Every now & then the question comes up about leaving the engine running while towing the dinghy . . . Let's just say I was a bit distracted by the grandkids when hooking up our 2010 CR- V yesterday. Within minutes of hitting the road, and San Diego traffic, it occurred to me that I might have left the engine running. Found a safe place to pull over, and sure enough, the engine was on. And the doors had automatically locked as they do when it's driven. And the remote would not unlock them. Fortunately, I had left a window just barely sufficiently open to reach in & unlock the door. Yet another reason to NOT tow with the engine running.

Why did you leave the engine running? Who ever told you that is just plane dumb.

I think I would keep an extra set of KEYS in the coach.

The auto locking feature is programable and can be turned off. Honda manuals are online.Norm

OpenRangePullen_Ford wrote:Why did you leave the engine running? Who ever told you that is just plane dumb.:h

One of the things we have learned over the years is not to get distracted while hooking up, unhooking, backing in. or dumping. We each have our own routine that works for us, and generally distractions cause mistakes or a forgotten step. We also try to apply this around others, unless the other needs or asks for assistance. Best to stand back, let others do things their way. If you do see what appears to be a mistake, it is OK to mention it by asking if that was what was intended. By just observing others, we have learned many new or better ways to do things.

CR-V towing with the engine on | Good Sam Community

jerseyjim
Explorer
Aug 08, 2013
MOWERMECH: What you describe is a car that should NOT be towed. Folks who want to tow a vehicle should find out which ones ARE towable with little/no mods. and buy it.
Too many (IMO) simply buy a vehicle with no thought as to "can I tow it 4-down?...or even on a dolly"?, then try to adapt it to towing 4 down...which sometimes can't be done. Then...we hear these stories about burned up transmissions, etc..
Just my thoughts.,..FWIW...probably nothing.
mowermech
Explorer
Aug 06, 2013
jerseyjim wrote:
Of all the crazy stuff I've seen here on the forum........

Yeah, especially since SOME (but not ALL) automatic transmissions do not have any oil flow to the bearings when in NEUTRAL!
It might be a good idea to check the oil flow diagrams before trying such a thing.
cire
Explorer
Aug 05, 2013
There is a reason to consider leaving the engine running while driving. Honda does not recommend towing the CRV at speeds above 65 MPH. There has been reports of transmissions being "burnt up" after being towed at speeds higher than 65 MPH for extended periods.

After having replaced my transmission twice since I've been full timing, I would leave the CRV idling if I had intentions of towing it at high speeds for an extended period of time. Idling the engine provides oil circulation within the transmission.
Frosty10
Explorer
Jul 30, 2013
SCVJeff wrote:
OpenRangePullen_Ford wrote:
Why did you leave the engine running? Who ever told you that is just plane dumb.
ahemmmm....
He said he was distracted and left it running. As in forgot..

x2
CVD
Explorer
Jul 30, 2013
Dyngbld wrote:
I think I would keep an extra set of KEYS in the coach.

I keep the spare Jeep key in the RV and the spare RV key in the Jeep.
aerbus32
Explorer II
Jul 27, 2013
My lovely wife, who is constantly distracting me during set-up and take down, pointed out that the door can be manually unlocked from the outside.
RCtime
Explorer
Jul 27, 2013
I always use the VALET key that came with your CRV and keep the regular keys in my pocket.
Grandkids can distract you sometimes, but mostly in good ways. glad you have them.
SCVJeff
Explorer
Jul 27, 2013
OpenRangePullen_Ford wrote:
Why did you leave the engine running? Who ever told you that is just plane dumb.
ahemmmm....
He said he was distracted and left it running. As in forgot..
jerseyjim
Explorer
Jul 27, 2013
Of all the crazy stuff I've seen here on the forum........
The_Texan
Explorer
Jul 27, 2013
OpenRangePullen_Ford wrote:
Why did you leave the engine running? Who ever told you that is just plane dumb.
I guess you have never heard of using this technique on a vehicle that is not approved for towing by the manufacturer.....Some folks do it on a regular basis, especially with full size Ford & GM cars from the last decade.