if it is an automatic yes they are supposed to. is it is a stick shift no they do not have to.

http://www.motorhomemagazine.com/din...uide/index.cfm

this is a part out of the above webpage
A prerequisite for safe towing is use of a proper combination of vehicles. A variety of compact cars, sport-utility vehicles and trucks, including those with front-wheel drive and power steering, are approved by their manufacturers for towing over long distances without speed restrictions. In order to determine whether a vehicle is suitable to be towed behind a motorhome, check the owner's manuals of the models you are considering; this is the only way to be sure the vehicle can be towed without drive-train modifications. The owner's manual will have specific written instructions on how to tow behind a motorhome, if it is approved

Most vehicles that are not approved by their manufacturers for towing on all four wheels can still be towed using aftermarket accessories such as a cable-operated driveshaft-disconnect device (rear-wheel-drive vehicles only), a driveshaft-disconnect device, or free-wheeling hubs (front-wheel drive), a dolly, or a trailer

 

i have done this.. when you are going downhill you put your gear to neutral and turn off your car.. works like a charm

 

well, in the tc owners manual, it says not to tow the car on its front, rear, or all four wheels.

 

that said some cars not all cars

 

You can't do that with the new xB - it has electronic-assisted steering. If you turn off your car, the steering wheel will tighten up. Try turning your wheel after you put it into park and turn the engine off to test how hard it is to turn your wheel. It's a lot more obvious with the xB than with my '97 Camry, which also had electronic assist steering. I like the xB's steering - I'm sure I'm not the only one that notices how the steering stiffens up a little when you start to go really fast.
It's also generally against the law to drive in neutral...but so is speeding.



Again, I thought the fluid was constantly flowing in a tranny when the engine was on. FWIK, the tranny has multiple hydraulic lines, but one of them continuously runs fluid to lube all the parts while the car is in motion, and because the oil pump is directly attached to the engine, it ensures the flow of ATF so long as the engine is running...no??? Seriously, any mechanics in the house?

 

It's a freaken AUTOMATIC... There is NO reason to put it in neutral when driving.
If you're that worried about gas mileage, why didn't you buy a hybrid!?!

 

 

UONHxb Said:

by letting the revs drop your not saving any gas.

when youre foot is off the gas the ECU tells the injectors to idle. when this happens the engine is just coasting and it only uses the same amount of fuel as if it is idling sitting still. not only that but when you put the automatic in nuetral it stops lubercating parts in the tranny. when the input shaft spins and drives the pump. there fore your basicly starving the tranny of oil.

in lamens terms, yes its bad for the car.



This is the correct answer!! Putting the car in nuetral will not achieve better gas mileage than just taking your foot off the gas going down the hill. The transmission is also better served by not going to Nuetral as mentioned above.

Lock this thread we are Movin' on

 

AMEN!

 

im not really worried about gas it was more so is it bad to leave it N sometimes going down a hill just really to doo it. but now i know its bad so imma stop

 

Hey guys, let me put a few of these questions to rest.

Transmission Lubrication:
The Transmission oil pump is located at the input shaft. By putting the vehicle in neutral you are releasing a clutch pack inside the transmission, but the input shaft is still turning at all times. The transmission will not lack lubrication as long as the engine is running, your fine.

Putting the vehicle in neutral to save gas:
As someone noted you will get 90+ mpg while in gear and decelerating. This is because the ecu puts the fuel injectors into "fuel cut" mode. You get less gas mileage while idling. So leave the gear in Drive range and allow gravity to keep the vehicle moving, and allow the engines compression in deceleration to keep from accelerating.

Other notes:
You will do no damage to the vehicle by shifting into drive from neutral while driving. The clutch packs disengage and engage and a broad spectrum of rpms, its no different.

 

honestly by my experience... (in an 04 camry SE) it really doesn't hurt the engine a bit by doing what you're doing.
just make sure you dont rev the engine before you put it in drive...

also a major thing to know is that the gas consumption is ONLY dependent upon how much the throttle is open...

so just keep it in drive unless you like the quietness and the coasting in neutral... u dont save or waste gas either ways... hope this helps.