Join the movement and help make this non-sponsored independent channel become the top subbed car channel on RUclips, instead of corporate channels like Top Gear, subscribe to scotty: ruclips.net/channel/UCuxpxCCevIlF-k-K5YU8XPA Check out the newest repair videos (Updated daily): ruclips.net/p/PLY9mgCQatPBxQT0a1LoXpfUN0-DBhpltY Check out the newest Q&A videos (Updated daily): ruclips.net/p/PLY9mgCQatPBzOStAy8udT44cn_e6d26v5 ⬇️Scotty’s Top DIY Tools: 1. Bluetooth Scan Tool: amzn.to/2nfvmaD 2. Cheap Scan Tool: amzn.to/2D8Tvae 3. Basic Mechanic Tool Set: amzn.to/2tEr6Ce 4. Professional Socket Set: amzn.to/2Bzmccg 5. Ratcheting Wrench Set: amzn.to/2BQjj8A 6. No Charging Required Car Jump Starter: amzn.to/2CthnUU 7. Battery Pack Car Jump Starter: amzn.to/2nrc6qR ⬇️ Things used in this video: 1. Common Sense 2. 4k Camera: amzn.to/2HkjavH 3. Camera Microphone: amzn.to/2Evn167 4. Camera Tripod: amzn.to/2Jwog8S 5. My computer for editing / uploading: amzn.to/2uUZ3lo 🛠Check out the tools I use and highly recommend ► goo.gl/rwYt2y 🔥Scotty Shirts and Merch ► goo.gl/pTAeca Subscribe and hit the notification bell! ► goo.gl/CFismN Scotty on Social: Facebook ► facebook.com/scottymechanic/ Instagram ► instagram.com/scotty_the_mechanic/ Twitter ► twitter.com/Scottymechanic?lang=en
Scotty I have been following ur videos for a very long time and let me tell u, you have a lot of followers from India and we are always loyal to u. So keep up the great work ur doing. And please do visit India. Love from India
The head gasket is probably why it was being towed in the first place. That story was 100% bullshit. The oil isn't being pumped, but somehow it ended up being pumped into the transmission cooler?
Keep in mind that if you have a vehicle with a 4WD transfer case then you CAN tow with all 4 wheels on the ground as long as the TRANSFER CASE is in neutral - not the transmission by itself, but also the transfer case. This disconnects the drive wheels entirely and is often explained in a 4WD vehicle's manual as an option for towing! Great video Scotty! 👍
@Tony Humbert if you're transfer case is out in neutral (different than your transmission) then the transmission won't be connected to the moving wheels at all - therefore the transmission won't spin or get hot. A lot of manufacturers actually specify this method for flat towing. The Subaru likely didn't have a transfer case at all - meaning that it couldn't be flat towed and destroyed the transmission.
@Tony Humbert If I'm not mistaken most suabrus don't even have what we would consider a transfer case traditionally because they aren't shiftable - as you said.
@Tony Humbert Correct - but in a lot of full-time 4WD systems and AWD systems it isn't shiftable in a standard form like a part time 4WD t-case which is the most common type used in flat towing applications.
@Tony Humbert dude it's a forum for conversation - it is somewhat relevant because people watching this video may not know that some vehicles CAN be flat towed with a t-case and some can't . This video, while Scotty is great - makes it seem like almost no vehicle can be flat towed. Lighten up
Hirum Biffidum for a front wheel drive car you use a tow dolly or a trailer. rear wheel drive cars use a trailer . I have seen cars being towed by a motorhomes as well being they take the cars along
Hirum Biffidum some of the information in this one is incorrect. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
teratonexplosion you can’t tow in park. That’s like trying to push your car in your driveway while it’s in park. In park the drive wheel(s) will be locked and you can’t move it. But if you put it in neutral you can push it no problem. Same concept here. If you towed it in park then you would be skidding the drive wheel down the road and it would not be long before you destroyed the tire and maybe some suspension or driveline component. Scotty should correct his comments in another video but he seems to be a guy who don’t do that sort of thing, it would mean admitting he was wrong with 51 years experience! 🐴😂
@@newfie-dean5803 Hi, its called capillary action the heat will transfer via the hot fluid as it will still circulate a bit, though not under normal pressure and the rad will still get hot, the engine not running this resultant heat in the rad will back circulate in the same way through the engine. Your theory about a moving vehicle will cool the rad a little, but the non pressurized transmission fluid will be upward of 200'c and without the water pump & fans running the back circulation of the heat will destroy the engine seals & the weakest point more than likely will be the head gaskets.
Scotty, a few exceptions to these tow rules that you should have mentioned are 1) You can tow a 4x4 with all the wheels on the ground if it has a "manual" transfer case that can be put into neutral. I'm talking about the transfer case, NOT the transmission. This is why Jeep Wranglers and Geo/Chevy trackers are so popular to tow behind motorhomes... 2)If the car will run (like if it runs fine and you just need to move it) you can leave the car running and in neutral and as long as the engine is running the transmission pump will be pumping fluid keeping your transmission safe. I wouldn't recommend doing this for extended periods of time but for a short tow it will work 3) Disconnect and remove the driveshaft (many people who tow their vehicles behind motorhomes do this. Some even install auxiliary transmission pumps that run without the engine being on)
Superdutychase His logic here makes no sense. The thermostat on the engine is closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant inside the engine through the radiator. Also, to circulate coolant the water pump needs to be running which is only possible if the engine is on since it’s driven by the belt. Even if the radiator had hot fluid there’s no way for it to get back inside the engine with the engine off! And how would transmission fluid get circulated through the radiator with the car towed? He already said with the car off there’s no lubrication of the transmission so what’s moving the transmission fluid through the radiator?
Superdutychase definitely had a blown head gasket already, maybe why it was towed to begin with, LOL! It’s physically impossible for what he said to happen! There’s no oil pump moving fluid to the transmission cooler on the radiator with the car off so there’s no way to overheat the radiator. And on top of that even if that was possible there’s air movement through the radiator while towing it so it would cool it down. And hot coolant needs to be inside the engine to blow a head gasket!
Joe Casson this video is complete hogwash. It’s physically impossible to blow a head gasket towing! There’s air flow the entire time and no circulation of coolant through the engine. If you google honda CRV AWD automatic towing it tells you specifically to tow with all 4 wheels on the ground at highway speeds no greater than 65 mph.
lindsey607 yes many ppl in my area in NY use a tow hook license plate holder. Reason being we don’t want to drill front holes in the bumper as it ruin aesthetics. And a tow plate can easily be removed as well for car shows. Win win
I think those 'tow hooks' are actually transport tie down points for use on car ferries during rough weather crossings etc. That's why they are at each corner. Love the videos, thanks for posting them.
PEOPLE, THINK ABOUT THIS. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
Thank you, Scotty. My father would turn off the engine in neutral on longer hills on his '64 Impala (283 V8) with Powerglide and coast then start it by turning on the ignition then put it into gear. He put it into gear once before turning on the ignition and blew out the muffler.
Oh yeah? Try calling them when the temperature is below zero and they tell you to wait three days until it warms up! I will admit that they do come when the weather is nice. Triple A is a big corporation and has ethics that fit that category.
@@peaceonearth8693 I live near Buffalo, and I've never had AAA give me trouble unless it's a busy day. Most bad winter days, are in fact busy, for obvious reasons.
@@peaceonearth8693 oh yeah. i've never had a issue with them coming out in any type of weather. wait times were anywhere from 20 minutes to about an hour. sounds more like the towing company that services your area has issues, not AAA.
TheGomezIndustries Very common thing to happen with Subaru's! It's in their owners Manuel's " do not sneeze while driving... You will blow your Head Gasket .. Reference pg. 24!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
You can tow any vehicle if you just start the engine, let it idle and put in nutreul. You can push any vehicle doing the same but by strapping 2 old tires together on front of the grill area without rims to the car that is pushing. Works the best. We use to repo cars that way all the time. You can really smack the cars together on the freeway without damage.
