Can 4R be "pulled" through Auto Carwash?

B

Baba Booey

New member
I know that the T4R cannot be towed with any of the wheels on the ground, presumably because the transfer case does not have a "neutral" position.

In light of this, is it safe to have the vehicle "pulled" (for lack of a better term) through an automated carwash where it is basically moved along on some sort of rail mechanism?
 
Register to hide this ad

I have done it a few times at a local car wash -- no problem at all. Just put it in 2wd and pop your gear selector in 'neutral' while you are there.

Think of it as coasting.


 :D
 
Sounds reasonable. However, the car wash attendants at the place I am thinking of usually hop inside the vehicle and drive it the last few feet to where they hook it up to the rail.

I don't recall whether they leave the engine running, or if they turn it off, or whether it even matters.:confused:
 
You have the V6, which is part time 4WD. Just keep the truck in 2H and you should be fine putting the tranny in 'N'.

The V8 is fulltime 4WD and you cannot push/pull the vehicle without risking damage.
 
Sac State said:
You have the V6, which is part time 4WD. Just keep the truck in 2H and you should be fine putting the tranny in 'N'.

The V8 is fulltime 4WD and you cannot push/pull the vehicle without risking damage.
Click to expand...

In the Full time 4x4 V8 you should be able to just put in neutral and have no problem at all. It is like coasting and nothing driving and all wheel's turning ay approx the same time . I would'nt think this would make a diff. Like if you went down a long hill on a road and put it in neutral and coated along.

Actually I've already done this with mine and there was not a problem. There are alot of full time / AWD system's out there and people have no problem.
 
Yes, a few feet into the carwash probably wouldn't hurt. But do not attempt to have your truck towed w/o all four wheels off the ground.

Use a flatbed if you ever need a tow.
 
Falls said:
In the Full time 4x4 V8 you should be able to just put in neutral and have no problem at all. It is like coasting and nothing driving and all wheel's turning ay approx the same time .
Click to expand...

Yes, but if this is true, then why can't the vehicle be towed? The owner's manual clearly states that the vehicle must be placed on a flatbed if towing is required or damage will be done.

I assumed it was becasue the transfer case does not have a neutral position. In other part-time 4x4s that I have owned, both the transmission AND the transfer case had a neutral position, and the T4R does not.
 
Carwash should be OK for both V6 and V8. First it's only ~30ft, second the speed is less then 1mph. The whole idea of not pulling or towing the vehicle is that transfer case doesn't have an oil pump, so when it's not working oil is remaining on the bottom and do not covering the mechanical part when they moved from the axles. So, do not pull or tow the vehicle for more then 1/2 of a mile with speed exceeding 1-2mph. At those speeds all heating energy will not be an issue. And you can do it only on "N", do not do it on "P"!!
 
Casper,

I believe you missed my point. The T4R cannot be towed with any wheels on the ground. Have you ever seen a tow truck pulling a vehicle with only two wheels off of the ground? Have you ever seen an RV with a vehicle in tow with all four wheels on the ground? I bet you have, but you CANNOT do this with a 4Runner.

I believed it was because the TRANSFER CASE does not have a neutral position like many other part-time 4x4s do. But, as AlexJet explained, it's probably because the transfer case will not be lubed properly if the vehicle is towed, and it likely would get damaged in the process.

I know that the auto transmission has a neutral position. Do you really think that I am that stupid?

I find AlexJet's explanation to be satisfactory, but I was just checking. If you're so confident in the "neutral" position on your tranny, why not take your rig for a long tow and let me know how the drivetrain fairs out?
 
If I am not mistaken the tranfer case does not have a pump in it to move around the fluid. It is a self lubing system. It has always been my belief that the transmission pump does not turn while the engine is off and the vehicle is moving. Therefore the tranny does not get lubed properly.

Back in the day automatic transmissions had a pump on the output shaft and could even be push started like a manual transmission. I am not sure at what point this changed, but it was quite a while ago.

No automatic transmission can be flat towed unless the the transfer case has a true neutral position or the drive shafts have been pulled from the differentials.

Having said all that, and please someone correct me about the Toyota transfer cases if I am wrong. You can tow a 2X4 4Runner with only the rear wheels off the ground, backwards all day long. You may even be able to do this with a 4x4 V-6 since it has a true 2wd transfer case selection??????? Again Please if someone has more knowledge of the way the Toyota 4x4 system works please chime in.

As far as the carwash goes. They usually leave the engine running in N while in the wash. You should never get any damage to your tranny from using a pull through carwash. The carwash is really a non-issue.
 
The real question is "Should a 4Runner even go through a carwash?" The answer is no, unless you don't mind little scratches that will dull the paint!

Koz
 
Koz said:
The real question is "Should a 4Runner even go through a carwash?" The answer is no, unless you don't mind little scratches that will dull the paint!

Koz
Click to expand...

After a couple of trails you wouldn't mind go through the carwash, because your paint will be already scratched.
 
Hmmm..so it sounds to me like a 4Runner could be flat towed a reasonable distance in neutral with the engine running?
 
JB. said:
Hmmm..so it sounds to me like a 4Runner could be flat towed a reasonable distance in neutral with the engine running?
Click to expand...

I have had that done with a 95 s-blazer 4x4. It was only about 12 miles and it had been wrecked in the right front to the point it was not driveable but the engine could run with no problems + the right front tire was flat. So the tow truck left the engine running and lifted the front and towed it. I never had a problem with the tranny after that. Was it the smartest thing. Probably not. But It got me where I needed to go. One more note it was a push button transfer case with no true neutral.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

Total: 581 (members: 5, guests: 576)

Forum statistics

Threads
278,312
Messages
3,554,089
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Share this page

Trending content

Back
Top