Does towing a car long distance do any damage?

Barr

I'm talking about the car doing the towing. Car will be towing another from Cork to Dublin.Will it cause any ill effects suspension or engine wise ?
or is it similar to towing a trailer.

JohnDigital

It depends on what car is doing the towing. A 1.0l Micra isn't going to last the pace towing a 5 series BMW. So can you elaborate somewhat on the cars in question?

I would have though that when you take into account the cost of petrol and time to do the job that getting it towed professionally mightn't be all that much more expensive. Also think of the inconvenience to other road users of you moving all that distance at a slow speed.

You could also check whether the insurance that you have on the car has breakdown cover which might cover it. Long shot but worth checking.

beachlife

Barr wrote: »

I'm talking about the car doing the towing. Car will be towing another from Cork to Dublin.Will it cause any ill effects suspension or engine wise ?
or is it similar to towing a trailer.

do you have a tow bar(steel with springs) or tow rope(bad idea)? you can't tow an automatic

BeardyGit

Would you not hire a transporter trailer? €50-70, a whole lot safer and more comfortable altogether. IMHO, towing a car for that distance on the road is a bit silly and a whole lot dangerous.

DanGerMus

As far as i know it's illegal to tow a car with a rope now and especially good chance of being caught on the motor way i'd imagine. Even with a trailer the car doing the towing has to be legally able to tow the weight.

trad

If it's a flat tow (4 wheels on the ground) some gearboxes require the engine running to lubricate the gearbox. If it's a suspended tow (2 wheels off the ground) always lift the drive wheels. If you are leaving the front wheels only on the ground make sure the steering is locked. If the car is automatic do not leave the driving wheels on the ground for a long distance, this will damage your gearbox.

If it is 4wd it may not be possible to do a suspended tow depending on the transmission type.

Best bet is to put it on a trailer.

slimjimmc

Gil_Dub wrote: »

Would you not hire a transporter trailer? €50-70, a whole lot safer and more comfortable altogether. IMHO, towing a car for that distance on the road is a bit silly and a whole lot dangerous.

+1
A trailer would save you from the high risk of rear ending the towing car plus you can drive on motorways which you wouldn't able to do if just towing. The driver towing the trailer must have at least an EB license (trailer > 750kg) and make sure the rated towing weight of vehicle doing the towing is large enough (not sure of the limits but it was mentioned on Boards.ie recently).

Barr

Some anwsers to the above questions

Its a metal bar that will be used not a tow rope. The car doing the towing is a 1.6cc A4 towing a Peug 306.
It will be a flat tow.
Im just concerned that I dont labour the engine or suspension in the Audi to much. Im guessing its the same as pulling a heavy trailer on the towbar?

Zonda999

Barr wrote: »

Some anwsers to the above questions

Its a metal bar that will be used not a tow rope. The car doing the towing is a 1.6cc A4 towing a Peug 306.
It will be a flat tow.
Im just concerned that I dont labour the engine or suspension in the Audi to much. Im guessing its the same as pulling a heavy trailer on the towbar?

1.6cc, as in a cabrio A4?. Didnt think they came in 1.6

Anyway, look up your handbook, it should give your max allowable towing weights. Does'nt sounds like an ideal vehicle for towing tbh, especially not a very long tow. Would put a fair bit of strain on the clutch i imagine. Ideally, you'd want a diesel vehicle, and a trailer

1.6cc as in 1600cc I imagine he means.

Zonda999

RoverJames wrote: »

1.6cc as in 1600cc I imagine he means.

LOL, that would explain it nicely:o

Still doesnt make it much of a tow car though! I imagine a 307 would be right on the limit of what i can take, according to the handbook, probably. A 307 is prob around 1200kg

sdanseo

Zonda999 wrote: »

LOL, that would explain it nicely:o

Still doesnt make it much of a tow car though! I imagine a 307 would be right on the limit of what i can take, according to the handbook, probably. A 307 is prob around 12200kg

A 12.2 ton car? :P

1220kg, probs.

Zonda999

sdonn wrote: »

A 12.2 ton car? :P

1220kg, probs.

Duly fixed!:o