How to Disengage Transmission for Towing Your Vehicle

Having the car break down can leave you wondering which tow method to use. This is due to the many towing options like a tow truck, tow dolly, flatbed trailer, or towing with another vehicle, such as an SUV. There's also a question of whether to use a tow bar, chain, or rope.

Transmission repair highlights

• Level of importance:High
• Time interval:When broken
• Needed expertise:High
• Needed tools:Professional set of tools
• Time taken:2-20 hours
• Possible issues:Transmission not shifting, gearbox freaking out, car may be in limp mode.

What's the Difference between Automatic and Manual Transmission?

Modern cars are available in two transmission types - manual or automatic. The transmission transfers engine power by ensuring the proper amount goes to the car wheels to allow them to operate at the required speeds.

Both transmission types aim to create various output speeds by enabling engine operation in narrow speed ranges. A manual transmission vehicle has multiple sets of gears connected to the driveshaft.

The driver has to manually engage or shift the gears during acceleration or deceleration for manual transmission (also called stick shift transmission). This is by pressing the clutch pedal and moving the stick shift to the desired gear. 

On the other hand, an automatic transmission car does the shifting for the driver. It consists of the planetary gear set instead of a multiple-gear set in manual transmission. The planetary gear set provides different gear ratios, allowing the driver to increase or decrease speed quickly.

An automatic transmission also has a torque converter that performs the same function as a clutch in a manual transmission. It disengages the engine from the transmission system and allows it to continue running when the wheels halt. The automatic car changes gears using fluid pressure. 

Why Should You Disengage Transmission Before Towing Your Vehicle?

Disengaging the transmission before towing is essential, whether using a towing service or towing the vehicle yourself. For cars with manual transmissions, towing while in park and without disengaging the transmission by shifting it to neutral can damage the transmission system. Moving the transmission to neutral allows the wheels to turn freely without any hindrance to the transmission. 

Unlike manual transmissions, automatic transmissions don't disengage when you shift the transmission to neutral. This is why you shouldn't tow a car with an automatic transmission with all its wheels on the ground. This can result in the transmission moving in the wrong direction as the wheels turn, causing damage. 

How Do You Disengage Transmission for a Manual Car Towing?

Manual cars are relatively easy to flat tow. Flat or four-down towing occurs when all four vehicle wheels are on the ground during the pulling process. Whether your car is a rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, the most crucial aspect is ensuring you disengage your car's transmission to neutral before you begin flat towing.

Many two-wheel drive manual cars can be flat towed without making any modifications. Using an owner's manual helps to confirm whether it's possible to flat tow your two-wheel drive car.

Let's look at how you can disengage the manual transmission before towing.

How to Disengage a Vehicle with Manual Transmission For Towing

Below are common steps to disengage a manual car:

• Turn the ignition key to the ACC position to switch off the engine but keep the steering wheel unlocked.
• Depress the clutch pedal to ensure you disengage the engine from the transmission.
• Shift the gear stick to the neutral position.

A 4WD manual car needs to have a two-speed manual transfer case and manual lock-out hub to allow towing. You can check if your vehicle has it by accessing the four-wheel drive selector and looking for the 4-LO setting.

To prepare your four-wheel drive manual car for towing, ensure you correctly disengage or unlock the transfer case, transmission, and lock-out hubs. Different car models have varying procedures for disengaging them, so it's best to refer to your owner's manual for the correct process. 

If your 4WD vehicle has neither the manual transfer case nor lock-out hubs, you can install a drive shaft coupling device on the rear driveshaft.

The device helps quickly switch between driving and towing modes in the comfort of your seat. This will save you the hassle and time it takes to disconnect the driveshaft from your vehicle to prevent harm to your transmission.  

How Do You Tow an Automatic Car?

Towing an automatic car is more complex than pulling a manual one. This is because it's more prone to transmission damage if you do it incorrectly. You shouldn't also tow an automatic car with all four wheels on the ground, hence the need to use a tow truck or tow dolly to drag it. Different methods exist to tow front-wheel, rear-wheel, and four-wheel /all-wheel drive automatic vehicles. 

