Hi guys! I'm a first time poster, but long time reader (i've been reading off and on since before I even got my s2000 in '03). I know you have a great group of posters here, so hopefully you can help me out.

Long story short (hopefully):

My car stumbled and died on me on my way home from work, and it wouldn't start back up. I could tell the fuel pump quit on me because it was cranking just fine, but I couldn't hear the fuel pump prime when I switched the ignition on. I call my roadside assistance company, which was contracted by my insurance company, and they sent out a tow truck from a local towing company. The truck driver arrived in a non-flatbed, hooks up the car from the front, leaving the rear wheels on the floor, says we're good to go. I argue with him for a little while because I thought I remembered that you shouldn't tow rear wheel drive cars from the front, and that he should at least use dollies, or have them send out a flatbed. He assures me several times that it's ok with this car because it's a manual transmission. Stupidly, I listen to the "expert" and allow him to tow me home (~7 miles).

So a couple days later, I replaced the fuel pump at home, and when I first drove it, it started making a whirring noise that got louder and louder and louder the faster I went. Uh-oh. So I immediately think about the tow, and I look in the owners manual, and sure enough, it says flatbed tow only, but it doesn't say why. I did look around here on this website, and there doesn't seem to be a lot of very specific info on this, but what kind of damage can this really do to a differential?

It drove fine, aside from the noise. It almost seemed like the car was a little slower to turn in, but that could very easily have been my mind playing tricks on me. I'm not driving it now, until I figure out where to go with this. I did drive it again a few days later, just to listen to the noise again and try and rule out a wheel bearing or something else, and the noise had actually gotten a lot quieter, but I still don't want to risk driving it a lot until I know what's up.

I called the tow company, spoke to the owner, and he was an unadulterated 100% asshole jerk, who basically called me a liar, and was an all-round lousy person.

I filed a claim with my insurance company to let them deal with the tow company. They contacted the towers, and they insisted they used dollies (lying scum). My insurance assigned me an "automotive forensics" guy who told me I could take the car to a shop, have them open up the differential so he could come take a look, and if it looks like there was damage caused by towing, they could get the tow truck company to foot the bill for repairs. The problem with that is I would be on the hook for the bill for the teardown, as well as any replacement parts or anything if it turns out that there is damage and they can't prove it was caused by the towing. If there's no damage at all, I'm still out ~$400 bucks just for having a shop tear the thing down (I got a quote from a shop. Does that seem high? I'm not sure how much they'd need to take it apart to see if there is damage) so the "automotive forensics" guy could look at it.

The only way I wouldn't be out at least $400, it sounds like, is if there is some damage, and it can be shown that it was a result of the towing.

Any advice anyone? I see a few people saying that towing it like that probably won't damage it, but what about that noise? The noise has gotten even quieter now.

I'm wondering if maybe when it was towed, the gear fluid settled into the back of the casing so it was running dry for a while and making the noise, and then as the fluid settled back down into where it was supposed to be, the sound went away. If that's the case, what kind of damage could just running dry for ~7-10ish miles cause?

So much for keeping it short!

Any input would be much appreciated. Thanks everyone!

 

I am pretty sure but could be wrong. The reason the manual states no towing from the front is because the car is so low it can rip the bumper exhaust etc.

You could drain the diff fluid that is probably what they are going to do, see if there are bad signs.


Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

 

Can you get a good look inside just through the drain and filler holes? I've actually never opened that up before myself.

 

Towing a RWD car on its rear wheels is not a serious problem. This is not much different than coasting down a very long hill but with the added advantage of the tranny being in neutral. In this scenario, the rear wheels turn the diff, which drives the propshaft, which turns the output side of the tranny. That's very little resistance. RWD drive cars have been towed behind motorhomes with all wheels on the ground for decades on road trips of thousands of miles. Your 7 miles is insignificant.
Your noise may be coincidental with what recently happened or it may very well be the repositioning of the diff fluid when the car was lifted up at an angle. If in doubt, do a fluid change, inspect the magnet, inspect the fluid that comes out. However, this is contingent upon whether or not you messing with it will void any insurance investigation.
No, you won't be able to see much through the drain hole and you won't even get close enough to the fill hole to look in, not that you'll see anything there either.

 

On a side note, if they do something you don't like, you should use your phone to take a picture. At least they'd be on the hook for lying about the dollies.

 

unless you left it in gear then it will defenetly ruin parts of the drivetrain including the diff but if it was left in neutral without the the ebrake then there shouldnt be any problems, it would be the exact same thing as coasting, might just be a coincidental mishap with the sound your hearing.
but all tow companies are going to be assholes, its there job and it sucks but its not their fault, of course they didnt take the proper procedures to tow your car in a flat bed but other than that if it wasnt left in gear then everything should be fine unless they damaged the car physically, which could easily happen. but good luck hope you figure everything out

 

So tow companies employees get paid to be assholes? I find this very hard to believe.

Do they have shitty jobs? Sometimes yes

Do they hae shitty customers? Sometimes yes

But thats still no excuse for any human being to treat a paying customer like crap.

 

Thanks for the input, xviper (how long have you been on this forum now? haha), and the rest! Yeah, when I really thought about it, It seemed like it should be no different than rolling down a long hill in neutral. It's good to get others' opinion on it too tho, just for the piece of mind, because the last thing I need is to have the diff lock up on me on the freeway or something. The sound probably meant it was running dry with the fluid in the back of the case, I guess, so I'll change the fluid, check for teeth or scraps of metal or anything that comes out of there, and if nothing does, I'll consider it taken care of. And I'll write a scathing Yelp review on that tow truck company

ASAP Towing in Miramar, San Diego -- avoid them!

Thanks everyone!

 

its not like they get paid to be assholes but after time of people always treating you bad and trying to walk over you, they develop a really bad attitude, so everything is intertwined

 

Towing CAN be very damaging. I have NEVER had one s2k come off a flat bed and not get scratched and the nose pushed up. Someone who cares will use mulitple planks to avoid the car touching the bed, but most dont. I personally advise my customers against any flatbedding. If you get a flat tire, do yourself and your car a favor and change it yourself. Think of a flatbed as a last resort.

I say this as a tow truck driver 20 years ago, and a current flatbed operator.

The dif will not starve for oil, even if you drive straight up a wall. So the tow angle was NOT the cause.

Did they use a wheel lift which lifted the front tires?

Towing an S2000 with the rear wheels on the ground is the same as engine braking, with even LESS of a load on the dif. It should not harm it at all....especially in 7 miles.

Even the transmission oil pump is rear wheel driven and is in operation anytime the car is rolling, running or not.