POSTED BY: LEN ZAHMEL - ADELAIDE - SA - AUS  2 JUN 2009   PROVIDE FEEDBACK

========== ORIGINAL POSTING ==========
"WARNING SAFETY 0: TOWING IN 5TH GEAR/OVERDRIVE - When you are using your vehicle to tow it is strongly recommended that you do not use 5th gear/overdrive. This goes for both manual & automatic transmissions. You Will eventually destroy your transmission. You will not find this information in your car owner’s manual. I have seen many transmissions destroyed from towing this way."
POSTED BY: LEN ZAHMEL - ADELAIDE, SA - AUS 31 JAN 2009

========== REPLY ==========
What exactly wears out in a gearbox or transmission, when towing in 5th or overdrive? I have never had this experience. Is this your personal opinion or are you quoting someone?
Mark
POSTED BY: MARK KURAN - MELBOURNE, VIC - AUS 1 FEB 2009

========== REPLY ==========
The last 3 vehicles I have owned, 2000 Toyota Prado - 2004 BA Falcon - and a 2008 Toyota Kluger. The manuals all recommend not to tow in overdrive.
POSTED BY: E SORRENSON - SYDNEY, NSW - AUS 3 FEB 2009

========== REPLY ==========
Do the manuals say why you should not tow in 5th or overdrive?
POSTED BY: MARK KURAN - MELBOURNE, VIC - AUS 4 FEB 2009

========== REPLY ==========
Let me get this right here Len. You say that when towing in 5th/overdrive you are applying power through the gears and they will eventually break destroying the rest of the transmission. In the other 4 speeds is power is not going through the gears? Does this mean that my Mazda E2000 van with 520,000kms and mostly driven in 5th gear with over a ton in it is going to break its gearbox? Good thing that you are not my mechanic.
POSTED BY: MARK KURAN - MELBOURNE, VIC - AUS 7 FEB 2009