four down towing

[jabfado]

I just got back from a four day jaunt with our R.V. club and I noticed that two of the R.V.ers towed Honda Accord Front wheel drives four down. I didn't think that the Accord could be pulled four down and they both told me they didn't have a problem doing it. They said they start the engine, go through the auto trans gear sequence and then back to Neutral, turn engine off and put ignition in accessory. They tow up to three hundred miles and then stop and start engine for 15 minutes....do the same sequence again and they are ready to do another 300 miles. I have a 2010 Honda Accord and my book says that I can do the same thing in case of an emergency but the book limits me to 50 miles and no more then 35MPH. My question is: How many of you pull a Honda Accord 4 down and does you book state the same as mine? All imput greatly appreciated.

[Kjlunda]

I tow a 1999 Accord four down. I learned the hard(expensive) way. Start car, shift through all gears, last movement is from D4 to neutral and let vehicle idle 2-3 minutes. I travel at 70 mph without problem and do about 400-500 miles a day. Not in too much of a rush. Last year pulled car out to Maryland and drove around then headed to Florida. Some where between Maryland an Georgia we shifted from reverse to neutral and tore transmission up. We got to Florida, had the transmission shop find a used tranny, rebuild it and it has been fine ever since. D4 to neutral is the key! This is why Honda quit recommending it for towing.

[Kjlunda]

I should have added that the car has been towed over 4000 miles since the rebuild.

[ga traveler]

I towed a 2002 Honda Auto. for 7 years with no problems. I am now towing a 2012 Civic with a automatic transmission.

[wa8yxm]

Sometimes the "NO Problems" v/s the "Major Problelms" comes down to a specific digit in the VIN... The "Transmission" digit. The two almost identical vehicles may have a different transmission or one may be a yyyy model year and the other a yyyy.5 model year.. My motor home is a .5, they made changes mid year.

(Or a yyyy +/-n (later or earlier year)

If you are really concerend Jeep 4wd, with manual transfer case, nearly (not quite but nearly) all of them are 4-downable.

[garym114]

This is what Honda says:
Perform Honda Tow prep procedure
Start the engine
Set the emergency brake
Shift the transmission select lever to:
R - wait 10 sec
N - wait 10 sec
1 – wait 20 sec
2 – wait 20 sec
D3 – wait 20 sec
D4 – wait 20 sec
N – wait 4 minutes
Turn ignition switch to ACCESSORY (I) position. The key can not be removed in this position.
Verify the steering wheel is not locked
Release the parking brake
Turn off all accessories such as radio, heater fan, any lights
If you overshoot the last shift and go into reverse, start over.

The brake pedal must the be depressed fully 4 or 5 times. The toad breaking system check should do this but if it does not you must do it manually to bleed the vacuum from the vacuum assisted breaking system. Not sure if all Honda's have the vacuum assist breaking but if yours does you must bleed the vacuum off or you will get a vacuum assist when you first apply the brakes and lock up the toad brakes.
This is for my CRV but they should be all the same.

[what next]

I tow an 09 Accord no problem so far.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by garym114

This is what Honda says:
Perform Honda Tow prep procedure
Start the engine
Set the emergency brake
Shift the transmission select lever to:
R - wait 10 sec
N - wait 10 sec
1 – wait 20 sec
2 – wait 20 sec
D3 – wait 20 sec
D4 – wait 20 sec
N – wait 4 minutes
Turn ignition switch to ACCESSORY (I) position. The key can not be removed in this position.
Verify the steering wheel is not locked
Release the parking brake
Turn off all accessories such as radio, heater fan, any lights
If you overshoot the last shift and go into reverse, start over.

The brake pedal must the be depressed fully 4 or 5 times. The toad breaking system check should do this but if it does not you must do it manually to bleed the vacuum from the vacuum assisted breaking system. Not sure if all Honda's have the vacuum assist breaking but if yours does you must bleed the vacuum off or you will get a vacuum assist when you first apply the brakes and lock up the toad brakes.
This is for my CRV but they should be all the same.

The should be the same but possibly not. Honda says only the CR-V and Fit are towable four down since '05 with the exception of some '05 Pilots.
You may be OK towing, but Honda can and probably will deny warranty coverage on the running gear as will any service policy for not following Honda's requirements.
That said: We bought our '05 Ody with the written commitment from Honda that it was towably four down. Had all the towing gear installed. A few months later I started seeing that it no longer was approved. We did get Honda to pay for the towing gear and bought a dolly. Now I see and have talked to some owners that tow theirs four down, so I'm towing ours using the same info as above from the CR-V manual. So far so good too, but then again maybe I'll have problems but it's out of warranty no anyway.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by what next

I tow an 09 Accord no problem so far.

Other than no warranty on the running gear. And yes, the dealers are checking. Have problems and they see the brackets, then no warranty.
I even had trouble getting warranty coverage on the Ody antenna wiring that was bad. I had to find a magazine test report that had wiring trouble that was fixed by new wiring and tell them to do the change, if it didn't work I'd pay for the cable and installation. The dealer tried to claim the add'l wiring for the lights was messing up the shielded antenna wiring. I pointed out to them that the light wiring was only energized when no one was in the Ody so even if it was interference no one would hear it!!

[Wanabee FTer]

Originally Posted by jabfado

I have a 2010 Honda Accord and my book says that I can do the same thing in case of an emergency but the book limits me to 50 miles and no more then 35MPH. My question is: How many of you pull a Honda Accord 4 down and does you book state the same as mine? All imput greatly appreciated.

My 2000 Accord manual reads the same as yours.

From the internet I found the attached letter from Honda concerning FWD models.

[Papa_Jim]

Originally Posted by garym114

This is what Honda says:
Perform Honda Tow prep procedure
Start the engine
Set the emergency brake
Shift the transmission select lever to:
R - wait 10 sec
N - wait 10 sec
1 – wait 20 sec
2 – wait 20 sec
D3 – wait 20 sec
D4 – wait 20 sec
N – wait 4 minutes
Turn ignition switch to ACCESSORY (I) position. The key can not be removed in this position.
Verify the steering wheel is not locked
Release the parking brake
Turn off all accessories such as radio, heater fan, any lights
If you overshoot the last shift and go into reverse, start over.

The brake pedal must the be depressed fully 4 or 5 times. The toad breaking system check should do this but if it does not you must do it manually to bleed the vacuum from the vacuum assisted breaking system. Not sure if all Honda's have the vacuum assist breaking but if yours does you must bleed the vacuum off or you will get a vacuum assist when you first apply the brakes and lock up the toad brakes.
This is for my CRV but they should be all the same.

Our 2005 Honda Pilot owners manual says much the same procedure, but does not state any length of time in each gear position. It simply says that after shifting through all the gears, and back in neutral, let the engine idle with transmission in neutral for minimum 3 minutes. The manual also makes no mention of having to pump the brake pedal.

[1ciderdog]

The instructions for my CRV are similar but adds be sure to go to neutral from drive as the last step. Serious damage may occur if the last position before neutral is reverse. I have no idea if this applies to the other Honda's.
Safe Travels
Bob

[Papa_Jim]

Originally Posted by 1ciderdog

The instructions for my CRV are similar but adds be sure to go to neutral from drive as the last step. Serious damage may occur if the last position before neutral is reverse. I have no idea if this applies to the other Honda's.
Safe Travels
Bob

I agree. The odd time I'd slip up and move the gear shift from D up to Reverse by mistake. If you do that, you have to do the entire procedure all over again. Your last move has to be from D up into neutral.

[evanskl]

We've towed and 08 Accord Coupe over 10K......works like a charm!