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Tow truck hire charge?

Posted:
Thu Mar 09, 2006 3:05 pm
by CJ
Anyone know how much renting a tow truck costs these days? I was thinking about being stranded with the Tiptronic, IIRC, you can screw up the box if the car being towed is an auto (need to do more reserarch on that one)
I imagine that the annual cost of AA membership is less than the cost of hiring out a tow truck one time only, I gave the AA money for nothing for a few years and havn't renewed in some time, might consider it this year.
CJ

Posted:
Thu Mar 09, 2006 3:15 pm
by Mustang
Surely if the car is in neutral, then there is no potential for damage.
Are you saying that if the box dies, you may not be able to select neutral?

Posted:
Thu Mar 09, 2006 3:36 pm
by CJ
Mustang wrote:Surely if the car is in neutral, then there is no potential for damage.
I wouldn't be so sure of that, when towing an auto car that has its driven wheels on the ground, the drive shaft will turn the output shaft, which will rotate some of the gearbox componants. There will be no lube to any of these parts since the ATF pump is driven by the T/C. I've heard that as long as you keep the towing speed under 30mph, you should be fine but I don't know if I would want to chance it, this one needs more research methinks.
CJ

Posted:
Thu Mar 09, 2006 4:35 pm
by soc
When the tip box on my GR went I called the AA out (thankfully I was a member a the time) - they specifically asked was my car an auto and as a result sent out a tow truck which picks the car up by the front wheels - the guy that came out said they can't tow auto's with the front wheels on the ground cause it will wreck the box (if it ain't already bust

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Posted:
Thu Mar 09, 2006 11:22 pm
by ikeane
You could always get a truck that actually carries the car rather than towing it...?

Posted:
Thu Mar 09, 2006 11:38 pm
by saoirse32
yeah they usuallu pick it up, but when somebody tried to nick my car gannons took it to their pound, cost me 100 to get it back,
and i noticed 2 weeks later there was 2 little chips and dints with oil on them either side of my car where they must of thrown the hooks over or sumthin.
nothing i could do cause i left it so late.....