Towing an automatic car: towing options, a flat battery and alternatives to a bump start

• The lowest risk is transport on a flatbed recovery truck with all wheels off the road. For all-wheel drive, hybrids, electric cars and any suspected gearbox fault, it is the default solution.
• Towing on a rope or tow pole is only an option if the owner's manual for your car explicitly allows it. Take the speed, distance and selector position from there and nowhere else. Simply selecting N is not enough.
• You cannot start an automatic by pushing or towing it. With a flat 12V battery, jump leads, a jump starter or a breakdown service will help.
• Do not force a car stuck in P or an electric parking brake by pulling it. Restoring power, the emergency release described in the manual or wheel dollies under the wheels will help.

Towing an automatic differs from towing a manual in two ways. An automatic cannot be bump started, and its gearbox can be damaged when towed, because on many types lubrication is not guaranteed without the engine running. Usually one of two things has happened: either the car has a flat battery, or it has broken down and needs to go to a garage. In both cases, the wrong approach can turn a cheap fault into an expensive gearbox repair. How to move the car also depends on the drivetrain, the type of gear selector and the parking brake, so what worked for an older car may not apply to a newer one. Everyday operation of an automatic is covered in our article on how to drive an automatic.

If the car has stopped somewhere dangerous, the safety of the occupants comes first. Put off any technical attempts in the middle of traffic and call for help from a safe place.

Tell the breakdown service straight away:

• the make, model and approximate year of manufacture;
• that it is an automatic, and whether the car has all-wheel drive or a hybrid or electric powertrain;
• whether the ignition can be switched on, N selected and the parking brake released;
• whether the steering and brakes work and whether the wheels can turn;
• whether there was a gearbox warning, a bang or a fluid leak before the car stopped;
• whether the car is in an underground car park, on a slope or somewhere else that is hard to reach.

Based on this information, the service will send the right equipment. A flatbed alone will not solve loading a car with locked wheels or getting it out of a low car park.

On a conventional torque converter automatic, the gearbox oil pump is driven by the engine. While the engine is not running, there is no pressure in the gearbox, the clutches do not engage and the turning of the wheels is not transmitted to the engine. A dual-clutch gearbox is controlled by a control unit that will not engage the clutches without power. A full hybrid starts its combustion engine with an electric motor, so pushing it makes no sense at all.

Selecting D and being towed by another car is therefore no substitute for the starter motor. You can damage the gearbox and, with no brake servo or power steering, lose control of the car. Rolling the car down a hill and selecting a drive position while moving is just as bad an idea.

Jump leads will not solve a faulty starter motor or a fault in the engine or fuel system. If the engine turns over normally but does not fire, the car belongs on a flatbed and in a garage.

What to use instead of a bump start when the battery is flat

If a weak 12V battery is the cause, jump leads from another car or a portable jump starter will help. The connection points are specified in the owner's manual. On modern cars, they are often not the two battery terminals but jump-start points under the bonnet, especially if the battery is in the boot or under a seat.

The usual procedure with jump leads:

1. Secure both cars (P and the parking brake) and switch off any electrical equipment you do not need.
2. Use the red lead to connect the positive terminal of the flat battery to the positive terminal of the donor car.
3. Connect the black lead to the negative terminal of the donor car and then to the earth point on the receiving car specified by the manufacturer, not directly to the negative terminal of the flat battery.
4. Start the donor car, let it run for a few minutes and only then start the car with the flat battery.
5. Disconnect the leads in reverse order. Stop if you see smoke or unusual heating.

Do not try to revive a damaged, leaking or frozen battery this way. Reversed polarity will damage the electronics, and a spark near the battery can ignite escaping gases.

On a hybrid or electric car, restoring power from the 12V battery makes it possible to start up the systems and unlock the car. It does not charge the traction battery, though. Do not use a hybrid or electric car to jump start another car unless its owner's manual explicitly allows it.

A rope or tow pole is not always ruled out for an automatic. Whether it is allowed, the maximum speed, the distance and any other conditions must, however, come from the owner's manual for your version of the car. Without this information, choose a flatbed.

When a car is towed, parts of the gearbox turn even though the oil pump is not working with the engine off. N only interrupts the transmission of drive; it does not provide lubrication. That is why manufacturers that allow towing specify a low speed and a short distance. The figures vary between models.

Even common used cars differ. The Škoda Octavia III Estate 1.4 TSI 110 kW automatic (2017) has a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, as does the front-wheel-drive Hyundai Tucson III 1.6 T-GDi 177 PS after the 2018 facelift. The BMW 320d Touring F31 was offered from its launch in 2012 with an eight-speed torque converter automatic. The first-generation Mazda CX-5 diesel (2014 model year) used a six-speed SKYACTIV-Drive automatic. The Toyota Yaris III Hybrid (built from 2012 as part of the 2011–2020 generation) has an e-CVT. So do not apply the towing conditions for one of these cars to another.

