How to Tow an Automatic Transmission Toyota Camry
by Allen MooreIf you need to tow your Toyota Camry for repair or any other reason, and it has an automatic transmission, you must take precautions to avoid damaging the transmission. If the drive wheels, which on the Camry are the front wheels, turn at highway speeds when the transmission isn't operating, the transmission's internal gears will overheat and turn the transmission into so much scrap metal. If you intend to tow your Camry, make sure you follow this procedure to avoid damaging your Camry.
Step 1
Connect the tow dolly to your tow vehicle by slipping the tongue of the tow dolly onto the receiver hitch of the tow vehicle and locking it in place. Connect the tow dolly's wiring connector to the wiring connector on your tow vehicle by hand.
Step 2
Drive the Camry's front wheels onto the tow dolly. Wrap the tow dolly's wheel-restraining straps around the Camry's front wheels and lock them down, per the tow dolly's specific instructions. This will prevent the Camry from coming off the tow dolly while you're driving the tow vehicle.
Step 3
Place the tow dolly's brake light bar on the trunk of the Camry. Verify that the brake lights and turn signals on the tow dolly brake light bar work before driving the tow vehicle.
References
- "Toyota Camry, Haynes Repair Manual, covering Solara 1999-2001, Camry 1997-2001, Avalon 1997-2001, and Lexus ES 300 1997-2001"; Ken Freund; 2001
Tips
- Do not tow a Camry with another car or truck that does not have a tow hitch and the proper wiring connections. Doing so is illegal and unsafe.
Things You'll Need
- Tow vehicle
- Tow dolly
Writer Bio
Allen Moore's career includes awards in poetry and creative fiction, published lyrics, fiction books and nonfiction articles as well as a master certification in automotive service from the Ford Motor Company. Moore is a contributing writer for RF365.com and various other websites, a ghostwriter for Rainbow Writing and has over a dozen works of fiction currently in print.