To tow a bike. Loop rope around HEADSTOCK ONCE. Then to one bar and hold with thumb pressure only. Ensure ROPE PULLS OUT EASILY WHEN RELEASED. 20 MPH MAX. I have been towed twice. In 30yrs, it`s OK.
The fact that you do something incredibly stupid and it doesn't kill you does not mean it is not an incredibly stupid thing to do, it just means that you were fortunate that your stupid move did not get you killed this time. 30 years of riding, and I've never seen anyone need to do something that stupid. If you can't fix it at the side of the road, you can always find somebody with a truck or trailer. I've even seen complete strangers help out - five of us were on a secondary highway essentially in the middle of nowhere, and one of the bikes had a rear tire blow (a spoke had worked loose and punctured the inner tube). With the nearest bike shop 4 hours away, we were at the side of the road contemplating strategy when a couple of guys in a pickup pulled over to see if they could help. We loaded the bike into the back of their truck, and it spent the night in a small town garage while we went back to the city for a new tire. People with motorcycles doing stupid things are organ donations waiting to happen.
You're a fun guy. These videos are informative. Thanks. Here's a tip (or maybe not), On my Honda Odyssey there wasn't much to tie my kayak to at the front, on the Prius V I replaced it with, there's nothing at all-- except that single point screw in eye-bolt. What I did was take about 18" of 1" webbing, put the ends together and using a soldering iron melted a hole through the ends. Then under the hood I removed one of the fender screws, they all seem to have flanges, so you don't need a washer, then screwed it back down over the webbing. Now on either side there's a 6" loop sticking out from under the sides of the hood (and if I want I can tuck them inside the hood) Not for towing obviously but works great for tying loads down.
It's better to get that higher coverage anyway, you get much more distance free. Though towing a bike is better with a truck and trailer not a flatbed.
Hot Damn! Owned my 07 Lexus ES350 for over a year and never knew what that small square on the front bumber was. Scotty is the MAN!!! Now to go check if I have the screw in tow hook in spare tire compartment.
Scotty is right. I live in Florida and when the accident happened it got towed to west way towing. Where my clothing was stolen. No where to be found and the cops didn’t kinda care.
I towed tons of cars from the 30s to mid 70s w/o issue with a tow bar. I did keep it to 45-50 mph and no more than 20 -30 miles, anything more and they got trailered.
His wife probably throws him out of the house a lot. So instead of the dog house, his preference is the Toyota. Besides, more room in the car over the dog house (LOL!).
Thank you for this common sense wisdom, Scotty. Towing company drivers aren’t all so scrupulous. And in some counties that have loose and lax “anything goes” towing laws, these tow truck drivers and their companies are horrible thieves getting away with financial murder.
if you must tow it with the drive wheels on the ground: Automatic Transaxle - Your vehicle may be towed under the following conditions: The gear selector must be in NEUTRAL, the distance to be towed must not exceed 15 miles (25 km), and the towing speed must not exceed 25 mph (40 km/h)...Wiki
I don't think that I'd do that. There is no oil being pumped in the transmission when the engine is off. The bearings can get hot and dry without lubrication. I'd say that Wiki is mistaken. Automatic transmissions have not been designed to be towed like that since the 1950's or so. There was no reason to put a pump that is attached to the output of the transmission, so they saved money by not putting one in. The only oil pump is connected to the input from the engine.
Budget Impreza that’s impossible!! This logic makes no sense. The thermostat on the engine is closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant inside the engine through the radiator. Also, to circulate coolant the water pump needs to be running which is only possible if the engine is on since it’s driven by the belt. There’s no way for this to happen! And how would transmission fluid get circulated through the radiator with the car towed? He already said with the car off there’s no lubrication of the transmission so what’s moving the transmission fluid through the radiator?
Thanks Scotty your wise advice came in handy the other day when I was in an accident. A bunch of tow trucks arrived trying to take my car. I called a friend and he let me use his AAA to tow it to my house, its awaiting the appraiser. But your advice came in handy, I had seen it on another video you did a few months back. Thank you Sir.
No one should be the only place you get information from. Scotty seems great, but no one is always right about everything. I bet even Scotty would admit he still learns new things =)
Just Some Guy without a Mustache some of the information in this one is incorrect. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
HAVE A COMMENT AND OR FOR YOU ABOUT TOWING FRONT WHEEL DRIVE CARS!! FIRST I AM 59 YEAR OLD MAN AND I HAVE ALWAYS TOWED THEM AND NEVER OVER 50 MPH AND ALSO NEVER OVER 5-6 MILES TOPS!! SO I WAS SHOCKED WHEN SAID THAT!!! I always watch your videos because you ARE PROFESSIONAL GRADE MECHANIC!! I HAVE ALWAYS WORKED ON MY OWN VEHICLES!! ALL MY LIFE!! UNTIL 2 YEARS AGO!!!! AND ENDED UP BEING A HUGE HUGE MISTAKE!! I GOT A SHODDY HORRIBLE MECHANIC!!! I hope you read this and can get back TO ME ME!! Thanks man!!
A tip, even if you don’t use your tow hook and you have a little square cover. It’s good idea to spray some WD40 and screw in the tow hook a few times 2-3x. This makes it easier to install and remove the hook and also helps it from not rusting. Always make sure the cover is not missing. It will rust. If you don’t have the cover. Just leave the inserted tow hook in. Just spray some WD40 before you insert.
GEAUX FRUGAL some of the information in this one is incorrect. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
Dana Jorgensen it is impossible to blow a head gasket towing a car. If there is heat transferred to the radiator it is being dissipated by air movement through the radiator as the car is towed. That’s why you don’t need a cooling fan when moving but you need one when parked and idling. The cooling fan pulls air through the radiator to dissipate heat from it. The exact same thing is happening with air flow through the radiator as the vehicle is towed. On top of that there is air flow beneath the vehicle that will also dissipate heat build up in the transmission through convection heat transfer. There is absolutely no way a car overheats the engine from towing it. He also said to never tow an AWD on 4 wheels. Yet if you look up the Honda CRV AWD with an auto it says you can tow it on all 4 wheels at highway speeds. These blanket statements that Scotty makes to encompass every vehicle are incorrect. It’s the same deal with whenever anyone asks a question about a transmission shift problem. Every time he says the transmission is worn and needs to be replaced. Man, you cannot diagnose a transmission based on a shift issue comment and say it needs to be replaced. I had a transmission shift issue and had people say it was an Internal issue on a Mustang GT with 90,000 miles. It turned out to be an electrical short in my engine fuse box that was interfering with the reference voltage used for the transmission. Fixed the short and no more transmission issue. Just because Scotty has 51 years experience people take his word as gospel without ever logically thinking about it in many cases. Years don’t always mean you know everything. It comes down to what kind of experience you have more than anything. There are people working in jobs for 25 years and someone working the same job for 10 can know more. This is a fact.
@@newfie-dean5803 As a transporter of cryogenics I have an education in fluid and gas dynamics. A radiator is both higher and cooler heat naturally seeks a higher and cooler level as a gas or liquid seeks these polar opposites a convection occurs same action that causes wind, ocean convection etc stratification is a factor here all these atmospheres play off one another . All of these , fluid Dynamics, air / liquid interaction is sure to increase the temperature of transmission fluid .
GEAUX FRUGAL what? I understand heat transfer well. Airflow is going to reduce temperature. Air flow over a radiator reduces temperature, that’s how it works. Same principle with airflow under the car. The point here is this, no tow job caused a head gasket to blow and if you think so then I can’t help you.
@@newfie-dean5803 NO !, the greater heat and lack of water circulation in the normal direction is never going to keep the situation under control. Airflow around a water cooled engine is not going to have much of a cooling effect.
I work at an rv park in california. Wont believe how many people loaded their cars on uhaul car dollys the wrong way. Expensive vacation for the dozens ive seen. A little knowledge does go along way. Thanks scotty
... Unless the drive shaft is needed to seal the transmission rear end. I had an old Toyota that could be towed that way (if it was an automatic, but mine was a manual), BUT if you remove the drive shaft, you have the put a plug into the back of the transmission to prevent the oil from pouring out.