Front-wheel drive trains send power to the wheels at the front, leaving the back wheels rolling along, while rear-wheel drive trains supply power to the rear wheels, letting the front wheels steer. AWD and 4WD drivetrains can deliver power evenly to the front and the rear axles. Here's how to tow each drivetrain:

For an automatic car with a rear-wheel drivetrain, you can tow it by lifting the car's back and leaving the front wheels in contact with the ground while moving. The car's back will be the one attached to the tow vehicle.

This will prevent a malfunction of the transmission system since it's not connected to the front wheels. A car with a front-wheel drive train needs a lift at the front to raise the front wheels off the ground. This leaves the wheels at the back, touching the ground. The car's front is attached to the tow vehicle. 

None of the wheels should touch the ground during motion for an all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive car. This means you'll need to use a flatbed trailer to avoid ruining its transmission.

If you have no access to a tow vehicle and the only option is to tow with another vehicle, your best option is to remove the CV axles, axle drives, and propeller shafts. This isolates the transmission parts and avoids damage due to transmission parts moving without lubrication. 

Some 4WD vehicle models like Ford have a feature called four-wheel down towing that needs activating before the towing process. Here's how to disengage the transmission and activate the feature.

How to Disengage Transmission of a 4-Wheel-Drive Car

Below are steps to disengage the transmission and activate a 4-Wheel down tow feature in a four-wheel vehicle:

• Secure your vehicle behind the tow vehicle correctly to avoid any incidences.
• After safely securing your vehicle to the tow vehicle, turn the ignition key to the on position, ensuring you don't start your car. Press the engine start button for a vehicle with intelligence access.
• Step on the brake pedal and hold onto that position.
• Engage the transmission's neutral (N) position.
• Switch from 2WD high range(2H) driving mode to 4WD low range(4L) 5 times within ten seconds. If the four-wheel down towing feature activation is successful, you'll see a message that says, "Neutral Tow Enabled Leave Transmission in Neutral" or "Neutral Tow Leave in N" on the dashboard. An audible sound may accompany the message to signify a shift of the transfer case to a neutral position.
• Turn the ignition key to the off position or press the engine stop button once.
• Stop pressing the brake pedal and confirm your transmission is neutral before you tow the car.

Now that you know how to disengage the transmission of manual and automatic vehicles, let's look at some safety precautions when towing your vehicle                                              

What are the Safety Precautions to Consider When Towing Your Car

Here are some safety measures you can follow to ensure successful towing:

• Using an owner's manual, check the maximum distance and speed you can tow your vehicle, especially if it's automatic. This is because some transfer case designs only allow towing for short distances and at a slow speed.
• Turn in the ignition key to the accessory position to ensure your car's safety while towing by unlocking the steering wheel. This allows the front wheels to turn.
• Ensure your flat-towed car has an auxiliary brake system alongside the motorhome's brakes. This is per many local authorities' guidelines and ensures safety during the towing process.
• Certain cars require you to remove some fuses before you can flat tow them.
• Don't tow your automatic car in park mode, but leave it in neutral when all four wheels are in contact with the ground. This is because the mechanical locks are active, and the movement of the wheels can break them, causing damage.
• Ensure the tow vehicle has adequate towing capacity (maximum weight it can pull safely). It should have an unbraked and braked range to stop the two cars safely. The engine power must also be high enough to pull the second car without straining.
• At night, the towed vehicle should have the parking lights on to enable other motorists to see it and avoid accidents easily.
• No person or pet should be inside the towed vehicle to ensure safety. This is also based on set rules and regulations. Any passenger or pet should ride in the tow vehicle.

Bottom Line

There you go-how to disengage the transmission for towing your vehicle and safety precautions to consider when towing your car. Acquiring the services of a flatbed trailer is the safest and easiest option to tow your vehicle. This is because it only requires safely securing the towed car on the trailer with ratchet straps.

It's safe because it can't harm your car's transmission, and you can use it on all vehicle types, whether automatic or manual. However, it can be expensive and not viable for everyone. To find an alternative method, refer to your owner's manual to check if the method is compatible with your car.