shadowfax40
vero beach florida
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Has anyone flat towed the 06 Acura MDX 2wd vehicle.Seems to be conflicting stories about weather or not it is doable.Thanks
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wny_pat
Western NYS
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Many auto manufacturers do not want to tell customers that they can recreationally tow their vehicles. Remco Towing puts out a pretty accurate list of towable vehicles. They say that your 2006 Acura MDX (AWD) with transmission BDKA is towable as is. They also say to refer to owners manual for confirmation and procedures. So I would thing your manual would tell you if you can, and what the procedures are. Just look under "recreational towing" or "towing".
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emzee
california
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We had a 2005 and traded it for a 2007 because of the model change. We found out afterwards that the 2005 was towable 4 down, but the 2007 isn't? Have no idea why. Make sure you check your owners manual as wnypat says.
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shadowfax40
vero beach florida
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Seems to be very conflicting info as far as this cars tow-ability goes. The manual says no towing unless absolutely necessary and only for 50 miles and not above 35 miles an hour. Apparently no problem towing 05. 06 models didn't change but yet the manual and a corporate statement from acura stating not to tow the suv. My wife and i love the car but are backing away because it is going to be the tow car.Scared that we will fry the trans.
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Clay L
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
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There is a specific procedure that has to be performed to tow 2005 and earlier Honda's.
If it isn't done the transmission can be damaged. Some people speculate that many people didn't follow the procedure and the resulting warranty claims caused Honda to stop saying it was okay to tow them four down.
That seems reasonable but Honda still allows four down towing of several models and the same procedure is still required. Why allow towing for some models and not others unless there are differences in the transmissions?
Regarding the towing procedure. In case anyone is interested below is a letter I got from Honda.
"02/22/02
(all models except CR-V)
Dear customer:
Regarding your inquiry on towing your Honda or Acura automobile behind a motorhome:
For your vehicle, the Owner's Manual advises against towing at more than 35 m.p.h or for more than 50 miles. However, this recommendation exists primarily because Honda has not conducted formal tests at higher speeds and for greater distances.
We are not aware of any particular problems being caused by motorhome towing of Honda/Acura automobiles with either manual or automatic transmission, so long as proper pre-towing preparations are made and the vehicle is towed at legal highway speeds.
Manual Transmission
When preparing to tow your vehicle, make sure the transmission is full of fluid. Do not overfill.
• Release the parking brake.
• Shift the transmission to Neutral.
• Turn the ignition key to the ACCESSORY (1) position to release the steering wheel lock. Make sure that the radio and all accessories are turned off.
Automatic Transmission
When preparing to tow your vehicle, make sure the transmission fluid level is full. Do not overfill.
If Honda/Acura automobile with an automatic transmission is towed with the front or all four wheels on the ground, you must do the following every day immediately before towing:
• Start the engine.
• Press on the brake pedal. Shift the lever through all the positions (P,R,N,D,2,1).
• Shift to D, then to N. Let the engine run for at least three minutes, then turn off engine.
• Release the parking brake.
• Leave the ignition switch in ACCESSORY (1) so the steering wheel does not lock. Make sure the radio and any items plugged into the accessory power sockets are turned off so you do not run down the battery.
If you travel more than 8 hours in one day (including stopping time), you must stop and repeat the above procedures.
NOTICE:
The steering system can be damaged if the steering wheel is locked. Always leave the key in the ACCESSORY (1) position to prevent damage to the steering system when towing behind another vehicle.
CAUTION:
Severe automatic transmission damage will occur if the car is shifted from reverse to neutral and then towed with the drive wheels on the ground.
NOTICE:
Improper towing preparation will damage the transmission. Follow the above procedure exactly. If you cannot shift the transmission or start the engine, your vehicle must be on a flat bed truck or trailer.
If you tow a Honda/Acura vehicle with automatic transmission, the fluid must be changed every two years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Although experience has shown that the Honda/Acura transmission and powertrain are capable of being "motorhome towed", America Honda does not assume responsibility for any vehicle damage or liabilities incurred due to the towing device, towing vehicle, lighting hookup, or other towing equipment or towing procedures; any responsibility for these items is assumed by the owner/operator.
If you have additional questions, please call American Honda Motor Co. Inc. (National Consumer Affairs) at 800-999-1009."
Clay (WA5NMR), Lee (Wife), Katie (cat).
Full Timing in a 2004 Winnebago Sightseer 35N, Workhorse chassis, Honda Accord toad
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dsbsi
Minnesota
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shadowfax40 wrote:Has anyone flat towed the 06 Acura MDX 2wd vehicle.Seems to be conflicting stories about weather or not it is doable.Thanks
Are you sure about 2wd? I thought all Acura MDX are All Wheel Drive.
Follow towing instructions carefully.
Dwight
1995 Ford F53 Bounder 35U
Cold Spring Minnesota
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shadowfax40
vero beach florida
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Thanks for the info Clay. My wife and i did purchase the acura and i will follow the instructions to the tee when towing. Thanks again.
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emzee
california
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I think I would get a letter from Honda for myself just in case.
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jones4110
Champlin, MN
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shadowfax40 wrote:Thanks for the info Clay. My wife and i did purchase the acura and i will follow the instructions to the tee when towing. Thanks again.
I assume that you are out of warranty...if not, you will be when you set it up for towing. We towed our 02 MDX but did not buy a new one because of the change. They will not stand behind the vehicle unless it states the procedure in the current manual for your car. I know nothing changed from 02 but it is their warranty.
Joan and Bruce
05 Excursion 39L
powered by 350 KittyCATS on a Spartan
2010 Traverse LT toad (Blue Ox & Breakbuddy)
...and a "road dog" named Max and his gabby sister, Abby.
"May the wind be always at your back and your destination the one you chose"
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crasster
Dallas
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May be a good time to contact Acura for a definite answer on this one. Don't want to learn the hard way.
4 whopping cylinders on Toyota RV's. Talk about great getting good MPG. Also I have a very light foot on the pedal. I followed some MPG advice on Livingpress.com and I now get 22 MPG! Not bad for a home on wheels.
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