Towing

[Boothy]

I'm in the unfortunate position where I am going to have to get somebody to tow my car to the garage. Somebody has worried me by saying the brakes will be no use whatsoever and now I am not sure I have the balls to do it as I don't want to run into the back of the person towing me and make a bad situation worse.

Any advice from people who have been towed? Will the brakes really be useless without engine/servo power?

[bacillus]

The brakes will work but without servo assistance will not be very effective.

Are you a member of a breakdown organisation like the AA?

[Boothy]

The brakes will work but without servo assistance will not be very effective.

Are you a member of a breakdown organisation like the AA?

Not a member no. Gonna join up but even then I don't think the package includes taking me from home to a garage of my choice.

[alackofspeed]

If the engine will run, but intermittently, then you could keep starting the engine and recharging the vacuum reservoir whilst being towed and therefore maintain full servo assistance.

That would be my approach, in conjunction with a solid link tow linkage (just to be safe).

[keano]

I'd just ring around and see if u can find a garage with a low loader. 

Nothing worse than being towed!

[Boothy]

I'd just ring around and see if u can find a garage with a low loader. 

Nothing worse than being towed!

Ideally what I want to do but the specialist who I know doesn't have one. There is a local garage with one but I'm not confident in his ability to sort my current issue.

If the engine will run, but intermittently, then you could keep starting the engine and recharging the vacuum reservoir whilst being towed and therefore maintain full servo assistance.

That would be my approach, in conjunction with a solid link tow linkage (just to be safe).

To be honest the car struggles to start at the moment so its not really possible.

I'm considering a recover garage but they wont nearly £150 !

[alackofspeed]

Got a friend with a towbar? It's normally about £40 to hire a car trailer for 24hrs.

There is a further alternative, and that is to keep your vacuum charged by putting the car in gear whilst being towed, just to turn the engine over periodically.

[Boothy]

Got a friend with a towbar? It's normally about £40 to hire a car trailer for 24hrs.

There is a further alternative, and that is to keep your vacuum charged by putting the car in gear whilst being towed, just to turn the engine over periodically.

Interesting? My mate has a Landrover with tow bar and I can cope with £40. In respect of the other suggestion do I just keep popping it into say, 3rd or 4th every now and again? Won't that cause issues for the guy towing me?

[bacillus]

I wouldn't put the car in gear when being towed. You need to keep it in neutral assuming you have a manual transmission car.
If dsg you'll need a low loader.

[Boothy]

I wouldn't put the car in gear when being towed. You need to keep it in neutral assuming you have a manual transmission car.
If dsg you'll need a low loader.

Its a manual and I can't find anything locally that has a low loader to hire. Bloody car is gonna be going off a cliff soon!

[alackofspeed]

Got a friend with a towbar? It's normally about £40 to hire a car trailer for 24hrs.

There is a further alternative, and that is to keep your vacuum charged by putting the car in gear whilst being towed, just to turn the engine over periodically.

Interesting? My mate has a Landrover with tow bar and I can cope with £40. In respect of the other suggestion do I just keep popping it into say, 3rd or 4th every now and again? Won't that cause issues for the guy towing me?

I've used the occasional in-gear approach; if you do it briefly whilst moving it isn't a problem (say 5th gear for 5 seconds at 30 mph, then put back in neutral), and it does serve to ensure you have a servo assisted brake pedal.

[Boothy]

Managed to source a recovery garage that is going to sort it out for £30 and will do it tomorrow for me too. Thank god because I really didn't wanna tow it.