Also, if you don't know of a good tow truck company, but have a mechanic that you trust, ask who they deal with! My go to mechanic deals with a great tow company, but I didn't know that that tow company existed! & I needed a tow finally a few years back(lucky me, never had to get my vehicle towed the 1st 20 years I started driving! I started driving when I was 15, yes legally, va in 1995 changed the driving age to 15 years & 8 months when i was about to turn said age & my folks jumped on me to get my license) just make sure that the mechanic you go to is a mechanic you trust is all! Cell phone is a great resource to have but there are still great resources other than them so always use all your resources to their fullest!
Scotty, you are right about towing and smart to not mention that towing can be done on a manual trans with a tow rope and the hooks but it should only be done by someone who is aware about towing with a rope. Towing a car with a tow-rope is legal, subject to complying with the relevant road rules and regulations, but it's not something we generally recommend as there is a lack of power assistance to steering and brakes on the towed vehicle. Its pretty scary as I've done it a few times. The person towing needs to look ahead and drive in such a manor that the vehicle behind can stop both cars in time without the aid of power brakes. This can be a challenge as generally the car towing is larger. In some states you are only allowed to tow the car to a safe place while others you can tow home. I have had the hooks on cars just rip off before too! Not for the faint of heart and I would defiantly highly recommend using a different system if available.
Tip if you don't know who to call call your insurance company and get them to send a tow truck. Never ask the police to call a tow truck they will send it to a lot somewhere.
Scotty, thanks for this video! Now I know how to properly tow an automatic transmission car and learned how it can be damaged by letting it roll on the wheels connected to the transmission.
My 2007 H3 is designed for flat towing. Transmission in park, buttons allow each wheel to spin freely. Also automatically unlocks steering wheel so it can steer around curves. Pretty cool that they came from the factory with all those features.
They're great in colder climates when you inevitably get stuck in snow. And not just necessarily from the angle that you might be pulling something out from being stuck, but that someone ELSE might be pulling YOU out from being stuck. They're convenient to have even if some folks think they're just for show.
Well done! I had my car towed like that when I was younger, a friend pulled me with a chain. A Nissan 280ZX we took to the river, when the river was dry, the sheet rock ground was like a road, but some spots still had water, one of those spots had a water hole which was several feet deep! Ripped a massive hole in the floorboards, and water came into the car, also tore up the radiator! LOL Towing it, was not easy because you have to constantly and lightly have the foot ready on the brake, so you don't plow into your friend! "Like Scotty says, DON'T EVER TOW A CAR LIKE THIS!" We were ignorant teens back then! That car was a blast in the Summer! "The Crazy Days of our Youth"
Great video! AAA is great for towing. I have 100 mile limit for a tow, and I have them tow it to my driveway so I can fix it on my own. They will do it even from an accident.
Flatbeds aren’t the best for everything, and run a higher risk of damage on some cars. Unless you have experience towing, don’t tell the towing company what to send. Tell them the situation, and they’ll send the truck that will best handle the situation. You don’t march into the kitchen at a restaurant and tell them how to make your food, so don’t do it to your tow driver.
Europian Enthusiast Even if the dispatcher doesn’t, the driver should know if he can’t do it. If I get a call for an R8 with 4 flats, I don’t care what dispatch says, that needs to go on a flatbed. If it can’t go into neutral or is in a tight parking lot, the FB guys know to send it to us wheel lifts. Dispatchers are almost always useless, but the drivers know what they’re doing.
I was told the "tow hooks" on my 1998 Toyota Camry are just tie down points for the car delivery truck and not to be used for towing. I never did figure out where I was supposed to tie off to if I ever had to call a friend to get pulled out of the mud. Fortunately I only got the car stuck once, it was in the snow and no tow rope was needed.
Watching Scotty talk about problems with cars I'll never drive or own.. because I've been to the end of the internet, and this is as good as it gets, folks.. thnx, Scotty c):~)
codypendant1 some of the information in this one is incorrect. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
Newfie-Dean .. I dunno. Those are good questions.. these are cars I'll never drive.. here's what I go with, generally: if it's a stick, put it in neutral, tie the steering wheel if you have, too.. if it's an automatic, drop the driveshaft, or turn key on and put in neutral. A lot of this depends on how far yer going. I live out in the country, and strategies vary. I also have AAA, and USRider if I'm hauling horses ( AAA on steroids). I rented a car hauler to haul my p/u across states. .. my one takeaway from this was the flap removal to screw the tow hitch in, lol... I know if you sit in the bed of a p/u, the bed heats up especially on the highway... removing a serpentine belt is easy enuff if that's a factor... a front wheel drive might be prone to circulating transmission oil thru the radiator on certain models? I really don't know.. good food for thought you brought up, tho.. I just like watching Scotty blow his lid and it's not political... c):~)
codypendant1 yeah I like watching the videos too but I hate the misleading info in some of these videos. Scotty often makes blanket statements encompassing all cars when they all have different design features. For a Honda CRV AWD with an auto Honda tells you that you can tow it on all 4 wheels at highway speeds no greater than 65 mph. Yet Scotty says you can’t do that. You really need to refer to your owner’s manual to know. These days all I see for tow trucks are flat bed ones. I see it so many times that someone asks a question regarding a transmission shift issue and Scotty instantly says your transmission is worn and needs to be replaced. That is another crazy blanket statement. I had a shift issue on a Mustang GT and it seemed like it was an internal issue but it ended up being a short in my engine fuse box that was affecting the voltage signal sent to the computer for the transmission. These days you can have electrical issues that can make your vehicle act as though there is something mechanically wrong with it. I was reading a few months back how a bad electrical ground can wear out your wheel bearings! There’s so much stuff that can go on with a vehicle and sometimes what you think is a cut and dry solution turns out to be a nightmare to diagnose. I have driven a lot of Fords and put a lot of miles on them (400,000 miles on one) and I have never had a transmission go out on me. Yet Scotty talks as though transmissions go out routinely and that is not the case.
Newfie-Dean .. the complexities of modern vehicles are quite frustrating for a shade tree mechanic, and then there's the issue of trying to find an honest mechanic... I have to agree with you, in that I have never heard of any transmissions, or head gaskets for that matter, being ruined by towing responsibly, or even irresponsibly, now that I think about it.. I don't own one, but Mustangs are my favorite classic car ( I do wish the side view mirrors were a bit larger, my only complaint), but I do own 8-9 real mustangs. You definitely brought up a lot to ponder. Thnx
Manual transmissions rely on a splash lube system, not an engine driven pump like an automatic. In a perfect world you still pull by the drive wheels but it's not necessary on a stick.
neftv1 Some of the information in this one is incorrect. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
You’re talking about a rollback wrecker. They do great for what they were designed to do. Ram trucks have a full neutral so they can be towed. As always, great video
I've used three tows in about 12 years. Always great service! I pay extra for the highest package since I travel a fair amount I like having the extra tow miles.
Scotty, having done roadside assistance for the CAA I have towed a lot of cars. I need to point out though, that what you referred to as "Tow Hooks" on the Toyota are not that. They are tie downs for when the car is being transported. The other "Tow hook" is a recovery attachment that should never be used for towing, but for when the vehicle needs to be winched, like out of a ditch or moved to be properly loaded onto the tow truck. Also, I would advise against towing cars backwards, the aerodynamics of today's cars are finely tuned, it's ok if you're doing a short hop, but once you get up to highway speeds, things have a tendency of flying off, mirrors and tonneau covers especially. Use a flatbed of dolly wheels if you're transporting a rear wheel drive car over a distance. In Canada, the CAA charges about $150.00 for their premier package that gets you 5 service calls - anything from fuel delivery, if you run out of gas, battery service, tire changing, or towing up to 200 kms; that's 1000 total towed kms! It's the best insurance you can get, considering that just a hook up is about $150.00 in Toronto plus mileage to the shop. Not sure what AAA charges, but I bet it's similar.
