2007 HONDA ACCORD

[CUBE MAN]

Anyone tow one,if so-how?

[03heritagerider]

Cube Man,

Welcome to the forum. This is the best place to learn from those who have "Been there...Done that". Plenty of what I have learned is thanks to folks sharing advice on this forum.

Towing a vehicle is one of those "the more you learn the more confused you become" things :lol:

Anyway, I would imagine an Accord is no different than any other vehicle, and I'm assuming it is front wheel drive.

Options...(All are attached to the rig at the trailer hitch and powered by the trailer light plug)
1. Trailer - Probably the most expensive, but you load the car on/in a trailer, lash it down and be gone. Trailers also need to be licensed.
2. Tow Dolly - These are not cheap either and several options/models are available. If it's a front wheel drive car, run the front end up onto the dolly, lash it down and be gone. Rear wheel drive...back it onto the dolly.
3. Flat towing - This requires additional choices, not the least of which is deciding what tow bar to purchase.
A. You need to have a vehicle that allows you to completely disengage the transmission. Most often found on 4WD vehicles, there is a process, or switch to put the transmission into a TRUE neutral position. Or...
B. You can have a transmission pump installed. This is operated via an electrical connection (trailer light plug), and pumps the transmission fluid while the vehicle is being towed. On most vehicles, even if the shifter is in neutral, the internal parts of the transmission are still turning whenever the wheels are turning. Without lubrication, the transmission can/will be damaged. Or...
C. You can have a kit installed to disengage the axle from the transmission. This is kind of like the TRUE neutral achieved in 4WD vehicles.

Also, for safety reasons, if you flat tow, you should have an auxiliary braking system installed in the towed vehicle. You will also need a method to operate the car's brake lights and turn signals or have auxiliary lighting. Trailers and tow dollies are available with integrated braking systems and have installed lighting.

Personally, I prefer the trailer first (room to carry other things), then the tow dolly is second.

We had lots of problems trying to flat tow a previous vehicle. Didn't care for the modifications we had to make to the car to accommodate the tow bar, Then we had a transmission pump that leaked and a braking system that locked up and scored all four rotors on the car. When we added the cost of the tow bar, transmission pump, braking system, auxiliary lights and the labor to have it all installed, it was almost as much as the purchase price of the trailer (used).

It all comes down to personal preferences and I'm sure you will get informed opinions on each method that will help you make a decision.

Best of luck!

[RayChez1]

Anyone tow one,if so-how?

If you own the Honda Accord it should tell you on the manual whether you can tow it or not. I know that some automatic Honda's can be towed, but to make sure you should read your manual.
I tow a Honda Pilot 4WD automatic. I have to run it through every gear setting for a few minutes before I tow it. Set the transmission on neutral, turn the key to the two position so that the steering wheel can turn and turn all electrical switches off to prevent your battery from going dead.
I have the Blue Ox tow plate and the Aventa II tow bar.
I do know that the new Honda Accords are towable, but I am not sure of a 2007 Honda Accord.

[Chuck v]

Cube Man,

You are getting very solid advice in the two posts above. I decided that I wanted to flat tow an AWD wagon in the up-scale SUV category, so specifically looked for a 2005 used Acura MDX as that had all the features my wife wanted in a daily driver as well as being the last model year where Acura/Honda approved the flat towing. The MDX manual gave a pre-tow procedure similar to what RayChez describes for his Pilot. My manual states to repeat the cycling of the transmission at idle for every 8 hours of towing -- essentially daily is what I do if towing two days in a row, as I have never even come close to driving the combined rig for a full 8 hours at a single time.

Supplemental braking is very important -- I have the proportional air actuated system that Brakemaster calls the 9160. It is easy to use and easy to store...the cylinder/actuator that fits in the drivers side of the car and operates the brake pedal easily disconnects and stows in the shallow storage compartment under the rear cargo deck.

I use the Roadmaster Sterling non-binding tow bar setup along with their Guardian shield for road debris -- all of this stores on the rear of the coach when we park at the site, but easily fits in the basement if I want it "out of site" since the two of us never even come close to filling up the basement storage on this 42 foot TourMaster.

Having a personal car available when you arrive at your destination is a very nice "luxury" and the Acura set-up does not even log miles on the odometer while it is being towed...no need to keep track of the towed miles and subtract to arrive at the engine service intervals, etc.

Chuck

[CUBE MAN]

Thanks for the help,I am leaning toward the dolly as the Accord is front-wheel drive.