a buffet once.
LOL I know what you mean. I still remember eating at a Big Boy 25 years ago with friends. They still tease me about it sometimes
Was that a strip-joint buffet, after a dozen beers? BTW, Those beers are overpriced.
In Europe towing with a rope or a pole is allowed only on main road, not on motorway. On motorway you can only use a towing cart. Here towing is not a problem because we mostly drive a manual transmission cars which have a different neutral than automatics.
Tow Truck vultures , priceless. Scotty, you're the man.
In CA we can't tow with a tow dolly if your front wheels are on the ground it can cause a major problems if your wheels turn
You can tow any vehicle with the wheels on the ground, provided you detach the driveline(s). Wouldn't tow a front wheel drive without a dolly
I've seen people strap down cars by those tow points just a little too hard and bend the frame! They started strapping cars down by the wheels now to avoid bending frames on new cars from the factory..
*Scotty’s hands do the talking. I don’t even need volume or subtitles.*
Kilmer sign language. 😁
Thanks Scotty. I just got a 4W drive and I didn't know how to tow it if I needed to.
I'm confused, Scotty. So, what's the point for Neutral?
You still have to have the drive wheels lifted with an automatic trany
From what I know Neutral only disengages the engine from the transmission, but not the transmission from the wheels. Hence why you would mess up your transmission if you towed it any real distance.. (which is exactly what Scotty is talking about in the video)
The point of Neutral is for other things.. Example: Going through a car wash.. or Starting a Car when you can not use park (for whatever reason).. Or say if you have a stuck throttle and you need to safely get to a place to stop. Lastly if you are stuck and need to push your car out of whatever (It is easier to push in Neutral).. Also if it is getting pulled onto a flatbed they would put the car in Neutral to get it up.
FYI you should not put your car in Neutral while regular driving.. one of the reasons is that when you put it back into drive it will not be in the correct gear as it has not properly progressed through the gears for the speed the car is going.
TisJester XxX This logic makes no sense. The thermostat on the engine is closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant inside the engine through the radiator. Also, to circulate coolant the water pump needs to be running which is only possible if the engine is on since it’s driven by the belt. Even if the radiator had hot fluid there’s no way for it to get back inside the engine with the engine off! And how would transmission fluid get circulated through the radiator with the car towed? He already said with the car off there’s no lubrication of the transmission so what’s moving the transmission fluid through the radiator?
@@tisjester Gotcha! That makes sense. 👍🏾
@@newfie-dean5803
TisJester is correct
with rear wheel drive cars you can disconnect the driveshaft and tow with the rear wheels on the ground if you tow long distances. also some automatic transmissions do have a rear oil pump driven by the output shaft in addition to the front pump driven by the engine. granted they are old hydromatic transmissions from the 50s, and a few early model AOD ford automatics. the owners manual will tell you for sure.
good info scotty.. BTW, why don't you clean up your garage/yard?
Scotty treats it like his motor. Never clean it or it might break?
a dirty garage is the sign of a clean mind!
This is one of those ymmv. Grew up giving and getting tows… with a tow strap and nary a transmission was fried. Interstate, city, night and day. Otherwise good advice, thanks for the video.
1:56 FO NOT EVER DO THAT. Thats insanely dangerous if the wheel turns even slightly itll shift a lot of weight and be dangerous. Just get a traiker like a full size one u can put all 4 on.
No if the wheels turn and it's rwd it's will turn a bit side ways you can see it take a string tie the steering to the door simple auto towing
Always check your owners manual before towing your car. They say any manual transmission car can be safely towed. Unless you own a TR7. That 5 speed trans uses power from the input shaft to lubricate the transmission.
I didn't know that towing an automatic could screw up the transmission. Does anyone know if it can make the transmission slip though?
A slipping transmission is usually a worn or damaged transmission. You could try replacing the fluid if it smells burnt or replacing the filter if it has alot of mileage, but chances are the clutch plates and/or bands are worn out. The only fix is a rebuild. This is exactly why people should stop buying automatics.
I know that in the 4x4 chevy Silverado and the 4x4 Jeep Grand Cherokee you have the ability to shift your transfer case into neutral. Yes even the electronic transfer cases can be shifted into neutral. Just have to read your manual for instructions. With the transfer case in neutral the wheels are disengaged from the transmission. Now I don't know if your differentials will be safe.
Tow truck blows head gasket towing sabaru.
Contagious
A lot of them towing hooks like on the Lexus are reverse thread, especially on Ford's. In layman's terms, anti-clockwise to tighten the hook.
Tip if you don't know who to call call your insurance company and get them to send a tow truck. Never ask the police to call a tow truck they will send it to a lot somewhere.
greenspiraldragon Also, some of the Tow companies that are contracted by the city charge outrageous fees!
does the "always suspend drive wheels when getting towed" rule apply to manual transmission as well?
