Flat towing a Buick LaCrosse

[wlf00]

My toad is currently a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix that I tow using a Demco Kar-Kaddy SS tow dolly. The Grand Prix is desperately in need of a change. I am considering flat towing a 2011 Buick LaCrosse using a Blue Ox adapter plate, Blue Ox Aventa LX tow bar, and a US Gear Unified Tow Brake.

Has anyone had any experience with any of these and care to share?

Has anyone done their own installation of a Blue Ox adapter plate or US Gear Unified Tow Brake?

Where is a good place to have these installed?

I would be interested in any pros or cons for this setup.

Thanks,

[rv rick]

I am towing a 2010 Lacrosse; love the car and it flat tows great. I used a Roadmaster baseplate and installed it myself (see pictures of the install here). We also use a Brakebuddy and a Roadmaster towbar. I believe the Blueox components will also do a great job.

The car now has 20,000 miles driving on it and about 3,000 towing with no problems.

[Elkhartjim]

I recently installed a Blue Ox baseplate on our 2011 Malibu. I did this at a friends shop and was able to use his lift. Its much easier working standing up rather than laying on the floor and working over your head. He has all the tools including air wrenches which made the job much quicker. The handiest tool was used to remove the plastic push pins. It took approx. 2 hours for the base plate and then almost as much time to install the diode light kit. Good luck.

[wlf00]

I just stopped at the Buick dealer to see the 2012 LaCrosse. I decided that this is the car that I wanted to tow. The 2011 owner's manual stated that it was tow-able without removing any fuses and by just running it some before towing and every so many miles.

I had the salesman get the 2012 owner's manual and it stated the same thing. Except that there was an addendum sheet in the front of the manual stating that it WAS NOT flat tow-able, damage could result, and that it would not be covered under warranty.

Does anyone know what happened here? Have they had problems with the 2011 models? Where can I get the definitive answer?

Thanks,

[wlf00]

I contacted the owner of the Buick dealer and explained what I had seen about not flat towing the Lacrosse as well as what I have learned from another forum about similar situations with the Chevy Cruze and Malibu. He contacted GM and found out that the LaCrosse is flat tow-able when it has the 6 cylinder but not the 4 cylinder and that he can get a letter from GM stating this. I was out of the office when he returned my call. I will post what I find out after I talk to him.

[ditto]

Did you get a response from the dealer?

[rv rick]

My understanding is that the transmission is different in the 4 cylinder model when compared with the V6, which allows the V6 to be towable. I can say that we towed our 2010 LaCrosse with the V6 and 6 speed automatic transmission about 10,000 miles now with no problems at all. These miles are in addition to the 18,000 we have driven in normal operation and we have really enjoyed the car.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wlf00 Has anyone done their own installation of a Blue Ox adapter plate or US Gear Unified Tow Brake?

I use Blue Ox equipment. I also use an SMI Stay-N-Play DUO. I highly recommend both these systems as outstanding.

Quote:

Where is a good place to have these installed?

Find a Blue Ox certified installer on www.blueox.us. You can find a certified SMI installer typically at the same place that the Blue Ox equipment is installed if they carry the brand. IF NOT - I can walk you through the install, I have already written an article about it. Your install would be similar.

I don't particularly care for the cable coming from the unit to the brake pedal via a 90° direction change. The SMI brake cylinder has a cable but it's only 4 inches long and is all located remote from the brake unit which is installed under your hood - out of sight and out of mind. Once you disconnect the umbilical cord the SMI is dead as a door nail. Once connected the system comes on all by itself. I haven't touched the brake equipment for months.

[sturman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ditto Did you get a response from the dealer?

I just purchased the LaCrosse. Chose it for the Flat Tow capability and when I got it home the Supplement admonishing Flat Towing literally fell out of the owners manual. Do you have any contact information at GM that would be helpful? If you do, please post.

[rv rick]

What year and drive train Lacrosse did you get? Our 2010 Lacrosse has the 6T70 transmission (and V6 engine) and we have towed with no problem. Our owner's manual states it is OK to tow 4 wheels down, but according to the recent FMCA tow guide, 2012 Lacrosse models are no longer approved.

[wlf00]

Today I go and pick up my 2012 LaCrosse from the dealer. It has the LFX 3.6L V6 engine and the MH2 (LT70) automatic transmission. My dealer also got a letter from the GM District Sales Manager stating that testing was incomplete at the beginning of the 2012 model year. They have now concluded that the above configuration is flat towable. However, the eAssist 4-cyl with the MHH 6 transmission is not.

The dealer was also to get a letter stating that the car would be covered under the 5 year powertrain warranty when flat towed. But I have not seen that yet.

[wlf00]

There is a GM document #PIP4973A titled "Dingy Towing Quick Reference for 6SP Front Wheel Drive Automatic Transmission for 2011 and 2012 - (Nov 21, 2011)" which provides information on which vehicles with which transmissions are and are not dingy towable. This document supersedes document #PIP4973. Your dealer should be able to get this document.

It basically states that the 2011 and 2012 Buick LaCrosse and Enclave, Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Malibu, and Traverse, and GMC Acadia and Terrain are all dingy towable providing they have the 6T70/75 (RPOs MH2, MH4, MH6, MY9) transmission. 2011 and 2012 Chevrolet Equinox and Malibu, GMC Terrain, and 2012 Chevrolet Sonic are also dingy towable providing they have the 6T30/6T40/6T45 (RPOs MHC, MH7, MH8, MH9) transmission.

The 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse and Regal, Chevrolet Cruze, and 2012 Buick Verano, and Chevrolet Orlando (Canada only) are NOT dingy towable with the 6T30/6T40/6T45 (RPOs MHC, MHH, MH7, MH8, MH9) transmissions.

Notice that you cannot just go by the transmission. Sometimes a given transmissions is dingy towable and sometime not depending on which car it is used in.

If anyone has problems getting this document, let me know and I can send it to you.

[JDGREEN]

I have a 2011 Buick LaCrosse that I just started flat-towing. On my first trip, after towing for 4 hours, the battery in the car was dead. I have heard of others having this same problem, but have not determined how to address this issue. Some folks have tried removing various fuses, but that did not seem to work.

Has anyone found a solution to flat-towing the 2011 LaCrosse without running down the battery? If so, please share your approach.

[jdoc]

JDGREEN, my current toad is a 2008 Dodge Dakota. My previous toad was a 2005 Dakota. On the first trip out with the '05 Dakota we got to our destination and the battery was deader than a mackeral. A friend gave a jump star and I left it running for a little while. When we got home I took it back to the dealer and wanted to know what was wrong. The service manager showed me a TSB that Dodge had just put out about this problem. The "fix" was to disconnect the negative battery cable. I have to do this on my '08 also. The other solution is get a disconnect installed. It doesn't bother me to pop the hood and disconnect the cable. It takes all of 30 seconds. Check with your Buick dealer and see what they say.

Jerry