We are considering purchasing a '15 FIT EX Manual transmission IF we can tow it behind our Class C motorhome. It will be towed with all four tires down. The language in the owner's manual seems contradictory. Has anyone had experience with towing the manual transmission FITs?

We did a test drive today. What a nice ride. Easy to see, nice passenger mirror for right-hand turns. Haven't highway tested yet.

ANN

 

The manual transmission can be towed no problem
Manual transmission models
■ When Your Vehicle is Towed Behind a Motorhome

2 Emergency Towing P. 428
Your vehicle can be towed behind a motorhome.
Perform the following procedure before towing your vehicle. 1. Shift to (N.
2. Release the parking brake.
3. Turn the ignition switch to ACCESSORY (q*1.
u Make sure the steering wheel does not lock.
4. Turn off all the electric devices. Do not use any accessory power sockets.
u This can prevent the battery from running down.

The CVT can not. We wanted to tow ours and the 13 model was towable but the 15 switched to the CVT. We now tow ours using a dolly.

You are safe pulling the manual 4 down.

 

The Fit is so light that I'm surprised that some enterprising motorhome supplier hasn't built a simple no-suspension trailer for the purpose. That way the transmission would be irrelevant. The old T-trailers we used for dune buggies leap to mind. Less than 300 pounds, store against a wall, no moving parts other than the wheel bearings, no electrical connections to the car and you can back up like a normal trailer!

 

That would be nice.

 

It's been pointed out that a T-trailer wouldn't work for a front drive car, but that's assuming that you tow the car facing forward. Back the car onto the trailer and it would work fine. Better, actually, because the front is the heavy end of the car so the tongue weight would be less.

 

If you intend on towing your manual car with all four wheels rolling, you need to be sure you are changing the transmission fluid much more often. The guts of the transmission were built for the motor to be driving it, not just rolling. You will be introducing a different load to the bearings, and as such, will actually see slightly more wear and tear then you actually driving it.

Not a big deal, this simply means every few oil changes, change the tranny fluid. Works out to be roughly 15-30k miles, depending on how you drive the car.

transmission fluid is cheap, and you never need much anyways. Much smaller amount then the engine

 

Today we received the "official" word from HONDA: The '15 FIT EX manual should not be towed because we would "ruin the transmission." This concurs with the most recent post, by 13FIT. Although we really liked the FIT, we will not consider buying one for this purpose. Our first mission is to get a tow vehicle. Once we do that, perhaps we will trade in our other vehicle and get a FIT for general transportation.

I have really appreciated the forum and the helpfulness of so many members. We may be back....

Happy Driving, all of you.

 

That is too bad. I know several people that tow Honda Fits behind their motorhomes. Oh well, I guess Honda did not want to address that segment of their customers.

 

I'm kind of boggled by this. The reason that automatics cannot be towed is because they are lubricated by fluid circulated by engine-driven pumps. If the engine isn't running the transmission isn't lubricated properly.

Manual gearboxes, OTOH, are lubricated by running in an oil bath so they are lubricated no matter if the engine is running or not. Unless Honda is doing something exotic to keep the gears out of the oil in the new design I see nothing that would preclude towing.

Perhaps Honda is doing the same thing they do with trailer towing, letting the lawyers write the manuals for specific markets.

There's money to be made by designing simple locking hubs for small FWD cars. Nothing exotic there, since they were a fixture on 4x4s for many decades.

 

That completely contradicts what their manual says. They give specific instructions on how to tow it specifically behind a motorhome. I call foul on this one. Who specifically gave you this information? If that is the case they are in for a load of transmissions to repair in the future from people who went by the manual and didnt call

 

My thoughts exactly. I'm thinking someone in public relations rather than product engineering answered that note.

There is absolutely no strain on the gearing or output bearings bearing(s) in a manual transmission when towing. So only minimal lubrication is required. Since it is indeed a splash system are they saying there is absolutely no oil splash generated by the rear half of the trans. I sure seems strange to me. Some time I'll have to look at the design and gear setup of this new trans.

 

I'll bet that is the case. The vague consequence of "ruin the transmission" along with the knowledge that every other conventional manual transmission can be flat-towed indefinitely leads me to believe that this information is incorrect.

 

I thought a lot about what you said and continued to try get "an answer". I think the first salesperson, didn't really understand the question or ask the right person. I contacted other Honda dealers in my State. I have heard from two dealers that both say "positively the '15FIT EX manual transmission can be towed." I asked for this in writing. I look forward to receiving it so we can move on and perhaps put our name on a waiting list for a FIT. Dealers say the car is in our inventory...it just hasn't arrived yet. We are taking one step at a time.

 

That is the problem when someone doesn't know the answer they default to NO. If I had a manual I guarantee you I would tow it based on what the manual says.