Yes for cars with a limited slip differential even after putting them in neutral.
Depends how many miles an all wheel drive was towed.. Local close by is OK in neutral but forget about any distance.
Edward Anthony not true.
@@Mr666Rev give an example.
Edward Anthony I don’t have time to explain to you how an automatic transmission works.
Just know that I’m a professional tow operator, and I probably know quite a bit more about safely towing than you do.
Edward Anthony the short version is that you cannot disconnect the front and rear wheels from each other in an AWD system, or from the transmission by simply putting the trans in neutral. You’d still be turning the transmission internals without proper lubrication. But don’t take my word for it.
Do whatever you like.
HMU when you need a tow.
@@Mr666Rev No doubt.
I'm out of Houston and trying to figure out a good car that can be flat towed and also how to even hook up the right equipment.
The 2021 Toyota will have tractor beams as standard equipment.
It will be called a Scotty.
Scotty, can I tow my front wheel drive (2002 Toyota Camry) with all four wheels on the ground at a moderate speed (like 35 MPH) for just a short distance (like under 5 miles) without causing damage? If no, how far and how fast can I make it without causing damage?
thanks for the knowledge man! I really appreciate it!
In all honesty all the information about towing your vehicle is in the drivers hand book that comes with the car when you buy it. It is normally the book in the glove box that you always mean to read but never get around to! If its missing your dealer will supply you a copy or most manufacturers have 'pdf' versions on their web sites where you can download it for FREE !.
This video by Scotty really is just the hand book information, that you should have read anyway. Perhaps seeing it here will make you think about the perils of this, should you ever be in the unfortunate position of needing to tow a non running car any distance in excesses of a few yards.
@@alancoomes2797 Thanks for the insight! I did not know that, I will have to check that out
Only a select amount of AWD/4WD cars can be towed with all four wheels on the ground, usually Jeeps, that's why they're popular with RVers. But you need special equipment and a flat towbar to do so. There are RV dinghy towing magazines with every new specific make and model that can be flat-towed according to the manufacturer.
Thanks Scotty, great advice. I did not know alot about this topic.
The pump on an automatic transmission is sometimes referred to as the “Front Pump” the reason why is ... they USED to have a Rear Pump that was powered by the rotation of the drive shaft ... SO towing the car would not damnage it ... also made it possible to “bump start” the car by pushing it ... if the battery was dead or starter failed.
Yep, AAA is the way to go. Especially Plus or Premier....and I agree, have your local trusted towing company on your phone!!
My car has those 'tow hooks' that you screw on the bumper after popping the little cover off.
However, the owners manual says that they were only used to 'secure' the cars during transportation and not to actually use them for towing, but that they can be used to secure something to the roof rack like a kayak. My car is a 2014 Mazda 3 if anyone's wondering, I'm sure the rest of the Mazdas as the same.
Hook me up with the "good" two for one, Scotty! Lol. Great video!
I think the "tow hooks" on some cars are really just meant for tying the car down during transport. I know the one on my neighbors Honda didn't hold up to a very gentle tug out of the snow. I'm sure glad I wasn't the one who hooked it up.
I towed a Talon with a Z28.
No ragrets
you mean regurts?
@@tommyg.6977 tattoos are nasty.
Want a snickers bar?
Also, if you don't know of a good tow truck company, but have a mechanic that you trust, ask who they deal with! My go to mechanic deals with a great tow company, but I didn't know that that tow company existed! & I needed a tow finally a few years back(lucky me, never had to get my vehicle towed the 1st 20 years I started driving! I started driving when I was 15, yes legally, va in 1995 changed the driving age to 15 years & 8 months when i was about to turn said age & my folks jumped on me to get my license) just make sure that the mechanic you go to is a mechanic you trust is all! Cell phone is a great resource to have but there are still great resources other than them so always use all your resources to their fullest!
Great information Scotty, didn't know all of that about towing, thanks great profesor.😀✌
Worked at dispatch and we had to learn all of that. Easiest is a flatbed unless otherwise requested or needed.
Hey Scotty, next time when you quote AAA put an "Anti Aircraft Artillery" picture!!!
There's no such thing as anti aircraft artillery. Artillery is used against ground targets. The term you are looking for is anti aircraft guns.
Are u sure? Google it and see yourself!
@@MrRathel
That's just what I thought. It seems like it could cause problems in communication in a battlefield. You don't want to accidentally deploy your AA guns when you meant field artillery, or vice versa. And if you call them both "artillery" there is a much greater risk of that happening.
@@mattr2238 Uhh, yes there is such a thing as Anti-aircraft Artillery.
Never seen a war movie or anything where a pilot says "Hey, watch out for that triple A"
They call them AA guns.