Can any 5 speed manual be towed?
So I got a little ahead of myself. I bought a 5 speed manual rear wheel drive Mercedes SLK to tow behind my RV. After I bought it I started checking on towing. Well, Mercedes can only be towed short d...
Forum Discussion
The short answer? NO.
Different manual transmissions lubricate themselves differently. Most are splash lubricated, and what gets splashed depends on what shafts are in the oil, turning, under what conditions.
What is most at risk is usually the output shaft bearing. In many manual transmissions, the output shaft is high, not bathed in oil, and if it is the only thing turning, the bearing doesn't get lubricated. Failures, however, tend to be long term, either shortened life, or bearing seizure after a period of running dry.
The risk is mostly economic. How much does it cost to replace the shaft and bearing, or rebuild the transmission, or just scrap the vehicle and get another one. It is not quite like some automatic transmissions that will build up enough heat to explode or burst into flames.
I know a number of people who tow old import pickup trucks with "do not tow" manual transmissions (old Toyotas are popular). Mostly they tow 20-100 miles at a time, the bearing stays lubed. The truck might be worth $500 - 1000, economic risk is low. I don't think a M-B SLK might be in that risk category, but that depends on what the car means to you, what it is worth, and what it costs to replace or rebuild a transmission.
Different manual transmissions lubricate themselves differently. Most are splash lubricated, and what gets splashed depends on what shafts are in the oil, turning, under what conditions.
What is most at risk is usually the output shaft bearing. In many manual transmissions, the output shaft is high, not bathed in oil, and if it is the only thing turning, the bearing doesn't get lubricated. Failures, however, tend to be long term, either shortened life, or bearing seizure after a period of running dry.
The risk is mostly economic. How much does it cost to replace the shaft and bearing, or rebuild the transmission, or just scrap the vehicle and get another one. It is not quite like some automatic transmissions that will build up enough heat to explode or burst into flames.
I know a number of people who tow old import pickup trucks with "do not tow" manual transmissions (old Toyotas are popular). Mostly they tow 20-100 miles at a time, the bearing stays lubed. The truck might be worth $500 - 1000, economic risk is low. I don't think a M-B SLK might be in that risk category, but that depends on what the car means to you, what it is worth, and what it costs to replace or rebuild a transmission.
