Towing an automatic (20 miles)

I'm no mechanic but have always thought you cant tow an automatic and recently I needed to get an automatic non runner to a mechanic and he said your fine to tow it in neutral as long as you don't go over 15mph so i'm pretty sure you really cant do it without a trailer.

Is it actually an automatic with torque converter or one of those fangled automated manual boxes?
If it is manual based, they usually have a bit to wind in/out near the selector to engage neutral

Thanks, i decided to buy it as an engine i sold them suddenly started rattling and banging after they fitted it. I could have refunded the engine and be out of pocket but instead i have paid over the odds for the whole car which hopefully will claw back some profit in parts over the next few months. So, because i didn't want to buy it in the first place, i didn't want to spend any more money picking it up



It's the really simple old fashioned type with a torque converter

I went to get the car today. Unfortunately the engine wouldn't idle so i couldn't leave it on to lubricate the gearbox. So i towed it home 20 miles at 20 mph. Luckily pretty quiet roads and no incidents

I'm hoping the gearbox has survived. The distance and speed seem to be within most boundaries i've seen on the internet. Unfortunately i won't know until i have removed it, sold it and someone else has fitted it

* In the later Zafira handbook it says autos should be towed below 50 mph for less that 60 miles so fingers crossed

And just for fun here's the critter. Pretty good condition really

That would had been my suggestion, some Autos you can flat tow for a limit mileage at a certain speed.

For those that say it can’t be towed because it’s auto, you’re wrong.

Semi-Auto and Auto HGV’s are towed daily.

Disconnect the prop shaft, you’ll be fine!

So you bought this car as you sold previous owner a bad engine. After having towed the car home you intend to sell the auto box not knowing if it’s damaged or not? I can seeing you buying that auto box back fitted to another car shortly.

The term 'Schroedinger's cat' springs to mind.

Sal, I feel you are accusing me of being a reckless seller who is happy to supply a part not knowing (and not caring) if it works or not

I can assure you this is not the case

The engine supplied for this car used to be in my Dad's Zafira which up until the point of being taken apart was running perfectly. When told that after being delivered to his Grandma the engine was making a lot of noise, and he diagnosed it as the bottom end, i had little choice to accept the situation regardless of my previous knowledge of it. I could have refunded the price of the engine but instead decided the buy the car and paid what it had cost them to this point car+engine

When deciding to tow it back i established (based on numerous accounts both professional and personal comment) a safe speed at which i could be confident in looking after the gearbox. Obviously if i was careless i would have driven the 20 miles at 60 mph

When i say i hope it has survived it is just a statement of truth. Of course i hope it has survived and it is unfortunate that because the engine won't idle i can't test it. But based of how i treated it and the previous owner's experience i believe there is no problem

Everything i sell is covered with warranty and although some may think that means i don't care as i'll just refund that's simply not true. The last thing i want as a seller, predominantly on ebay, is for things to come back me as it costs money, creates grief for me and the buyer and damages my reputation

James