Don't laugh, but I always wondered what that little square thing was for on the front pumper! I'm 38yrs old and I didn't know that's where you put the two hook!!🤣😂🤣
@@MrRathel That's just what I thought. It seems like it could cause problems in communication in a battlefield. You don't want to accidentally deploy your AA guns when you meant field artillery, or vice versa. And if you call them both "artillery" there is a much greater risk of that happening.
@@mattr2238 Uhh, yes there is such a thing as Anti-aircraft Artillery. Never seen a war movie or anything where a pilot says "Hey, watch out for that triple A"
It is, neutral won’t hurt anything and the transmission isn’t spinning. Idk why he didn’t mention that. Maybe he’s taking about people putting it in drive? Idk
Hey Scotty quick question, how do I keep the front wheels straight if I tow a rear wheel vehicle? Not sure if they'd stay straight on their own?? Or if the wheel will lock up in the "straight" position? Thanks Man your the best!
I think the "tow hooks" on some cars are really just meant for tying the car down during transport. I know the one on my neighbors Honda didn't hold up to a very gentle tug out of the snow. I'm sure glad I wasn't the one who hooked it up.
I call bs on the subaru story. If the engine isn't running the trans isn't pumping fluid just like scotty said, so it isn't going to make it's way to the trans cooler in the radiator. And even if the trans cooler was getting hot fluid, the car is being towed so there's air passing through the radiator like normal which would cool the fluid.
In all honesty all the information about towing your vehicle is in the drivers hand book that comes with the car when you buy it. It is normally the book in the glove box that you always mean to read but never get around to! If its missing your dealer will supply you a copy or most manufacturers have 'pdf' versions on their web sites where you can download it for FREE !. This video by Scotty really is just the hand book information, that you should have read anyway. Perhaps seeing it here will make you think about the perils of this, should you ever be in the unfortunate position of needing to tow a non running car any distance in excesses of a few yards.
Edward Anthony I don’t have time to explain to you how an automatic transmission works. Just know that I’m a professional tow operator, and I probably know quite a bit more about safely towing than you do.
Edward Anthony the short version is that you cannot disconnect the front and rear wheels from each other in an AWD system, or from the transmission by simply putting the trans in neutral. You’d still be turning the transmission internals without proper lubrication. But don’t take my word for it. Do whatever you like. HMU when you need a tow.
In my experience in recent years U-Haul has been very good about making sure you know how to put your vehicle on the tow-dolly. They also check what you are towing to make sure it is within the weight limits and check your tow vehicle to be sure you can handle it (although they tend to mess that up at times - my 1 ton van will easily handle the same towing capacity as a 1 ton pickup). They look it all up in their database and make sure it's going to work. That may not be true for every U-haul operator, but the ones I've dealt with have been good.
Hey thanks so much! I always come across people needing to be pulled out and I always find the recovering point in trucks and stuff but never on a sedan. I felt so bad after not being able to help a girl today for my lack of knowledge. This is the only video after an hour that explained where the recovery point is! Also watched the whole video and got a lot of knowledge
1:56 FO NOT EVER DO THAT. Thats insanely dangerous if the wheel turns even slightly itll shift a lot of weight and be dangerous. Just get a traiker like a full size one u can put all 4 on.
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Scotty I have been following ur videos for a very long time and let me tell u, you have a lot of followers from India and we are always loyal to u. So keep up the great work ur doing. And please do visit India. Love from India
6:28 Nissan with a bad automatic spotted :D
Scotty Kilmer good information!! Thank you
Excellent video Scotty,I own my own flatbed trailer with a 10-K winch on it and has came in very handy more then a few times!.
Scotty Kilmer love your channel.
Hey Scotty, are motor craft power steering pumps ( rebuilt in China) ok?
I have an 83 ford f150.
Thank you!🍹
Oh, you're messing with us, Scotty - Subarus don't need to be towed to blow head gaskets!
Blow the head gasket first, tow later!
Hahahhahahahah
Leave it to a Subaru to blow head gaskets without the engine running.
hahaha nice:)
The head gasket is probably why it was being towed in the first place. That story was 100% bullshit. The oil isn't being pumped, but somehow it ended up being pumped into the transmission cooler?
Keep in mind that if you have a vehicle with a 4WD transfer case then you CAN tow with all 4 wheels on the ground as long as the TRANSFER CASE is in neutral - not the transmission by itself, but also the transfer case. This disconnects the drive wheels entirely and is often explained in a 4WD vehicle's manual as an option for towing! Great video Scotty! 👍
@Tony Humbert if you're transfer case is out in neutral (different than your transmission) then the transmission won't be connected to the moving wheels at all - therefore the transmission won't spin or get hot. A lot of manufacturers actually specify this method for flat towing. The Subaru likely didn't have a transfer case at all - meaning that it couldn't be flat towed and destroyed the transmission.
@Tony Humbert If I'm not mistaken most suabrus don't even have what we would consider a transfer case traditionally because they aren't shiftable - as you said.
@Tony Humbert Correct - but in a lot of full-time 4WD systems and AWD systems it isn't shiftable in a standard form like a part time 4WD t-case which is the most common type used in flat towing applications.
@Tony Humbert dude it's a forum for conversation - it is somewhat relevant because people watching this video may not know that some vehicles CAN be flat towed with a t-case and some can't . This video, while Scotty is great - makes it seem like almost no vehicle can be flat towed. Lighten up
@Tony Humbert even more of a reason to inform people in the comments ;)
Thankyou Scotty; this is one of the most important videos you've made so far; and YES people do a lot of dumb things when a car breaks down.
Hirum Biffidum for a front wheel drive car you use a tow dolly or a trailer. rear wheel drive cars use a trailer . I have seen cars being towed by a motorhomes as well being they take the cars along
Hirum Biffidum some of the information in this one is incorrect. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
@@newfie-dean5803 maybe towing with the transmission in Parking mode? Bad video, I don't agree either.
teratonexplosion you can’t tow in park. That’s like trying to push your car in your driveway while it’s in park. In park the drive wheel(s) will be locked and you can’t move it. But if you put it in neutral you can push it no problem. Same concept here. If you towed it in park then you would be skidding the drive wheel down the road and it would not be long before you destroyed the tire and maybe some suspension or driveline component. Scotty should correct his comments in another video but he seems to be a guy who don’t do that sort of thing, it would mean admitting he was wrong with 51 years experience! 🐴😂
@@newfie-dean5803 Hi, its called capillary action the heat will transfer via the hot fluid as it will still circulate a bit, though not under normal pressure and the rad will still get hot, the engine not running this resultant heat in the rad will back circulate in the same way through the engine. Your theory about a moving vehicle will cool the rad a little, but the non pressurized transmission fluid will be upward of 200'c and without the water pump & fans running the back circulation of the heat will destroy the engine seals & the weakest point more than likely will be the head gaskets.
For "free tows" I was hoping to see a bag of Fritos appear in the corner. ;-)
Scotty, a few exceptions to these tow rules that you should have mentioned are
1) You can tow a 4x4 with all the wheels on the ground if it has a "manual" transfer case that can be put into neutral. I'm talking about the transfer case, NOT the transmission. This is why Jeep Wranglers and Geo/Chevy trackers are so popular to tow behind motorhomes...
2)If the car will run (like if it runs fine and you just need to move it) you can leave the car running and in neutral and as long as the engine is running the transmission pump will be pumping fluid keeping your transmission safe. I wouldn't recommend doing this for extended periods of time but for a short tow it will work
3) Disconnect and remove the driveshaft (many people who tow their vehicles behind motorhomes do this. Some even install auxiliary transmission pumps that run without the engine being on)
You are correct sir!
Superdutychase His logic here makes no sense. The thermostat on the engine is closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant inside the engine through the radiator. Also, to circulate coolant the water pump needs to be running which is only possible if the engine is on since it’s driven by the belt. Even if the radiator had hot fluid there’s no way for it to get back inside the engine with the engine off! And how would transmission fluid get circulated through the radiator with the car towed? He already said with the car off there’s no lubrication of the transmission so what’s moving the transmission fluid through the radiator?
