How to tow the car: Useful Tips

Unfortunately, the situation when a car suddenly breaks down on the road is not uncommon. How to properly tow a car that affects towing?

How to properly tow a car?

First of all, you need to decide how the vehicle will be towed to the destination.

Car towing is implemented:

• On a hard rope.
• On a flexible cable.
• With uploading to the platform.

Traffic rules are taken into account when towing a car:

• The dipped beam and hazard warning lights are turned on.
• Movement at a speed of up to 50 km/h.
• In the case of hard coupling, the cable is no longer than 4 meters, flexible — from 4 to 6 meters.

Towing on a flexible cable assumes that the brakes and steering are in good working order. On a hard drive, only the steering control is enough. Transportation on a cable without a driver in a towed car is not allowed. The presence of passengers is allowed. The flexible coupling must be marked with a red fabric (200 by 200 mm), red and white stripes 50 mm wide are applied diagonally.

When is towing prohibited?

It is forbidden to tow a car under the following conditions:

• In ice and on mountain tracks on a flexible cable.
• On mountain tracks with ice on any hitch.
• If the actual weight of the vehicle being towed with a faulty braking system is greater than the weight of the towing vehicle.
• When the length of coupled cars is more than 22 meters.
• It is not possible to tow several cars at once, as well as a car plus a trailer.

What do you need to prepare for towing?

Most often, the towing of passenger cars is carried out with the help offlexible cable. For this type of transportation of a defective car, you need to prepare:

1. The cable is fully serviceable and strong, without breaks, cracks, with a reliable hook.
2. Fastening is better done diagonally. For example, the right rear corner of the tow truck connects to the left front corner of the vehicle being towed.
3. Before starting the transportation, you need to agree on the speed at which the cars will travel, as well as the signs that will be used to communicate (sound and light signals).

Differences of towing on mechanics and automatic box

On mechanics, towing is performed in a standard way, both a hard and a flexible hitch can be used. Transportation is carried out in neutral gear.

Towing a car with an automatic transmission is a process that requires attention, since the entire mechanism remains mobile, even with the selector in the neutral position.

It is recommended to tow a car with an automatic transmission using the partial load method. However, if under certain conditions this is not possible, the following recommendations should be followed:

• The speed during transportation is no more than 40 km/h (30 is better).
• Use a stiff rope.
• A car with a variator is towed on a platform with partial or full loading.

When towing a vehicle with an automatic transmission, monitor the oil level and temperature in the box. If the temperature rises sharply, make stops so that the box cools down. Make sure that the movement is smooth, without sharp jerks.

By following these simple towing rules, you will be able to get your car to its destination without further damage.