Front towing eye
The towing eye is located at the front right under the bumper.
Rear towing eye
The rear towing eye is located on the right side of the rear bumper and is covered by a cover. Fold the cover down to access the lug. After towing is completed, lift the cover - it should lock into place.
General instructions
Connect the tow rope to these eyelets only.
The tow rope must be elastic to protect both vehicles from hard jerks. Use a rope made of synthetic or similar material. It is safer, however, to use a tow bar (rigid hitch)! When towing, always make sure that unacceptable pulling forces and shock loads are not generated. When towing off-road, there is always a risk of overloading and damage to body parts.
Before towing the engine, always use another vehicle's battery start if possible - see previous chapter.
When towing, consider the following:
- Follow the rules of the road for towing.
- Both drivers must be familiar with the handling of the vehicle when towing.
- When using a tow rope, the driver of the towing vehicle must apply the clutch particularly gently.
- The driver of the towed vehicle must monitor the constant tension of the cable, slowing down in a timely manner if the cable begins to sag.
- Both vehicles must have hazard warning lights on and the towing vehicle must have low beam headlights.
- If the vehicle is being towed, it is recommended that the ignition be turned on to unlock the steering wheel and to operate the direction indicators and windscreen wipers.
- Since the brake booster is only active when the engine is running, the brake pedal must be pressed harder than normal when the vehicle is being towed.
- In vehicles with power steering, when the engine is not running, more force must be applied to turn the steering wheel.
- If there is no oil in the gearbox, the vehicle may only be towed with the drive wheels raised.
Towing to start the engine (including and all-wheel drive vehicles)
When starting the engine by towing, consider the following:
- Engage second or third gear before towing.
- Turn on the ignition.
- As soon as the engine starts, press the clutch and shift out of gear to avoid hitting the towing vehicle.
- Vehicles with a catalytic converter in the exhaust system must not be towed at a distance of more than 50 m (this does not apply to 55 kW diesel engines) - otherwise, unburned fuel, getting into the catalyst, may damage it.
- Starting the engine by towing on a vehicle with automatic transmission is not possible for technical reasons!
Towing a car with automatic transmission
When towing a vehicle with an automatic transmission, in addition to the above, the following must be observed:
- Set the selector lever to position "N"
- When towing, do not exceed 50 km/h!
- The maximum towing distance is 50 km!
- When towing a longer distance, the drive wheels (car front) must be raised above the ground.
Cause: When the engine is not running, the automatic transmission pump does not work, so the transmission is not sufficiently lubricated, and may fail if driven for a long time.
- If the rear axle is damaged, the car must not be towed in reverse with only the rear axle lifted - in this case, the car must be completely submerged on the platform.
Cause: When driving in reverse, the drive shafts rotate in the opposite direction, while the planetary gears of the automatic transmission reducer reach such a speed that the transmission fails in a short time.
Towing a four-wheel drive car (Syncro)
The car can be towed like a Volkswagen Passat with two-wheel drive.
The vehicle can be towed with the front or rear axle raised. If the vehicle must be towed with the rear axle raised (in reverse), and the rear wheels are blocked due to an accident or breakdown, you should make sure that the free play of the rear axle is not blocked by the all-wheel drive clutch. To remove the lock, you need to switch to first gear for a short time with the ignition on, and then again move the lever to the neutral position.
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