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When towing a car will the odometer reflect the towed miles as mileage on the car?
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
YES as long as the drive wheels rotate while the car is being towed.
The front wheel drive cars are towed with the front wheels off the ground. Rear wheel cars are towed with the rear wheels off the ground. No mileage can be accumulatd on the odometer with the drive wheels up in the air. Most wreckers are flat bed anyway, so the car is just "sitting" there during transit.
It depends on how you tow it. If you have all 4 wheels rolling on the ground while your moving it you WILL accumulate miles. But if you tow it with the wheels that drive the car off the ground like on one of those U-HAUL car movers you WON'T accumulate miles.
MOST cars built since the late '80s have electric speedometers. They will not register any miles as long as the ignition is turned off, even if they are towed with all four wheels on the ground. They will also register positive mileage when being driven in reverse.
The odometer generally operates based on the number of driveshaft rotations generated by the transmission. If the car is in neutral, the transmission is not generating the driveshaft rotations, and the odometer will not register the miles.
>>>>>>>>>>>> LWARRANTY's UPDATE TO ABOVE STATEMENT - ASE master mechanic - owner / operator two full service repair centers - fourty five years in the trade, enough certifications to fill a dump truck...
The above statement is INCORRECT notably - "If the car is in neutral, the transmission is not generating the driveshaft rotations" - additionally - "YES as long as the drive wheels rotate while the car is being towed". In traditional vehicles the shafts be it cv axle OR drive shaft still spins if drive wheels are on the ground rotating (excluding locking hubs 4x4 transfer case etc), neutral is an integral part of the transmission, it does not disengage the drive shaft from the wheels or differential in front or rear wheel drive vehicles. Rear wheel drive AND front wheel drive vehicle speed sensors on a major majority of vehicles both electronic AND gear driven are where the drive shaft and/or cv shaft enter the output housing to an output shaft of the transmission - if the drive shaft spins so does the output shaft, if the system is energized the electronic speed sensor will pick up a square wave from speed sensor ring gear on the output shaft and register to the ECM OR in strictly mechanical / gear driven, instead of a speed sensor ring, it has a gear drive surface, while the cable has a driven gear that it mates with - it will drive / spin the cable and roll the odometer system energized or not, additionally in the early migration to electronics the cable driven speedometers could have TWO methods of utilizing the speedometer gear in the output shaft, the cable drives the speedometer gauge and odometer and a hall effect sensor in the instrument cluster OR a speed sensor combined in the adapter where it slides into trans sends a signal to the ECM to report vehicle speed or mileage directly and/or utilizes vss/rpm/abs/wheel speed sensors or combination thereof including algorithm to record mileage.
Bottom line - I will not elaborate further on the methods to transport vehicles, simply responding to the original question - the absolute correct answer could only be determined upon make/model/year/trans type of the vehicle in question - the "fuzzy" answer is contained herein...
>>>> LWARRANTY ORIGINAL STATEMENT
Electronic speedometers will not register unless ignition is on, mechanical speedo's will. It's important to know how to tow your vehicle, towing a vehicle that requires lubrication / cooling to moving components that is supplied by the engine running, slinging or other means, could / will result in costly repairs. When in doubt, if the wheels on the ground are drive wheels, you'll need to get further information. For frequent towing - behind motor home, etc - aftermarket pumps can be installed in trans lines and other options are available IF drive wheels are on the ground and that is your only option. For short towing you can leave engine running in neutral and still lubricate transmissions, however this can raise a fit with ABS and traction control systems on newer cars. When in doubt - double check it out!
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
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Does the odometer register miles while towing?
Yes - the odometer will register miles travelled while towing a trailer etc. The odometer is linked to the towing vehicle's wheels - not the trailer's.
What is the maximum amount of odometer mileage for a car to be sold as new?
100 miles.
What does the odometer gauge indicate?
home many miles your car has driven.the mileage of the vehicle
What is car mileage?
Car mileage is the distance a car can travel on a tank of gas. This mileage is also the number of miles on a car at any given time and is registered by an odometer.
How do you disconnect the odometer on a 2006 Chev Malibu. Its for towing reasons.?
I don't think so. Disconnecting the odometer is illegal, and besides, you tow a FWD car with the front wheels off the ground and in that manner the odometer does not register miles. Towing it with the front wheels touching the ground will damage the transmission. So if towed correctly this is a mute issue.
What is the difference between the odometer and the trip odometer?
The trip opometer can be reset and doesn't change the odometer. The trip opometer can be reset and doesn't change the odometer. An odometer is a continual counter of distance and a trip odometer measures from point A to B and can be reset.
What does Exceeds mechanical limits on vehicle title mean?
Definition of Exceeds Mechanical Limits :A vehicle with a 5-digit odometer cannot accurately track mileage after 99,999 miles because the odometer rolls over. This title is the result of a seller certifying under the Truth-in-Mileage Act, that the odometer reading EXCEEDS MECHANICAL LIMITS of the odometer.
What mileage determines to work from home my boss told me that he needs to know how many miles my commute is. Anybody know the average guideline for employers?
When you drive to work, record your starting mileage on your cars odometer, and when you get to work subtract the current odometer to get the difference. That's how many miles your home is from work
How do you determine car mileage?
For single trip mileage, before starting the car, write down the odometer reading, including the last number. If between two numbers, round up. So, your odometer might read 30,455.8 miles (total miles the car has been driven). Make your trip and before getting out of the car, write down the new odometer reading (round up if necessary). Subtract the smaller number from the larger number. To track your weekly, monthly, or yearly mileage, you'll need to write down the odometer reading at the start and end of each trip. Subtract 2 successive numbers to get "the trip" mileage on a certain day, such as to claim mileage on itemized taxes. If you want to know whether the car's lifetime mileage has been "rolled back" on the odometer or if the odometer has already "rolled over", consult a car mechanic to verify whether the odometer has been tampered with.
Is it possible for a Honda Civic to exceed mechanical limits title?
Exceeds Mechanical Limits - A vehicle with a 5-digit odometer cannot accurately track mileage after 99,999 miles because the odometer rolls over. This title is the result of a seller certifying under the Truth-in-Mileage Act, that the odometer reading EXCEEDS MECHANICAL LIMITS of the odometer. However, a Honda civic has a 6-digit odometer. Is this possible? For a Civic to have that Title?
Replacing instrument cluster how do you reset odometer to match actual miles on car?
You can get a Federally approved form from DMV to record actual mileage and keep with vehicle and just add that mileage the accumulated mileage on the new speedometer
How do you determine the actual mileage beyond 100000 miles on a 1985 Fifth Avenue when you don't know how many times the odometer has wrapped around?
You can not. The mileage has exceeded the mechanical limits of the odometer. You can look at wear on the brake pedal. That is usually a good indicator of high mileage, but it is not definitive. Brake pedals can be replaced. You can check for repair records in the car as well. These sometimes have mileage recorded.
