Ever heard of the 50/50 rule? The point is that when towing a car with an automatic transmission, the speed should not exceed 50 km/h and such a car may be towed a maximum of 50 kilometers on a cable, explains Za Rulem’s expert, the oldest and most authoritative automobile publication in Russia, Mikhail Kolodochkin.
Today, the “neutral” position of the machines is only intended for the most extreme cases. For example, roll the car onto a tow truck or push it to the side of the road to clear the roadway.
Expert opinion
Mikhail Kolodochkin, “Behind the Wheel” expert:
– If these conditions are not met, due to lack of lubrication (after all, the oil pump does not work when the engine is turned off), scratches may occur on rubbing surfaces. Today, these requirements have become stricter: it has become “30 to 30”. And some manufacturers are generally against towing and recommend transporting a faulty car exclusively on a tow truck.
As far as towing other cars is concerned, the principle of reasonable sufficiency applies here. A large SUV can pull a small passenger car, but on the contrary, you should not even try: the automatic transmission will certainly overheat. The same goes for towing heavy trailers: read your vehicle’s instructions.
Read about other features of the correct operation of automatic transmissions in Mikhail Kolodochkin’s original article “How Drivers Ruin Automatic Transmissions – 6 Gross Mistakes”.
Source: Z R
