It’s always a painful task to have your car towed. The fact that your car has broken down in the middle of nowhere is annoying enough, but things might get even worse — your car could end up being significantly damaged throughout the towing procedure.
Not everyone realizes that hauling a broken-down vehicle can result in further damage in addition to the original problem. As a result, you should take the time to make some modifications to your vehicle to guarantee that it is safe to tow, or else you risk causing extra damage.
Check out these seven tips to prevent your vehicle from being damaged while being towed
1. Release the emergency brake
Applying the emergency brake is a natural action of parking a car for many people, even if it breaks down. Unfortunately, if you or the tow truck driver forgets to release the brake before leaving, the vehicle’s brake system may be damaged. This is very dangerous when using a standard tow, as two wheels stay on the road. Place the vehicle in neutral and remove the parking brake as soon as the tow truck arrives on the place and is ready to load. You’re ready to proceed with a tow on two wheels at this point.
If your car is being towed on a flatbed tow truck, you don’t have to worry about the brakes during the tow, but you must make sure the emergency brake is turned off while the car is being put onto the truck.
2. Roll Up Windows
One thing people often forget before a tow is to roll up the windows of the vehicle. By winding up all the windows during the tow, you can eliminate the risk of debris and dust being kicked up from the tow truck wheels and into the vehicle.
3. Take Photographs
Before you allow the tow truck to carry away your vehicle, look into the vehicle thoroughly to make sure everything is properly positioned. We are aware that you are not an expert. If something looks odd to you, click a few pictures with your mobile or camera. So that, in case your vehicle gets damaged, you will be able to produce those pictures as evidence.
4. Always hire an experienced company
First and foremost, if you select a skilled and experienced towing firm for your job, you won’t have to worry about potential vehicle damage during towing. Yes! We understand that researching a company’s reputation while calling them for an emergency service is not always possible. You should, however, be aware of a reputable towing company in your neighbourhood in case you require their services in the future.
5. Understanding your vehicle’s drive wheel type
Know If You Have a Two-Wheel or All-Wheel-Drive vehicle during towing service. In case of a two-wheel-drive the engine powers only the pair of frontal wheels. On the other hand, an all-wheel-drive equally distributes power from the engine into all four wheels. From the driver’s manual you can know your vehicle’s drive type.
Some examples of two-wheel drives are compact cars, minivans, and sedans. While SUVs and pick-up trucks are usually all-wheel-drive.
6. Put Car in Neutral
From our experience we always recommend putting the car in neutral mode. When you put the car in neutral mode no gear is involved in the car. Thus power will not be transferred from the engine to the wheels. Apart from that, don’t put the car in “Park” and activate the emergency brake. These steps will ensure potential safety of the transmission and wheel mechanisms while the vehicle is being towed.
7. Steering Lock
Another vital step to take when towing your car to check is the car’s steering lock. If your car’s steering wheel locks automatically when the key isn’t in the ignition, it’s best to flat tow it with the key in the ignition and set it to ‘Acc’. If the wheel remains locked, the wheels will not turn in the same direction as the tow car.
This will cause your tires to scuff up against the road, reducing their life significantly. The pulled automobile is similar to a caster-wheeled shopping cart. When the cart is pushed to the left, the wheels automatically move to the left, and when the cart is pushed straight, the wheels turn straight.
Conclusion-
We completely feel you when your car needs to be towed that can come with some risks. It’s understood that you are already into a mess. Don’t worsen the situation by having it towed naively. While the risks associated with towing are real, they’re not unavoidable.
Because a wrong step may further cause damage to your vehicle. Take the charge by yourself instead of relying on the tow-truck driver blindly. And to be safer, you can also get your vehicle covered from a good tow truck insurance agency in your city.
By adopting those measures mentioned above you can minimize those associated risks. In addition to that, your car’s owner’s manual will always give specific towing instructions to the make for that particular model.