Superdutychase definitely had a blown head gasket already, maybe why it was towed to begin with, LOL! It’s physically impossible for what he said to happen! There’s no oil pump moving fluid to the transmission cooler on the radiator with the car off so there’s no way to overheat the radiator. And on top of that even if that was possible there’s air movement through the radiator while towing it so it would cool it down. And hot coolant needs to be inside the engine to blow a head gasket!
Joe Casson this video is complete hogwash. It’s physically impossible to blow a head gasket towing! There’s air flow the entire time and no circulation of coolant through the engine. If you google honda CRV AWD automatic towing it tells you specifically to tow with all 4 wheels on the ground at highway speeds no greater than 65 mph.
I always wondered what those squares on the bumper were for n now I known. Thanks again Mr Scotty.
lindsey607 yes many ppl in my area in NY use a tow hook license plate holder. Reason being we don’t want to drill front holes in the bumper as it ruin aesthetics. And a tow plate can easily be removed as well for car shows. Win win
Me too...lol
That’s exactly how I’m going to tow my neighbors car when they park in front of my driveway.
HAHA!!.😎👍
Isn't that illegal in most places? Any place I lived in they could call the cops and have the car towed if you did that.
Do you mean, in the wrong way?
:V
Adrian The cops might show up or not. Ultimately; one might get away with it or one might find himself on the hook for damages and misdemeanors.
Mo Chubby's Music wouldn’t it be fun sometimes to be Tony Soprano?
When you made the "Uhh" noise and put the tennis player I lost it😂😂😂
I think those 'tow hooks' are actually transport tie down points for use on car ferries during rough weather crossings etc. That's why they are at each corner. Love the videos, thanks for posting them.
Talking with my wife's Uncle, talking car stuff and he say's, "I watch vids from this mechanic out of Texas", my eye's lit up.
PEOPLE, THINK ABOUT THIS. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
Thank you, Scotty. My father would turn off the engine in neutral on longer hills on his '64 Impala (283 V8) with Powerglide and coast then start it by turning on the ignition then put it into gear. He put it into gear once before turning on the ignition and blew out the muffler.
AAA has taken care of me since i started driving.
first rate organization.
annual membership dues are totally worth it.
just in case.
I've been with them since the late 90s, I agree 100%.
Oh yeah? Try calling them when the temperature is below zero and they tell you to wait three days until it warms up! I will admit that they do come when the weather is nice. Triple A is a big corporation and has ethics that fit that category.
@@peaceonearth8693 I live near Buffalo, and I've never had AAA give me trouble unless it's a busy day. Most bad winter days, are in fact busy, for obvious reasons.
@@peaceonearth8693 oh yeah. i've never had a issue with them coming out in any type of weather. wait times were anywhere from 20 minutes to about an hour. sounds more like the towing company that services your area has issues, not AAA.
@@billybob042665 if you don't mind, who covers you? I had roadside assistance which was less expensive, but one major tow would even out the cost.
I drive a tow truck and I agree 100%on this answer
One day I sneezed so loud that the head gasket on my Subaru blew off.
TheGomezIndustries Very common thing to happen with Subaru's! It's in their owners Manuel's " do not sneeze while driving... You will blow your Head Gasket .. Reference pg. 24!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
😂🤣😂
You can tow any vehicle if you just start the engine, let it idle and put in nutreul. You can push any vehicle doing the same but by strapping 2 old tires together on front of the grill area without rims to the car that is pushing. Works the best. We use to repo cars that way all the time. You can really smack the cars together on the freeway without damage.
HOLY SHNIKIES! Towing a motorcycle down the highway!? Sounds like a Darwin Awards candidate!
Oh, I thought the Harley motorcycle was towing another car. I guess I undeestood it backwards.
To tow a bike. Loop rope around HEADSTOCK ONCE. Then to one bar and hold with thumb pressure only. Ensure ROPE PULLS OUT EASILY WHEN RELEASED. 20 MPH MAX. I have been towed twice. In 30yrs, it`s OK.
being towed on a bike down the highway, he'd be lucky to live and to be able to collect the award !
The fact that you do something incredibly stupid and it doesn't kill you does not mean it is not an incredibly stupid thing to do, it just means that you were fortunate that your stupid move did not get you killed this time.
30 years of riding, and I've never seen anyone need to do something that stupid. If you can't fix it at the side of the road, you can always find somebody with a truck or trailer. I've even seen complete strangers help out - five of us were on a secondary highway essentially in the middle of nowhere, and one of the bikes had a rear tire blow (a spoke had worked loose and punctured the inner tube). With the nearest bike shop 4 hours away, we were at the side of the road contemplating strategy when a couple of guys in a pickup pulled over to see if they could help. We loaded the bike into the back of their truck, and it spent the night in a small town garage while we went back to the city for a new tire.
People with motorcycles doing stupid things are organ donations waiting to happen.
You're a fun guy. These videos are informative. Thanks. Here's a tip (or maybe not), On my Honda Odyssey there wasn't much to tie my kayak to at the front, on the Prius V I replaced it with, there's nothing at all-- except that single point screw in eye-bolt. What I did was take about 18" of 1" webbing, put the ends together and using a soldering iron melted a hole through the ends. Then under the hood I removed one of the fender screws, they all seem to have flanges, so you don't need a washer, then screwed it back down over the webbing. Now on either side there's a 6" loop sticking out from under the sides of the hood (and if I want I can tuck them inside the hood) Not for towing obviously but works great for tying loads down.
AAA will tow motorhomes and motorcycles also. You must pay for the additional coverage.
It's better to get that higher coverage anyway, you get much more distance free. Though towing a bike is better with a truck and trailer not a flatbed.
Harley Davidson owners will need extended AAA coverage.
A friends Harley broke down on a road trip. When I went for help, I said . 95 percent of Harleys are still on the road. 5 percent made it home.
@@glengerdes2447 Q: Why do Harleys have so much chrome? A: So they're easier to see for the tow-truck driver.
Q: What's the most common HD accessory? A: A motorcycle trailer.
Hot Damn! Owned my 07 Lexus ES350 for over a year and never knew what that small square on the front bumber was. Scotty is the MAN!!! Now to go check if I have the screw in tow hook in spare tire compartment.
Scotty is right. I live in Florida and when the accident happened it got towed to west way towing. Where my clothing was stolen. No where to be found and the cops didn’t kinda care.
@Johnny Draco Floriduh
@Joaquin Valadez Yes...but they have the power, and you DON'T!! Remember THAT!!
I towed tons of cars from the 30s to mid 70s w/o issue with a tow bar. I did keep it to 45-50 mph and no more than 20 -30 miles, anything more and they got trailered.
Does Scotty live in that Celica? He keeps popping out of it.
he lives in many car's luggage space
His wife probably throws him out of the house a lot. So instead of the dog house, his preference is the Toyota. Besides, more room in the car over the dog house (LOL!).
If not now is, because he just scratch the bumper of his wife's car.
It's more reliable than a house. A house becomes an endless moneypit when it gets older.
Thank you for this common sense wisdom, Scotty. Towing company drivers aren’t all so scrupulous. And in some counties that have loose and lax “anything goes” towing laws, these tow truck drivers and their companies are horrible thieves getting away with financial murder.
if you must tow it with the drive wheels on the ground: Automatic Transaxle - Your vehicle may be towed under the following conditions: The gear selector must be in NEUTRAL, the distance to be towed must not exceed 15 miles (25 km), and the towing speed must not exceed 25 mph (40 km/h)...Wiki
I don't think that I'd do that. There is no oil being pumped in the transmission when the engine is off. The bearings can get hot and dry without lubrication. I'd say that Wiki is mistaken. Automatic transmissions have not been designed to be towed like that since the 1950's or so. There was no reason to put a pump that is attached to the output of the transmission, so they saved money by not putting one in. The only oil pump is connected to the input from the engine.
