Towing a vehicle seems straight forward but it does involve a learning curve and can be a complicated process, which is why it’s always a good idea to hire professionals. Sadly, you can still experience damage to your car, its transmission, and its engine when you call for towing services. You should know what the possible risks are before you call for help so you can take steps to limit them.
How Can My Vehicle Get Damaged During a Tow?
Towing can damage your vehicle. The damage usually occurs to the drive wheels and the transmission. If your vehicle is towed with the drive wheels on the road and your transmission is not in neutral, you may cause damage to your transmission, tires, linkages and engine. This damage can occur to manual and automatic transmissions. Any towing service company you call should be certified, have experience and have fully trained technicians who can handle any situation. Knowing as much as you can before you ever need towing services can only help in preventing any damage.
How Can I Prevent Damage During a Tow?
1. Make sure your vehicle is in neutral. As we already stated, it’s important to have the vehicle in neutral. The towing company will probably ask you to do this first. If the vehicle being towed is in drive or park and the drive wheels are on the road, you will almost always cause damage to the transmission, linkage, and tires. This damage will occur because the wheels won’t be able to turn when the car isn’t in neutral and your car will pretty much be dragged along the road.
2. Check the parking brake. Just like it’s important to have the vehicle in neutral to avoid damage, you also need to make sure the parking brake isn’t on.
3. Be careful with all-wheel drive vehicles. It may surprise you to know that you should temporarily remove the rear drive shaft during a tow. That will leave the rear wheels on the ground.
4. Keep the owner’s manual in the car. Cars seem to be getting more and more complicated and tow truck drivers may not know exactly how to tow your car. Having the owner’s manual in the car at all times allows the tow truck driver to reference it to avoid any damage. You should always be vocal if you feel that a mistake is being made.
5. Stay calm. It can be hard to remain calm when you’re in a situation when you need your vehicle towed. Do not try and drive your car further away. It may not be safe to do so, and you may cause further damage. Pull over, call for service, and wait.
Towing & Roadside Assistance in Irving, Fort Worth, Arlington, Carrollton & Plano Texas
Not all towing companies know the proper procedures for lifting and towing a vehicle, but you can be sure that the professionals at Speedway Towing & Roadside Assistance do. Whenever you find yourself in need of towing services, give us a call!
