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Best practices for towing a Prius?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by sdp40f500, Nov 1, 2007.

  1. sdp40f500

    sdp40f500 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2007
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    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    OK, call it the German in me, but I'm trying to plan ahead for the possibility that some day my 2008 Prius will need to take a ride on a tow truck. Reading the manual, I'm told not to tow it with a "sling-type truck" (apparently due to clearance issues and possible body damage), but it's OK to tow with a wheel-lift type truck (one accompanying diagram shows just the front wheels off the ground, the next shows towing from the back with the back wheels up and the fronts wheels on a wheel dolly). On the next page, I'm told "To prevent causing serious damage to the transmission, never tow this vehicle with any of the wheels in contact with the ground," which kind of contradicts using a wheel-lift type truck on a forward-facing tow. That leaves a flat bed truck.

    So, your dashboard is lit up like a Christmas tree and it looks like you'll need a tow. You call AAA and tell them ... what? You have a Prius, nudge-nudge wink-wink? You definitely need a flat bed? Have the driver bring his dolly (do tow trucks even carry such things routinely)?

    Having read other posts about cars getting towed has made me a bit paranoid, and it doesn't help that the manual wasn't written by a native English speaker! B)

    Thanks.

    Jim
     
    #1 sdp40f500, Nov 1, 2007
  2. Ichabod

    Ichabod Artist In Residence

    Joined:
    Jul 21, 2006
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    Location:
    Newton, MA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    The manual is unclear about it, but basically it's not anything new. The transmission is essentially always "in gear" so you can't tow with the front wheels down. The rear wheels are held tight by the parking brake (you do use the parking brake, right?! ;) ). So as long as the front wheels are up and the parking brake is released, towing is fine. I don't know about your area, but I haven't seen a sling-style tow truck in years, so I don't worry about that.

    I had my Prius towed not too long ago, but not because it broke down :angry: ... grumble grumble... stupid NYC and their stupid ever-vigilant parking cops... :rolleyes: Anyway, the Prius was not hideously deformed by that, so don't worry about it!
     
    #2 Ichabod, Nov 1, 2007
  3. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 2007
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    Location:
    Flushing, NY
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    And if you're stuck in a deep ditch or something where first you have to be pulled out with a rope or chain, then you'll have to open the trunk, pull out the screw-in towing eye (or whatever you call it), remove the round tow hole cover on the front bumper, and screw in the towing eye.
     
    #3 Boo, Nov 1, 2007
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