I've read some people put it in neutral and leave the car idle. Doesn't sound like a great idea to me but sounds better than having it off
Remove a driveshaft and problem solved
Unbelievable, is this all just city slickers in this comment section?
@@garylangley4502when it’s in neutral the transmission doesn’t spin. It’s not in a gear and no parts are moving. It’s perfectly fine
LOL at the blond girls when he's talking about two for one.
Scotty has the best pictures when he's talking. Best.
Robert Harvilla yes!!!! I was scrolling through the comments waiting for someone to say something about that
SUBARU BLOWS HEADGASKET BEING TOWED
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Aint that somethin?
@@afroman5531 it's a Subaru, inevitably the headgaskets will blow
Budget Impreza that’s impossible!! This logic makes no sense. The thermostat on the engine is closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant inside the engine through the radiator. Also, to circulate coolant the water pump needs to be running which is only possible if the engine is on since it’s driven by the belt. There’s no way for this to happen! And how would transmission fluid get circulated through the radiator with the car towed? He already said with the car off there’s no lubrication of the transmission so what’s moving the transmission fluid through the radiator?
@@newfie-dean5803 I know... hence the "hahahahhahaha" part...
@@newfie-dean5803 he really likes going after certain companies like Subaru, Nissan, Dodge, and anything European
Thanks Scotty your wise advice came in handy the other day when I was in an accident. A bunch of tow trucks arrived trying to take my car. I called a friend and he let me use his AAA to tow it to my house, its awaiting the appraiser. But your advice came in handy, I had seen it on another video you did a few months back. Thank you Sir.
I only gather information about cars from Scotty.
He's grandpa.
No one should be the only place you get information from. Scotty seems great, but no one is always right about everything. I bet even Scotty would admit he still learns new things =)
What do you drive a toyota
Just Some Guy without a Mustache some of the information in this one is incorrect. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
@@newfie-dean5803 grow a Mustache, then maybe it'll make logical sense to you. 😂😂😃
HAVE A COMMENT AND OR FOR YOU ABOUT TOWING FRONT WHEEL DRIVE CARS!! FIRST I AM 59 YEAR OLD MAN AND I HAVE ALWAYS TOWED THEM AND NEVER OVER 50 MPH AND ALSO NEVER OVER 5-6 MILES TOPS!! SO I WAS SHOCKED WHEN SAID THAT!!! I always watch your videos because you ARE PROFESSIONAL GRADE MECHANIC!! I HAVE ALWAYS WORKED ON MY OWN VEHICLES!! ALL MY LIFE!! UNTIL 2 YEARS AGO!!!! AND ENDED UP BEING A HUGE HUGE MISTAKE!! I GOT A SHODDY HORRIBLE MECHANIC!!! I hope you read this and can get back TO ME ME!! Thanks man!!
A tip, even if you don’t use your tow hook and you have a little square cover. It’s good idea to spray some WD40 and screw in the tow hook a few times 2-3x. This makes it easier to install and remove the hook and also helps it from not rusting. Always make sure the cover is not missing. It will rust. If you don’t have the cover. Just leave the inserted tow hook in. Just spray some WD40 before you insert.
Enjoying the channel & all the trolls without channels with their rudeness. Keep it comin Scotty.
Always learn something new on your channel. Some of your videos should be a part of drivers ED.
GEAUX FRUGAL some of the information in this one is incorrect. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
Dana Jorgensen it is impossible to blow a head gasket towing a car. If there is heat transferred to the radiator it is being dissipated by air movement through the radiator as the car is towed. That’s why you don’t need a cooling fan when moving but you need one when parked and idling. The cooling fan pulls air through the radiator to dissipate heat from it. The exact same thing is happening with air flow through the radiator as the vehicle is towed. On top of that there is air flow beneath the vehicle that will also dissipate heat build up in the transmission through convection heat transfer. There is absolutely no way a car overheats the engine from towing it. He also said to never tow an AWD on 4 wheels. Yet if you look up the Honda CRV AWD with an auto it says you can tow it on all 4 wheels at highway speeds. These blanket statements that Scotty makes to encompass every vehicle are incorrect. It’s the same deal with whenever anyone asks a question about a transmission shift problem. Every time he says the transmission is worn and needs to be replaced. Man, you cannot diagnose a transmission based on a shift issue comment and say it needs to be replaced. I had a transmission shift issue and had people say it was an Internal issue on a Mustang GT with 90,000 miles. It turned out to be an electrical short in my engine fuse box that was interfering with the reference voltage used for the transmission. Fixed the short and no more transmission issue. Just because Scotty has 51 years experience people take his word as gospel without ever logically thinking about it in many cases. Years don’t always mean you know everything. It comes down to what kind of experience you have more than anything. There are people working in jobs for 25 years and someone working the same job for 10 can know more. This is a fact.
@@newfie-dean5803 As a transporter of cryogenics I have an education in fluid and gas dynamics. A radiator is both higher and cooler heat naturally seeks a higher and cooler level as a gas or liquid seeks these polar opposites a convection occurs same action that causes wind, ocean convection etc stratification is a factor here all these atmospheres play off one another . All of these , fluid Dynamics, air / liquid interaction is sure to increase the temperature of transmission fluid .
GEAUX FRUGAL what? I understand heat transfer well. Airflow is going to reduce temperature. Air flow over a radiator reduces temperature, that’s how it works. Same principle with airflow under the car. The point here is this, no tow job caused a head gasket to blow and if you think so then I can’t help you.
@@newfie-dean5803 NO !, the greater heat and lack of water circulation in the normal direction is never going to keep the situation under control. Airflow around a water cooled engine is not going to have much of a cooling effect.
I'd say the gasket was blown before, the gaskets not weaker than a hose or radiator tank......
I had to be flatbedded from a buffet once.
LOL I know what you mean. I still remember eating at a Big Boy 25 years ago with friends. They still tease me about it sometimes
Was that a strip-joint buffet, after a dozen beers? BTW, Those beers are overpriced.
I work at an rv park in california. Wont believe how many people loaded their cars on uhaul car dollys the wrong way. Expensive vacation for the dozens ive seen. A little knowledge does go along way. Thanks scotty
Dont forget if your flat towing on a rear wheel drive car/ truck you can remove the drive shaft and it be fine
Exactly right!
... Unless the drive shaft is needed to seal the transmission rear end. I had an old Toyota that could be towed that way (if it was an automatic, but mine was a manual), BUT if you remove the drive shaft, you have the put a plug into the back of the transmission to prevent the oil from pouring out.
Also, if you don't know of a good tow truck company, but have a mechanic that you trust, ask who they deal with! My go to mechanic deals with a great tow company, but I didn't know that that tow company existed! & I needed a tow finally a few years back(lucky me, never had to get my vehicle towed the 1st 20 years I started driving! I started driving when I was 15, yes legally, va in 1995 changed the driving age to 15 years & 8 months when i was about to turn said age & my folks jumped on me to get my license) just make sure that the mechanic you go to is a mechanic you trust is all! Cell phone is a great resource to have but there are still great resources other than them so always use all your resources to their fullest!
LOVE THE 2 FOR 1 DEAL! Can you give that one away Scotty please?!?
Worked at dispatch and we had to learn all of that. Easiest is a flatbed unless otherwise requested or needed.
Thats what those little squares are for on bumpers!!!!! OMG I have wondered for YEARS!!! xD Scotty! Thank you.
Those would be the wheels..
Scotty, you are right about towing and smart to not mention that towing can be done on a manual trans with a tow rope and the hooks but it should only be done by someone who is aware about towing with a rope. Towing a car with a tow-rope is legal, subject to complying with the relevant road rules and regulations, but it's not something we generally recommend as there is a lack of power assistance to steering and brakes on the towed vehicle. Its pretty scary as I've done it a few times. The person towing needs to look ahead and drive in such a manor that the vehicle behind can stop both cars in time without the aid of power brakes. This can be a challenge as generally the car towing is larger. In some states you are only allowed to tow the car to a safe place while others you can tow home. I have had the hooks on cars just rip off before too! Not for the faint of heart and I would defiantly highly recommend using a different system if available.
