Towing a damaged vehicle (Opel Vectra C)

Towing a damaged vehicle

Strictly speaking, the vehicle should be towed with the drive (front) wheels off the ground (it's best to use a tow truck platform). If you have to tow your vehicle with the front wheels on the ground, follow these guidelines. Avoid towing your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground for long distances.

The car is towed using a special removable towing eye, which is stored together with the on-board tool kit in the luggage compartment. The holes for its installation on the right side of the front and rear bumpers are covered with decorative covers (see illustration 11).



If you need to tow your vehicle, open the mounting socket cover in the front bumper by turning it counterclockwise (see illustration 12) screw in the towing eye and tighten it until it stops, so that the eye of the eye is in a horizontal position. Use only a specially designed rope for towing, or better yet, a rigid rod.

Attention! When choosing a cable or rod, make sure in advance that their design allows you to secure them to the eye of the towing eye!

Attach the towing rope/rigid bar to the eye.

Turn on the ignition to unlock the steering wheel and operate the brake lights, horn and windshield wipers.

When towing the damaged vehicle, the transmission must be in neutral/the selector lever must be moved to the "N" position. Do not forget to release the parking brake lever and turn on the hazard warning lights. Before starting to move, the drivers of both vehicles (towing and towed) the route should be agreed upon among themselves.

Remember that when the engine is off, the car's braking efficiency is significantly reduced due to the fact that the brake booster stops functioning, and you should press the foot brake pedal with significantly more force than usual - the stopping distance will increase. When maneuvering, you will have to apply more force to the steering wheel, since the power steering pump will also not function.

If necessary, activate the air circulation system (with appropriate equipment) and close the windows to prevent exhaust gases from the towing vehicle from entering the passenger compartment.

Driving should be done only at moderate speeds, along the shortest route and in compliance with the maximum speed limit. Avoid sudden braking, acceleration and maneuvering. Remember that when towing a vehicle along the edge of a dirt road, there is always a risk of skidding to the side of the road. Models equipped with an automatic transmission (AT) can be towed on all four wheels only in forward motion at a speed not exceeding 80 km/h and at a distanceno more than 100 km.

Attention! Failure to comply with the specified restrictions may result in transmission failure! If it is necessary to exceed these indicators, as well as in the event of AT failure, towing is allowed only with the leading (front) wheels off the ground!

In the event that another vehicle needs towing assistance, the towing eye is screwed into the socket on the rear bumper. The requirements for installing the eye are the same as for installing it at the front. When starting off and changing gears, the driver of the towing vehicle must pay special attention to the smooth release of the clutch. The driver of the towed vehicle must try to constantly keep the towing strap taut to avoid jerking and running over it with wheels (for these reasons, using a rigid bar is preferable).

Caution: Excessive traction force may cause damage to vehicles!

Towing for the purpose of starting the engine (emergency start)

Note: Towing starting is not possible on AT equipped models.

Warning! All models covered in this Manual are equipped with a catalytic converter - starting the engine by towing may damage it! This method of starting the engine should only be used in cases of extreme necessity, and the vehicle may be moved no more than 50 m.

Before attempting to tow the vehicle to start the engine, attempt to start the engine using an external auxiliary power source (see below).

On models with manual transmission, petrol engines can be started by towing - turn on the ignition, fully depress the clutch pedal and engage second or third gear, then signal the driver of the towing vehicle to start moving. When both vehicles start moving, smoothly release the clutch pedal. As soon as the engine starts, press the clutch pedal and disengage the gear to avoid running into the towing vehicle.