Going today to pick up or new Equinox and was wondering if the miles are put on the car or not . I know you have to pull a fuse 32 . But will that stop putting miles on the car or not. Also could you give me a heads up on how it tracks be hind your motor home and how much it ways. Also has any of you put on the fuse switch from Roadmaster. Thanks for this great site.

Generally, NO modern vehicle with an electronic speedometer/odometer will rack up miles when towed IF the dashboard is not energized.I presume that is why a fuse has to be removed. It seems, in their infinite wisdom, the automotive engineers decided that the OFF, NOT LOCKED position in the ignition switch was not needed after about 2007, so the switch has to be in the ACCESSORY position to unlock the steering for towing.HOWEVER, in many newer vehicles they eliminated the steering lock!I suggest before doing anything, rather than believing what somebody says, read the instructions in "Recreational Towing" in the Owners Manual, then follow them.As for the weight, there will be variations even in identical models of the same vehicle. The only way to find out what YOUR vehicle weighs is to weigh it. Any truck stop scale will be glad to give you a weight ticket. It may cost $10 or so.Sorry I can't be of more help, but I tow an '06 Jeep so I don't have to mess with any of that stuff. Ignition switch OFF, Not Locked; transfer case in Neutral; transmission in 6th gear; and we're good to go!

Just another thought, put it in an enclosed trailer, protect it from the elements, have a place to store it, no worry about mileage,tows very nice in a vehicle meant to be tow, No wear and tear on the vehicle to be towed, just saying.

The miles do not rack up. I made my own fused switch and mounted it in the fuse box cover, works very well. The Equinox curb weight for the LT model with the 4 cyl. comes in a little under 3,800#. I use the Blue-Ox Aventa XL towbar, and a BrakeBuddy supplemental brake. Then Equinox tracks well, I can't see any difference from when I towed a Chevy HHR for 8 seasons that weighed in around 3,300#. The main difference between the two vehicles is a lot more room in the Equinox plus AWD.

The miles are put on the car (wear and tear) but are not recorded by the odometer.

We have the Equinox twin (GMC Terrain) and it's as Mowermech indicated...don't worry about the odometer; however, the fuse has nothing to do with it. The engine has to be running and the trans in gear before the odometer will work. As for the fuse, I did the same as purplekeenah did and made my own switch, but mounted mine on the driver's side of the console so it is in easy reach and I can see the indicator LED on it that tells me whether or not the fuse is disconnected. The fuse operates the dash lights and warning chime that tells you that you have left the key in the ignition.My Terrain is the SLT-2 model which has all the options available and it weighs just a tad over 4000 lbs and pulls very well...but then I have a large dp doing the pulling. However, I don't think your V10 will have any trouble at all and you probably won't be able to tell the difference from pulling your Trailblazer. Ron

Towing a Equinox do the miles add up | Good Sam Community

14 Replies

lanerd
Explorer II
Dec 16, 2013
I believe both the Equinox and the Terrain received new transmissions in 2010 that allows 4-wheel down in both the FWD and AWD versions.

Ron
kjbkjb
Explorer
Dec 16, 2013
gasguzler wrote:
From the owners manual on our 2009 Equniox AWD,

>>Notice: Towing an all-wheel-drive vehicle with all
four wheels on the ground, or even with only two of
its wheels on the ground, will damage drivetrain
components. Do not tow an all-wheel-drive vehicle
with any of its wheels on the ground.
The vehicle was not designed to be towed with all of its
wheels on the ground. If the vehicle is front-wheel drive, it
can be towed with two of its wheels on the ground. See
“Dolly Towing” following. If the vehicle is all-wheel-drive,
it cannot be towed with any of its wheels on the ground.
It must be towed with a platform truck or trailer.

Don't shoot the messenger.

Evidently this has changed between 2009 and 2014. My 2014 Equinox owner’s manual says “Front wheel drive and all wheel drive vehicles may be dinghy (4-down) towed from the front.” Under dolly towing, It does say “All wheel drive vehicles should not be towed with two wheels on the ground. To tow these vehicles they should be placed on a platform trailer with all four wheels off of the ground or dinghy towed from the front.”
boba
Explorer
Dec 15, 2013
instead of plugging my braking system into the car, i bring a portable charger/car starter that has a 12 volt plug--never have to worry about the car battery
gasguzler
Explorer
Dec 15, 2013
From the owners manual on our 2009 Equniox AWD,

>>Notice: Towing an all-wheel-drive vehicle with all
four wheels on the ground, or even with only two of
its wheels on the ground, will damage drivetrain
components. Do not tow an all-wheel-drive vehicle
with any of its wheels on the ground.
The vehicle was not designed to be towed with all of its
wheels on the ground. If the vehicle is front-wheel drive, it
can be towed with two of its wheels on the ground. See
“Dolly Towing” following. If the vehicle is all-wheel-drive,
it cannot be towed with any of its wheels on the ground.
It must be towed with a platform truck or trailer.

Don't shoot the messenger.
kjbkjb
Explorer
Dec 15, 2013
I just purchased a 2014 Equinox that will be used mainly as a towed starting in the spring. One thing I noted is of the 4 12 volt power outlets, only the one in the rear cargo area is hot with the key off. The 3 upfront are only hot with the key on. However, when you pull fuse #32, there is no power to the front outlets with the key in the recommended accessory position. I need power up front to power my Blue Ox Patriot supplemental braking system. Between now and spring I will be adding a dedicated battery powered outlet up front. Other than that, we love everything about our new Equinox.
Heisenberg
Explorer
Dec 15, 2013
no miles
bsinmich
Explorer
Dec 15, 2013
My '08 Saturn Vue is very similar to the Equinox. 2 years ago I tried not pulling the 2A fuse. The miles recorded and for the next several starts the check engine light came on. The light resets after a few starts. I finally made a switch on a longer wire that sits in the glove box so I don't have to stand on my head to put the fuse back.
ct78barnes
Explorer
Dec 15, 2013
Thanks everybody I can sleep good tonight .
old_guy
Explorer
Dec 14, 2013
I know of a guy who had 80K towed miles on his and the odometer only showed less than 20K, he got a heck of a trade in when he trade it in on a new one.
lanerd
Explorer II
Dec 14, 2013
We have the Equinox twin (GMC Terrain) and it's as Mowermech indicated...don't worry about the odometer; however, the fuse has nothing to do with it. The engine has to be running and the trans in gear before the odometer will work. As for the fuse, I did the same as purplekeenah did and made my own switch, but mounted mine on the driver's side of the console so it is in easy reach and I can see the indicator LED on it that tells me whether or not the fuse is disconnected. The fuse operates the dash lights and warning chime that tells you that you have left the key in the ignition.

My Terrain is the SLT-2 model which has all the options available and it weighs just a tad over 4000 lbs and pulls very well...but then I have a large dp doing the pulling. However, I don't think your V10 will have any trouble at all and you probably won't be able to tell the difference from pulling your Trailblazer.

Ron