Tip if you don't know who to call call your insurance company and get them to send a tow truck. Never ask the police to call a tow truck they will send it to a lot somewhere.
greenspiraldragon Also, some of the Tow companies that are contracted by the city charge outrageous fees!
Scotty, thanks for this video! Now I know how to properly tow an automatic transmission car and learned how it can be damaged by letting it roll on the wheels connected to the transmission.
Tow truck blows head gasket towing sabaru.
Contagious
I was about to tow my 4wd I almost destroyed my transmission thank you Scottie
I had a 727 Chrysler automatic that had 2 pumps. Front and back. You could tow it no problem! Also you could push start it!! 1965 Dodge cable shift.
I wish my 66 still had twin pumps. 65 was the last year on the 727.
My 2007 H3 is designed for flat towing. Transmission in park, buttons allow each wheel to spin freely. Also automatically unlocks steering wheel so it can steer around curves. Pretty cool that they came from the factory with all those features.
Tow Truck vultures , priceless. Scotty, you're the man.
Yep thank you
Some tow hooks are just show hooks.
They're great in colder climates when you inevitably get stuck in snow. And not just necessarily from the angle that you might be pulling something out from being stuck, but that someone ELSE might be pulling YOU out from being stuck. They're convenient to have even if some folks think they're just for show.
@@rcnelson Sounds dangerous.
I've seen that little square in cars. Didn't realize it was for that. Learned something new today! Thanks, Scotty!
*Scotty’s hands do the talking. I don’t even need volume or subtitles.*
Kilmer sign language. 😁
this guy reminds me of my dad.
so damn smart when it comes to cars.
im glad I grew up with a guy like that.
Tow truck driver will pop off that cover and toss it in the bushes, lol
Well done! I had my car towed like that when I was younger, a friend pulled me with a chain. A Nissan 280ZX we took to the river, when the river was dry, the sheet rock ground was like a road, but some spots still had water, one of those spots had a water hole which was several feet deep! Ripped a massive hole in the floorboards, and water came into the car, also tore up the radiator! LOL Towing it, was not easy because you have to constantly and lightly have the foot ready on the brake, so you don't plow into your friend! "Like Scotty says, DON'T EVER TOW A CAR LIKE THIS!" We were ignorant teens back then! That car was a blast in the Summer!
"The Crazy Days of our Youth"
Yep, AAA is the way to go. Especially Plus or Premier....and I agree, have your local trusted towing company on your phone!!
Great video! AAA is great for towing. I have 100 mile limit for a tow, and I have them tow it to my driveway so I can fix it on my own. They will do it even from an accident.
Hmmm I never knew what those lil covers on the bumper were for haha. Thanks Scotty 👍🏻
It's a recovery hook though, NOT a tow hook. At least mine is, check your owner's manual.
This Scotty man has really really helped us, we should appreciate him for taking his time to teach us and also show us what to do in our cars.
You can tow any vehicle with the wheels on the ground, provided you detach the driveline(s). Wouldn't tow a front wheel drive without a dolly
OMG those images are gold. Whoever does these for you deserves a raise!
Always request a flatbed tow truck!!
That's for sure 👍
Flatbeds are the ONLY kinds of tow trucks I have seen for years. I think it's just easier and safer for everyone today.
Flatbeds aren’t the best for everything, and run a higher risk of damage on some cars. Unless you have experience towing, don’t tell the towing company what to send. Tell them the situation, and they’ll send the truck that will best handle the situation. You don’t march into the kitchen at a restaurant and tell them how to make your food, so don’t do it to your tow driver.
Europian Enthusiast Even if the dispatcher doesn’t, the driver should know if he can’t do it. If I get a call for an R8 with 4 flats, I don’t care what dispatch says, that needs to go on a flatbed. If it can’t go into neutral or is in a tight parking lot, the FB guys know to send it to us wheel lifts. Dispatchers are almost always useless, but the drivers know what they’re doing.
I was told the "tow hooks" on my 1998 Toyota Camry are just tie down points for the car delivery truck and not to be used for towing. I never did figure out where I was supposed to tie off to if I ever had to call a friend to get pulled out of the mud. Fortunately I only got the car stuck once, it was in the snow and no tow rope was needed.
Thank you for uploading the video, sir. Was waiting for your video.
Watching Scotty talk about problems with cars I'll never drive or own.. because I've been to the end of the internet, and this is as good as it gets, folks.. thnx, Scotty c):~)
codypendant1 some of the information in this one is incorrect. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
Newfie-Dean .. I dunno. Those are good questions.. these are cars I'll never drive.. here's what I go with, generally: if it's a stick, put it in neutral, tie the steering wheel if you have, too.. if it's an automatic, drop the driveshaft, or turn key on and put in neutral. A lot of this depends on how far yer going. I live out in the country, and strategies vary. I also have AAA, and USRider if I'm hauling horses ( AAA on steroids). I rented a car hauler to haul my p/u across states. .. my one takeaway from this was the flap removal to screw the tow hitch in, lol... I know if you sit in the bed of a p/u, the bed heats up especially on the highway... removing a serpentine belt is easy enuff if that's a factor... a front wheel drive might be prone to circulating transmission oil thru the radiator on certain models? I really don't know.. good food for thought you brought up, tho.. I just like watching Scotty blow his lid and it's not political... c):~)
codypendant1 yeah I like watching the videos too but I hate the misleading info in some of these videos. Scotty often makes blanket statements encompassing all cars when they all have different design features. For a Honda CRV AWD with an auto Honda tells you that you can tow it on all 4 wheels at highway speeds no greater than 65 mph. Yet Scotty says you can’t do that. You really need to refer to your owner’s manual to know. These days all I see for tow trucks are flat bed ones. I see it so many times that someone asks a question regarding a transmission shift issue and Scotty instantly says your transmission is worn and needs to be replaced. That is another crazy blanket statement. I had a shift issue on a Mustang GT and it seemed like it was an internal issue but it ended up being a short in my engine fuse box that was affecting the voltage signal sent to the computer for the transmission. These days you can have electrical issues that can make your vehicle act as though there is something mechanically wrong with it. I was reading a few months back how a bad electrical ground can wear out your wheel bearings! There’s so much stuff that can go on with a vehicle and sometimes what you think is a cut and dry solution turns out to be a nightmare to diagnose. I have driven a lot of Fords and put a lot of miles on them (400,000 miles on one) and I have never had a transmission go out on me. Yet Scotty talks as though transmissions go out routinely and that is not the case.
Newfie-Dean .. the complexities of modern vehicles are quite frustrating for a shade tree mechanic, and then there's the issue of trying to find an honest mechanic... I have to agree with you, in that I have never heard of any transmissions, or head gaskets for that matter, being ruined by towing responsibly, or even irresponsibly, now that I think about it.. I don't own one, but Mustangs are my favorite classic car ( I do wish the side view mirrors were a bit larger, my only complaint), but I do own 8-9 real mustangs. You definitely brought up a lot to ponder. Thnx
Ok you discussed towing cars with automatic transmissions but what about manual transmissions?
Manual transmissions rely on a splash lube system, not an engine driven pump like an automatic. In a perfect world you still pull by the drive wheels but it's not necessary on a stick.
Scotties words of wisdom....great video.
I got a AWD. I not needed a tow but now I know I have to get a flatbed tow truck if I need it.
neftv1 Some of the information in this one is incorrect. How is transmission fluid going through the transmission cooler on the radiator if there’s no pump working to move fluid with the car off and being towed? Also, how do you blow the head gasket? The car engine is off so the water pump is not circulating fluid as it needs to be driven by the serpentine belt in order to circulate the fluid. So how can hot coolant get inside the engine to blow the head gasket? The thermostat is even closed on a cold engine which prevents any circulation of coolant through the radiator. Even if it was possible to have an overheated radiator in this situation, which it’s not, there is air movement past the radiator while the car is towed which works to cool the radiator off just as the cooling fan does when it’s running when a car is parked and idling. There’s also airflow beneath the car that would help dissipate heat from the transmission through convection heat transfer. This logic makes no sense at all. If anything it sounds like a case of a Subaru that broke down due to a head gasket failure and then they towed it and ruined the transmission by overheating it from a lack of lubrication and overheated transmission fluid caused by the moving torque converter. There’s no way that towing the vehicle blew the head gasket...
