Towing a 4cyl Equinox 4 down

[Executive45]

Well, GM finally got around to acknowledging there may be a problem with towing their Equinox and Terrain vehicles four down. In the past, all one had to do was put her in neutral and pull the #32 fuse or switch the fuse whichever was easiest to do. I elected to switch that fuse. Because of the 'death wobble' experienced by many pulling these vehicles, including yours truly, GM now has modified the towing instructions. This modification applies only to those vehicles with the electronic steering. The 6 cyl vehicles have hydraulic steering.


Towing Procedure
To tow the vehicle from the front with all four wheels on the ground:
Important: If the vehicle is towed without performing each of the steps listed under “Dinghy Towing,” the automatic transmission could be damaged. Be sure to follow all steps of the dinghy towing procedure prior to and after towing the vehicle.
Important: If 105?km/h (65?mph) is exceeded while towing the vehicle, it could be damaged. Never exceed 105?km/h (65?mph) while towing the vehicle.
Note: It is no longer required to remove fuse 32.
1. Position the vehicle to be towed and secure it to the towing vehicle.
2. Remove fuse 16, the Antilock Brake System Module fuse, from the engine compartment fuse block and store it in a safe location.
3. Turn the ignition key to ON/RUN, and shift the transmission to D (Drive). Note: disregard “Service Steering” message on IP cluster display.
4. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral).
5. Turn the ignition key to ACC/ACCESSORY.
6. Turn all accessories off.
To prevent the battery from draining while the vehicle is being towed, connect vehicle battery to auxiliary power.

I purchased a simple battery charger from RVI Industries for $50 and hooked it up this afternoon. I will explore how I'm going to hook up a switch so I don't have to physically remove fuse 16 in the future. Once I've done that and I've towed a few thousand miles, I'll post the results. Once I've finished the install tomorrow, I'll post some pictures. The towing plug installed by Monaco contains the necessary 12VDC pin so that helped.....Dennis

[Executive45]

Even with the change from fuse to fuse, the Equinox does not accumulate miles. Pulling the old fuse used to shut everything off but the new method leaves everything on. Be sure to turn the radio/gps off to preserve energy...Dennis

[bullydogs1]

Equinox does not accum miles while towing as long as you follow their procedure. There is a chime which times out after 30 min and a shift to park light but the battery charger takes care of that. Have talked to other 2018 owners who are towing...This diesel has good power and drives well...and I will be using it as a road commuter...by the way its competitor the EDGE will not be towable in 2019...

[mema_poppop]

Escapade, does your Eqinox accumulate miles on the speedometer when flat towing?

[Escapade]

We just start the Equinox when we stop for fuel to keep the battery up. It does chime but I think it goes off after 30 min.

[bullydogs1]

I ended up with an Equinox diesel FWD which gets 48 mpg...set up to flat tow it...added RVi Charger and a separate direct 12 v fused outlet straight to the battery for a new Rvi Brake unit. have not flat towed it yet but will soon enough..have hooked all up and now sold Saturn and Sonic. Saturn was just getting old and AC would not cool dogs where equinox has rear ac. Went with Blue Ox tow bar /baseplate ...seems more heavy duty than old roadmaster was. Time will tell.

[Executive45]

CA Traveler - They recommend starting it periodically to lubricate everything. Since we usually only travel 3-4 hours at a time, it's been a non issue for us...Dennis

[CA_Traveler]

Executive wrote:

Escapade wrote:
We just bought a 2018 Equinox 1.5 FWD to replace our Saturn Vue. What if we just carry a power pack to jump start the car if it runs down? I would start the car at each fueling as owners manual directs. Most of our trips are not more than four hours towing.

Just got the base plate installed and have not yet towed it. I also read that the 2.0 motor is not towable due to the nine speed transmission.

While that would work, running your battery down will eventually take its toll on it's longevity....Dennis

I'd also be concerned about a low battery and the EPS no longer works, hence wobble potential.

Why the recommendation to start when you fuel - is is more than battery charging?

[lryrob9301]

As per the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox Owner's Manual Page 358:
Dinghy Towing
Front-wheel-drive (1.5 L Gas FWD/
1.6 L Diesel) and all-wheel-drive
(1.6 L Diesel only) vehicles may be
dinghy towed from the front.


So if your vehicle is AWD it MUST have the 1.6 L Diesel engine to be towed 4down.

[Escapade]

We have a 2018 Equinox Premier 1.5 FWD. We flat tow it and do not pull any fuses. Please check manual I think the AWD can also be flat towed. Ask camping world to show you the document that it cannot be flat towed.

[jplante4]

RRB456 wrote:
Just bought an Equinox 2018 Premier, to use for flat towing. Based on the dealer and the manual this can be flat towed. They say it is FWD, and I have a button to push for AWD. I brought to camping world to have set up for towing, and they say this vehicle cannot be flat towed. So now I am waiting to speak with the dealer. Has anyone encounter this issue with this specific car ? It is a great car and would be a nice car to have with you..

Right out of the FMCA towing guide

[Executive45]

2gypsies wrote:
What a clean engine compartment you have there. Do you every drive it? 🙂

25,000 driven miles, 75,000 towed miles. 🙂 I do detail both the car and the coach regularly. Thanks....Dennis

[2gypsies1]

What a clean engine compartment you have there. Do you every drive it? 🙂

[RRB456]

Just bought an Equinox 2018 Premier, to use for flat towing. Based on the dealer and the manual this can be flat towed. They say it is FWD, and I have a button to push for AWD. I brought to camping world to have set up for towing, and they say this vehicle cannot be flat towed. So now I am waiting to speak with the dealer. Has anyone encounter this issue with this specific car ? It is a great car and would be a nice car to have with you..

[Executive45]

Escapade wrote:
We just bought a 2018 Equinox 1.5 FWD to replace our Saturn Vue. What if we just carry a power pack to jump start the car if it runs down? I would start the car at each fueling as owners manual directs. Most of our trips are not more than four hours towing.

Just got the base plate installed and have not yet towed it. I also read that the 2.0 motor is not towable due to the nine speed transmission.

While that would work, running your battery down will eventually take its toll on it's longevity....Dennis

[Escapade]

We just bought a 2018 Equinox 1.5 FWD to replace our Saturn Vue. What if we just carry a power pack to jump start the car if it runs down? I would start the car at each fueling as owners manual directs. Most of our trips are not more than four hours towing.

Just got the base plate installed and have not yet towed it. I also read that the 2.0 motor is not towable due to the nine speed transmission.