Where the manufacturer allows towing, its conditions usually specify:

• the selector position and the ignition status;
• the maximum speed and total distance;
• any requirement for the engine to be running;
• the direction of towing and which axle may stay on the road.

Unlike a rope, a tow pole keeps a constant distance between the cars. It does not remove the gearbox's limitations, though. Without the engine running, there is also no power assistance, so the brakes need much more effort and the steering becomes heavy. A car with faulty brakes or steering always belongs on a recovery truck.

A flatbed is the right choice if you do not know the cause of the breakdown, you have no manufacturer's procedure for towing, or the gearbox was misbehaving before the car stopped. With an oil leak or mechanical damage, every further turn of the gearbox increases the risk of consequential damage.

With all-wheel drive, lifting one axle is not enough. The wheels on the road keep turning the connected parts of the drivetrain, including the gearbox. Transport with one axle on the ground is only an option if the manufacturer explicitly allows it.

Hybrids and electric cars also belong on a flatbed with all wheels off the road, because turning the wheels spins the electric motor. An electric car has no conventional gearbox, but its drivetrain has its own towing restrictions. Permission to move the car a short distance while loading does not mean permission to tow it along the road. Why an electric car has no conventional gearbox is explained in our article do electric cars have a gearbox, and how all-wheel drive is connected in how 4x4 works.

P mechanically locks the gearbox output, so the driven wheels cannot turn. On many cars, it cannot be released without power. Cars with a conventional selector lever usually have an emergency release directly at the lever, typically under a small cover, and the procedure is described in the manual. Cars with an electronic selector (buttons, a rotary dial) mostly need power or a workshop.

Before releasing P, secure the car with the parking brake and wheel chocks. Once released, it may start to roll, especially on a slope. During loading, the movement of the car must be controlled by the recovery service.

Depending on how the car is built, proceed as follows:

• Mechanical emergency release: use only the release and procedure from the manual; do not force the selector.
• Electronic selector: after connecting a jump starter, N can usually be selected. Some cars, however, automatically return to P when the ignition is switched off or a door is opened.
• Electric parking brake: releasing P does not release it. These are two separate obstacles, and both need power or the emergency procedure from the manual.
• If it cannot be released: the recovery service will put wheel dollies under the locked wheels so they are not dragged along the ground.

The most expensive mistakes usually happen when trying to save the cost of calling out a recovery service:

• Towing the car just because N can be selected. The same goes for borrowing speed and distance limits from another car. Not even the same make and a similar selector guarantee the same rules.
• Towing the car in P or with the wheels braked. This risks destroying the parking pawl in the gearbox, as well as the tyres and brakes.
• Treating the emergency release of P as a repair. The car is then left without its normal protection against rolling, and that does not make towing permissible.
• Driving on after a jump start when the gearbox is reporting a fault. A warning on the display, harsh shifts or a fluid leak mean a trip on a flatbed, not under the car's own power.
• Repeatedly trying to start with a partly charged battery. At low voltage, the gearbox electronics may store faults or go into limp mode.

A tow because of the gearbox often starts with a used car that already had problems when it was bought. Carvago reduces this risk before you pay for the car:

• CarAudit™: before sale, a technician checks every car against up to 270 checkpoints, including diagnostics and a test drive. You know the result before deciding to buy the car, and you do not have to guess the condition of the gearbox from a short drive.
• Condition guarantee: Carvago guarantees the condition of the car stated in the CarAudit™ certificate.
• Extended warranty: Carvago provides it free of charge with every car.
• Carvago Blacklist: Carvago does not include problematic models in its offer at all.

Where do you attach a tow rope or tow pole?

Only to the towing point specified by the manufacturer. This is usually a screw-in towing eye, kept in the boot with the tool kit or spare wheel, which screws into a threaded socket behind a cover in the bumper. Suspension components, the bumper or any other part of the chassis are no substitute for the towing eye.

What if the car is in a low underground car park?

Tell the breakdown service the entrance height, the level and how the car can be reached. A recovery truck will usually not fit into the car park, so low-profile recovery equipment is needed, or the car has to be moved on wheel dollies to a place where it can be loaded.

Does the battery need replacing after a jump start?

Not always. A one-off flat battery can be caused by something like lights left on. Repeated problems, however, point to a worn battery, faulty charging or a parasitic drain. Charging with a battery charger and testing the battery and alternator will help. A successful jump start does not reveal the cause.

Can the ignition be off while the car is being towed?

Only if the manual allows it. With the ignition off, the steering lock may stay engaged and an electronic selector may return to P. So do not remove the key while towing unless the manufacturer explicitly allows it.

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