Can You Flat Tow A Honda Civic? (Things You Must Know)

Setting out for a road trip away from home with your RV or motorhome requires bringing your Honda civic.

And one thing to consider when towing a vehicle is the ease of connection and disconnection.

Flat tows are more convenient and preferable; sadly, not every car is flat towable. But can you flat tow a Honda Civic?.

Yes, you can; it depends on the Honda Civic and its transmission type. According to Honda civic owner manual, you can flat tow Civics with a manual transmission; the automatics can be flat towed, but this is not advisable.  2016(10th generation) Honda Civics are also flat towable, while those before 2016 are not.

Can You Flat Tow a 2021 Honda Civic?

You can’t flat tow a 2021 Honda Civic. According to the Honda owners manual, Honda civics should not be flat towed.

While Honda does not recommend you to flat tow Honda Civic doesn’t mean you can’t. If you follow the proper procedures to tow a Honda Civic, you shouldn’t have a problem with it.

But why did Honda not recommend flat towing for most civic cars?.

The answer is in the transmission type Honda Civics are mostly automatic transmission cars, which is not very suitable for flat towing.

Vehicles with automatic transmissions are to be pulled specially and with more care.

Most Honda Civic cars are delicate machines and, as such, should be appropriately handled.

However, a 2021 Honda Civic, having an automatic transmission unit, makes it easily unsuitable for flat towing.

In addition, you can’t pull the vehicle with all four wheels down while in neutral for long to avoid damaging some internal parts.

An automatic transmission car requires the engine to be started for the pump to supply lubrication to the transmission.

And at a minimum specified speed, If you decide to tow your car, leaving your engine on consumes fuel.

So it’s either you lift your wheel-drive from the ground to haul It with two wheels down or flat tow it for a short distance.

Early releases of  2021 Honda Civics have manual transmission options. But due to some circumstances, this Civic year brand is leaving its manual transmission option. 

These circumstances are more like reasons; the idea behind ditching the manual transmission option is based on customers’ demands.

Also, with the advancement of new automobile technologies, most cars come with auto transmission engines.

Therefore, every car brand will try to meet up with the competition in advance; Honda Civic is not left out of this.

However, this decision made by the manufacturer is for a good reason. The auto transmission also gives the same driving satisfaction as the manual.

Nonetheless, the 2022 release might come with all the features the previous lacks.

Can You Flat Tow a Honda Civic with Manual Transmission?

You can flat tow a Civic with a manual transmission, but you should also check your user manual.

You can’t rely on only its ability to flat-tow; it becomes easier when you have a Civic with front-wheel drive; it makes flat towing free. 

When flat towing your Civic with a manual transmission, put it in neutral and release the brake.

Vehicles with two-wheel drive and manual transmission generally are suitable for flat towing, unlike all-wheel drive cars.

You can’t keep a car with four wheels driven in neutral to pull it, with all the wheels on the road. It has more work and many safety precautions to tow it.

In more detail, a car with manual transmission will start lubrication when its gears begin to spin. When in neutral, the drive wheels rotate, making the output shaft turn.

Also, there is an input shaft in most cars that will turn, too; oil from the transmission keeps these shafts lubricated. 

However, you should note that the inner shaft turns to lubricate the engine or the outer shaft does.

All these are based on the manufacturers who designed them, and they design their lubrication system. 

Can a Honda Civic Be Towed by an RV?

Yes, it can be towed behind an RV. Although, as earlier said, Honda does not advise towing a Honda Civic and some other Honda vehicles.

But if you do it correctly, it would not cause any sort of damage to your car or its internal parts.

So far as you follow proper procedures before and during towing and at the recommended speed, pulling is possible.

The Honda owner’s manual recommends towing your Honda Civic at most at 35 m.p.h and not more than 50 miles.

Also, make some little stops on the road and be careful when making a turn.

These procedures are essential and meant to protect your car. Also, it’s to make sure all the vehicle’s internal parts are appropriately lubricated.

However, deciding to tow your vehicle is your choice and at the car’s warranty cost.

If you tow your Honda more frequently or for more than the recommended mileage, you could be killing the metal parts. So always check your car manual to know what towing is preferably ok for your civic.

The safe towing technique is towing with a dolly or trailer, but it’s not an easy and convenient task with an RV.

This is because some tools and procedures are involved that an average car owner might not be familiar with. So a flat towing is more considerable with an RV. Does Honda Civic DX Have VTEC? (Explained)

Depending on the type of transmission your car has, follow these safety procedures ;

#1. Towing with Manual Transmission 

• Before towing your vehicle, ensure the transmission fluid level is complete in the transmission.
• Set the transmission to neutral.
• Unlock the steering wheel by turning the ignition key to Accessory(1) position
• Release the parking brake.

#2.Towing with automatic transmission

For an automatic transmission car, the procedure is quite much.

To flat tow, a Honda behind an RV, based on tests and experience by the user, shows that the transmission and engine are capable. 

• Also, ensure to get the transmission fluid level gull and not overfilled.
  
• Before towing the car, start the engine and let it run for about three minutes before turning it off.
  
• While the engine’s on, press the brake pedal and shift the pedal to D and N positions.
  
  When doing this, change the pedal to D and let it rest for about 30 seconds, do this for the other position until you reach the N position.
  
• Also, turn the ignition key switch to Accessory(1) or to the roman numeral ‘I’ to release the steering wheel. Then remove the brake.

Make sure you do all this before hitting the road. In addition, make sure you minimize power by switching off and unplugging devices that will use the car battery.

Not correctly preparing before towing your vehicle will damage your car’s transmission. Note that for automatic transmission, repeat the procedures every 8-9 hours.

Also, to connect the tow cable, only utilize a tow cable manufactured for towing and fasten the line to the hitch of your RV. 

Another reliable way to tow a Honda Civic is with a tow dolly. If your Honda is a front-wheel-drive car, you will place the front wheels on the dolly.

It’s also easy to connect to the back of your RV.

Honda Civic TOWING a PICKUP TRUCK!

Conclusion

Always check and stick to your owner’s manual guide recommendations for its towing ability.

Honda Civic is a reliable car brand with a good transmission unit and powertrain that will serve you if adequately maintained.

To tow a Civic, the safest way is with a dolly; there is not much risk of damaging your transmission or other internal parts.