rolling thru carwash

[roboh]

I've read in the past of the dire warnings about rolling one's auto transmission Subaru (01 Outback) while in neutral and/or towing without a dolly. Should this warning include carwashes where they ask you to put the car in neutral as it rolls 50 feet through the various wash-rinse-dry cycles? thanks.

[ericem]

nope, not at all, the only time there is a problem, is when the vehicle is OFF and it is rolling, because there is no fluid flowing around the transmission, and burns up the clutch.

[nipper]

Actually the 10 - 20 yards or so wont hurt it at all. It wont even notice it considering its at less then 5mph. Also the car is being moved with all 4 wheels on the ground in a straight line.

Now if your talking miles, then you have a huge problem. The problem comes up as soon as one tire starts rotating a different speed then the other tires (ie on a curve) at speed.

Its not just the clutch pack, but the entire automatic transmission (for you people with 2wd cars) that gets over heated over long distances.

 

nipper

[crazyhorse001]

Its not just the clutch pack, but the entire automatic transmission (for you people with 2wd cars) that gets over heated over long distances.

 

+1

It's not just Subies either...ANY auto trans can be cooked by towing with the drive wheels on the ground.

[Setright]

Yeah, what's the rule of thumb? No more than 25mph or 50 miles total distance?

 

 

Of course, engine running, you can select neutral and freewheel for as long as you like.