Often those older tow hooks on the Japanese cars were not actually there to be tow hooks, but were there to tie it down in shipping on the boat.
Correct. Also for tying down on top of a flatbed tow truck.
Y’all are out of your minds.
AAA is awesome and I suggest everyone has them. I drive an older car where reliability isn't the best and they have pulled me out of many jams
The 2021 Toyota will have tractor beams as standard equipment.
It will be called a Scotty.
You’re talking about a rollback wrecker. They do great for what they were designed to do. Ram trucks have a full neutral so they can be towed. As always, great video
AAA IS THE BEST HIGHLY RECOMMEND AND CAN ALWAYS REQUEST A FLAT BED
I've used three tows in about 12 years. Always great service!
I pay extra for the highest package since I travel a fair amount I like having the extra tow miles.
Scotty, having done roadside assistance for the CAA I have towed a lot of cars. I need to point out though, that what you referred to as "Tow Hooks" on the Toyota are not that. They are tie downs for when the car is being transported. The other "Tow hook" is a recovery attachment that should never be used for towing, but for when the vehicle needs to be winched, like out of a ditch or moved to be properly loaded onto the tow truck. Also, I would advise against towing cars backwards, the aerodynamics of today's cars are finely tuned, it's ok if you're doing a short hop, but once you get up to highway speeds, things have a tendency of flying off, mirrors and tonneau covers especially. Use a flatbed of dolly wheels if you're transporting a rear wheel drive car over a distance. In Canada, the CAA charges about $150.00 for their premier package that gets you 5 service calls - anything from fuel delivery, if you run out of gas, battery service, tire changing, or towing up to 200 kms; that's 1000 total towed kms! It's the best insurance you can get, considering that just a hook up is about $150.00 in Toronto plus mileage to the shop. Not sure what AAA charges, but I bet it's similar.
Don't laugh, but I always wondered what that little square thing was for on the front pumper! I'm 38yrs old and I didn't know that's where you put the two hook!!🤣😂🤣
Not to pick on you Bennie but that's one reason why everybody should read the owner's manual ASAP.
Been saying this for years! Thanks Scotty
Thanks Scotty, great advice. I did not know alot about this topic.
Been with AAA FOR years excellent never issues
Hey Scotty, next time when you quote AAA put an "Anti Aircraft Artillery" picture!!!
There's no such thing as anti aircraft artillery. Artillery is used against ground targets. The term you are looking for is anti aircraft guns.
Are u sure? Google it and see yourself!
@@MrRathel
That's just what I thought. It seems like it could cause problems in communication in a battlefield. You don't want to accidentally deploy your AA guns when you meant field artillery, or vice versa. And if you call them both "artillery" there is a much greater risk of that happening.
@@mattr2238 Uhh, yes there is such a thing as Anti-aircraft Artillery.
Never seen a war movie or anything where a pilot says "Hey, watch out for that triple A"
They call them AA guns.
Great to know!! I just got my Rav4 3 months again. Don't need anyting going bad on it
Great information Scotty, didn't know all of that about towing, thanks great profesor.😀✌
I always thought putting a car in neutral was good enough, thank you for the info.
It is, neutral won’t hurt anything and the transmission isn’t spinning. Idk why he didn’t mention that. Maybe he’s taking about people putting it in drive? Idk
Hey Scotty quick question, how do I keep the front wheels straight if I tow a rear wheel vehicle? Not sure if they'd stay straight on their own?? Or if the wheel will lock up in the "straight" position? Thanks Man your the best!
I think the "tow hooks" on some cars are really just meant for tying the car down during transport. I know the one on my neighbors Honda didn't hold up to a very gentle tug out of the snow. I'm sure glad I wasn't the one who hooked it up.
Hook me up with the "good" two for one, Scotty! Lol. Great video!
I call bs on the subaru story. If the engine isn't running the trans isn't pumping fluid just like scotty said, so it isn't going to make it's way to the trans cooler in the radiator. And even if the trans cooler was getting hot fluid, the car is being towed so there's air passing through the radiator like normal which would cool the fluid.
@Joaquin Valadez it wouldn't be as much air flow as normal but definitely enough for the tiny trans cooler.
@Joaquin Valadez whoa acid man
thanks for the knowledge man! I really appreciate it!
In all honesty all the information about towing your vehicle is in the drivers hand book that comes with the car when you buy it. It is normally the book in the glove box that you always mean to read but never get around to! If its missing your dealer will supply you a copy or most manufacturers have 'pdf' versions on their web sites where you can download it for FREE !.
This video by Scotty really is just the hand book information, that you should have read anyway. Perhaps seeing it here will make you think about the perils of this, should you ever be in the unfortunate position of needing to tow a non running car any distance in excesses of a few yards.
@@alancoomes2797 Thanks for the insight! I did not know that, I will have to check that out
A lot of them towing hooks like on the Lexus are reverse thread, especially on Ford's. In layman's terms, anti-clockwise to tighten the hook.
Depends how many miles an all wheel drive was towed.. Local close by is OK in neutral but forget about any distance.
Edward Anthony not true.
@@Mr666Rev give an example.
Edward Anthony I don’t have time to explain to you how an automatic transmission works.
Just know that I’m a professional tow operator, and I probably know quite a bit more about safely towing than you do.
Edward Anthony the short version is that you cannot disconnect the front and rear wheels from each other in an AWD system, or from the transmission by simply putting the trans in neutral. You’d still be turning the transmission internals without proper lubrication. But don’t take my word for it.
Do whatever you like.
HMU when you need a tow.
@@Mr666Rev No doubt.
Thanks Scotty. I just got a 4W drive and I didn't know how to tow it if I needed to.
I towed a Talon with a Z28.
No ragrets
you mean regurts?
@@tommyg.6977 tattoos are nasty.
Want a snickers bar?
In my experience in recent years U-Haul has been very good about making sure you know how to put your vehicle on the tow-dolly. They also check what you are towing to make sure it is within the weight limits and check your tow vehicle to be sure you can handle it (although they tend to mess that up at times - my 1 ton van will easily handle the same towing capacity as a 1 ton pickup). They look it all up in their database and make sure it's going to work.
That may not be true for every U-haul operator, but the ones I've dealt with have been good.
good info scotty.. BTW, why don't you clean up your garage/yard?
Scotty treats it like his motor. Never clean it or it might break?
a dirty garage is the sign of a clean mind!
Hey thanks so much! I always come across people needing to be pulled out and I always find the recovering point in trucks and stuff but never on a sedan. I felt so bad after not being able to help a girl today for my lack of knowledge. This is the only video after an hour that explained where the recovery point is! Also watched the whole video and got a lot of knowledge
1:56 FO NOT EVER DO THAT. Thats insanely dangerous if the wheel turns even slightly itll shift a lot of weight and be dangerous. Just get a traiker like a full size one u can put all 4 on.
No if the wheels turn and it's rwd it's will turn a bit side ways you can see it take a string tie the steering to the door simple auto towing
Disconnect the rear driveshaft on a Subaru to tow it with a car dolly, towed mine 2000 miles with 0 issues
flyboynextdoor yea and don't drive it you'll never need to replace the head gasket...
towwed it farther than it was ever driven
Wow. Never thought of that. Thanx for telling us Scotty. It is greatly appreciated
Many thanks to Scotty Kilmer
I once had a tow driver pull my car from the rear SHOCKS
I'll bet that he was the cheapest guy in town too. Remember, you get what you pay for.
Donald Parker he was referred by AAA. They quickly covered the damages.