Our starter is out on our Dodge. We had intended on having it professionally towed to our mechanic once we got a date set. A family member took their own initiative to pull it by a rope from a Kroger parking lot to our house. It's front wheel drive and was pulled in neutral (5miles) while steered and braking. Is the transmission wasted? I've recently been told by a few that it would be. :/
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1 Answer
It is definitely not good for an automatic tranny to be pulled in neutral, but it doesn't mean it's automatically fried. The reason it's not good for the transmission is, the pump which distributes the tranny fluid is just behind the torque converter (in most automatic transmissions) which is attached to the engine. When the engine isn't running, there is nothing lubricating the final drive. Since the final drive is spinning while being towed, it can build up heat, which can cause damage. This shouldn't affect any of the bands or clutches, as these are not engaged at all during the tow.
At this point, I wouldn't worry about it until the car is running again, but I will bet you will find there won't be an issue.
answered Aug 24, 2014 at 17:50
