Automatic transmissions have become incredibly popular among motorists and automakers in recent years because of their simplicity and convenience. At the same time drivers, who changed to “automatic” often forget a few simple, but very important rules. Their systematic violation leads to automatic transmission failure and imposes on the motorist an expensive repair.
Long distance
In the old manuals of cars with automatic transmission stated that they can not tow more than 50 km. Today, the situation in this regard has become even more complicated for motorists – the recommended distance has been reduced even further. The main reason for this technical requirement lies in the peculiarities of the automatic transmission device. Recall that the pump, which supplies fluid to the box parts, is driven by the output shaft of the car. Thus, when the engine does not work – the pump does not work either, which means there is no sufficient supply of the lubricant into the box. Theoretically, you could safely tow a car with a running engine, but situations where the engine can run and the car can’t drive are exceptionally rare.
High Speed
Not only should a car with an automatic transmission not be towed for long distances. It’s also not worth towing at high speeds. The reason here is all the same: when the motor is not running, the shaft does not rotate, and therefore the box pump does not work either. In this connection, the manufacturers strongly recommend not just to observe the speed limit. They advise not to tow cars with automatic transmission at speeds over 50 km/h. Otherwise, the wear of transmission parts will increase dozens of times. 3.
Towing other cars
Of course, a car with an automatic transmission, like any other car, can act as a tow vehicle. However, if possible, this practice is recommended to avoid. If you do not have a choice, it is better to follow a few simple rules. Firstly, acceleration should be as smooth as possible. Secondly, it is necessary to limit the use of higher gears, and on the highway makes sense to fix an intermediate gear and go as much as possible without switching. Thirdly, the driven car should be lighter than the driven one. If you have been towing for a long time, it is worth changing the working fluid in the gearbox.