 

We are original owners of a 2012 Fit Sport with automatic transmission, specifically purchased in April 2012 BECAUSE Honda told us it could be flat towed. We too have fallen victim to Honda America's decision not to honor their powertrain warranty.

Page 159 of the Owner's manual reads:

"Towing Your Vehicle
Your vehicle can be towed behind a motorhome

When Your Vehicle is Towed Behind a Motorhome
Perform the following procedure before towing your vehicle.

Automatic Transmission models
1. Check the transmission fluid level
> Make sure the fluid level is between the upper and lowermarks.
2. Start the engine.
3. Depress the brake pedal. Move the shift lever through all its positions.
4. Shift to D and hold for five seconds, then to N. Let engine run for three minutes, then turn it off.
5. Release the parking break.
6. Leave the ignition switch in ACCESSORY.
> Make sure the steering wheel does not lock.
7. Turn off all the electric devices. Do not use any accessory power sockets.
> This can prevent the batter from running down.

>>>Towing your Vehicle
Automatic transmission models
NOTICE
Failure to follow the recommended instructions exactly will result in severe automatic transmission damage. If you cannot shift the transmission or start the engine, your vehicle must be transported on a flat bed truck or trailer.

Do not exceed 65 mph (100km/h)

Consult your towing parts sales or rental agency if any other items are recommended or required for your towing situation.

Automatic Transmission Models
If you tow your vehicle behind a motorhome, the transmission fluid must be changed every 2 years or 30,000 miles (48,000 km), whichever comes first.

>>> When Your Vehicle is Towed Behind a Motorhome
Automatic transmission models
NOTICE
Severe transmission damage will occur if the vehicle is shifted from R to N and then towed with the drive wheels on the ground."

Page 160 reads:

"•Extended Towing
If you tow more than 8 hours in one day, you should repeat the "before towing your vehicle procedure" at least every 8 hours." The remaining information on the page relates to removing the vehicle's 30 amp radio fuse to prevent the battery from running down.

Page 10 of the Honda Fit Warranties Manual reads:

"Your powertrain is covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first."

Now having regurgitating what is written in the Honda Fit Owner's and Warranties Manuals, here is our story.

Our 2012 Honda Fit has been driven 27,361 and is less than 5 years old and still under warranty. We are currently in the San Diego area on a 6-week cross-country road trip. Our Fit started making weird noises that sounded like a fan belt slippage. A burnt rubber smell reinforced our suspicion. We drove to a nearby Jiffy Lube. The manager took it for a spin around the block. When he returned, he told me he thought the transmission was the problem. OBTW, no warning lights came on to indicate there was a problem and fluid levels were where they should have been.

On Monday, Sept. 26th, we towed the Fit to a San Diego area Honda dealership. After explaining our situation to the Service Tech, he aggressively confronted me asking "Who told you that you could flat tow your car?" I sensed he didn't believe me when I just as aggressively replied "Honda". I recited by memory the pre-tow procedures and warnings. It remained obvious he doubted me. As we finished up the paperwork, I noticed he had included an estimated cost. When I told him the car was still under warranty, he told me Honda would decided if the damage fell under warranty. While stowing our towing accessories, he came out recited the pre-tow procedures and skeptically asked me if I performed all the required procedures.

On the morning of the 27th, he called and informed me Honda America had declined to honor the warranty and claimed I must have done something wrong and that Honda America had the final word. I responded by telling him the courts and not Honda America will have the final word. I told him I wanted everything he was telling put into writing. He went on to inform me there was a replacement transmission in Los Angeles and if I gave the go ahead he was certain they could have me back on the road by week's end. I told him to proceed. To add insult to injury, he call me that afternoon to tell me Honda America was requiring me to post a $1,200 deposit on the old transmission's core that will be reimbursed 1) when it is received by Honda America and 2) only if it can be rebuilt. Think about it for a second; Honda is going to charge me $5,800 for parts and labor and then demand a ransom of $1,200 for something I will have paid for to be replaced!?!

Yesterday afternoon (the 29th), the Tech called to inform me the Fit was ready to be picked up. When we got to the dealership, the Tech told us the Service Manager wanted to talk to us. Both the Tech and Service Manager told us they were stunned that Honda America had declined to honor the warranty; especially since there was no proof we had done anything wrong to cause the problem. I told them I appreciated their sentiments and asked they inform Honda America that they have lost a customer for life and might lose other potential customers contemplating purchasing a Honda vehicle to tow behind their motorhome.

 

The 2016 Honda Fit Owners Manual is pretty definitive that the manual Fit can be safely towed. You can download the manual yourself from Honda USA. pp306 has the info on towing the manual Fit behind a motorhome. If you cannot find the manual online one of us can send it to you.

 

My manual also says the Fiti can be towed behind a motorhome. Should be fine in my opinion.

 

Just got home and have contacted an attorney regarding my options in having Honda honor their warranty. Will keep you posted.