How Do You Tow an AWD Vehicle? (2024)

FAQs

How Do You Tow an AWD Vehicle? ›

The easiest and safest option for towing an AWD vehicle is to get a flatbed tow truck in. This way, your vehicle will be secured on the flatbed, and the wheels won't be spinning. This way, there's no chance of you causing any additional damage to the vehicle during the towing process.

The correct way to tow an all-wheel drive vehicle is by lifting all four wheels off the ground. You can have a flatbed tow truck to pull the vehicle onto its flatbed. That way, the vehicle's wheels don't spin when being towed.

You must tow your vehicle with all four wheels off the ground, such as when using a car-hauling trailer. You can only tow a four-wheel drive vehicle with all wheels on the ground by placing the transfer case in its neutral position and engaging the four-wheel-down towing feature.

AWD transfer cases have a differential between the front and rear outputs and usually this is a viscous coupling or some other form of limited slip. Towing with only 2 wheels on the ground will destroy the differential. Damage to transfers case, differentials, tires, driveshafts, transmission…

A few different factors determine what vehicles can be flat towed. It all depends if they have specific features from the manufacturer, such as a transmission disconnect and steering lockout override. Generally, AWD and 4x4 vehicles are more prevalent and preferred vehicles for flat towing.

All Wheel Drive – AWD cars should not be used on a tow dolly. In extensive circ*mstances, just make sure you disconnect the driveshaft.

If you're thinking of towing with an all-wheel drive, consider the following: Remember that an all-wheel drive isn't equivalent to a four-wheel drive. You can't take it on the same tracks or expect the same performance, simply because it doesn't have the same ground clearance (in most instances) or low range.

If your vehicle is a front-wheel drive, and manual:

If all four wheels are on the ground, put the vehicle in neutral and tow. Vehicles with manual transmissions can typically be towed without the car running, with no risk of transmission damage.

With an AWD, you can't just choose the wheels to keep on the ground. Those with a permanent AWD system towed on two wheels would have not only their transmission damaged but also the couplings and other drive components.

In general, you should not tow or even push a car with an automatic transmission even in neutral while the drive wheels are on the ground. The automatic machine uses a motor-driven pump for lubrication.

Is it better to tow in 2WD or AWD? ›

The short answer is “yes, but not by much from an overall perspective”. The longer answer; let's look at each phase of towing, starting with manoeuvring such as reversing the trailer. AWD can help here as sometimes a 2WD (rear or front) runs out of traction, particularly when reversing up hills or over a kerb.

Frequently Asked Questions About “Can You Flat Tow a Chevy Equinox?” Neither towing method is suited for all-wheel-drive configurations of the Chevy Equinox. Since experts recommend that you should never tow a car with its drive wheels on the ground, AWD models are not suited to be brought along behind another vehicle.

Tow dollies, also known as two-wheel dollies, are a cost-effective and commonly used method for towing vehicles. They consist of a small trailer with two wheels that lift the front wheels of the towed vehicle off the ground.

When it comes to towing all-wheel cars, the best way is to ensure that all the wheels are off the ground. This can be done using flatbed towing vehicles or flatbed trailers. Furthermore, it's the easiest and safest way to tow such vehicles without causing significant damage to the drive train.

All three towing options have advantages and disadvantages, but the key is to know which vehicles CAN be flat towed, and the Ford Escape is not one of them. First of all, flat towing requires some changes to be made to the vehicle being towed, which can be costly.

Flat towing an automatic transmission car can potentially cause damage to the transmission system due to inadequate lubrication and overheating. This can result in costly repairs or even complete transmission failure.

On the towing issue, your dad was correct that a car with an automatic transmission should not be towed with its driven wheels on the ground, even in neutral. The reason you can't do it is because the driven wheels on the ground will turn the drive shaft, which will turn the internal parts of the transmission.

Look for a badge

If there are no obvious badges on the rear or sides of the vehicle to denote that it's an AWD or 4WD version, it could be disguised under the automaker's naming system. For example, Hyundai notes the presence of AWD with an H-TRAC badge on models such as their Sonata, Santa Fe and Palisade.