Can Honda Fit Be Flat Towed? [Answered]

The Honda Fit is a great vehicle. It has lively handling, it is easy to park, it is a great city car, and it has an exceptional fuel economy. Because so many people enjoy the Honda Fit, it is important to know how to take care of it and understand what it can and can’t do. This car appears to be low to the ground, so the idea of flat towing can bring up questions of safety for the owner, and the vehicle.

Before you try and set up your Honda Fit to be flat towed, you need to understand why each part is important and how to flat tow your vehicle. It can be done, but care should be taken when doing this as you do not want your car to be damaged or worn out.

Why Flat Tow?

Before we tell you what you need to do to flat tow your Honda Fit, you should understand why you might flat tow and what it is.

Flat towing is different from the other kinds of towing because it leaves all four wheels on the road instead of just two. You do not need a separate trailer or dolly to tow like this. The equipment needed is small and lightweight. Flat towing is easy to connect and disconnect and the tires of the car being towed get equally worn down instead of just the back ones.

While you can buy all of the parts needed for flat towing separately, you can also buy a flat towing kit that will include everything you need to flat tow your Honda Fit.

Parts Needed

There are several parts that are necessary for flat towing a Honda fit. We will go over what they do and how to know if you are purchasing a good one.

Tow Bar

One of the most important pieces of equipment, when you’re trying to flat-tow a Honda Fit, is the tow bar. It is the main part that connects to the hitch on the towing vehicle. It keeps the Honda from disconnecting from the car that is driving and being damaged. A good tow bar is a non-binding one with long arms for maneuverability.

Base Plate Kit

You need all the parts that connect the base plate to your Honda Fit.

The base plate is what your tow bar connects to on the Honda. You need the kit because you need all the parts that connect the base plate to your Honda Fit. Base plate kits come with different parts to customize them to your vehicle’s needs when it comes to towing and being towed. A good base plate kit will omit any protruding crossbars so it is easier to connect and looks sleeker.

Safety Cables

Safety cables are such an important part of flat towing any vehicle. They are the backup connection should the tow bar or base plate fail. Safety cables are simply strong cables with durable S hooks on either end. They connect under the front of the Honda and on either side of the hitch on the towing vehicle. Almost every safety cable is a good one.

Supplemental Braking System

You cannot tow a car without a supplemental braking system. This part of the towing system will activate the brakes on your Honda Fit at the same time and with the same intensity as you are braking in the towing vehicle. If this was not hooked up when towing, the Honda would crash into the back of your towing vehicle.

A good supplemental braking system requires little adjusting when changing from towing to driving normally. Also, make sure that the brake signal does not interfere with the turn signal when the braking system is installed.

Lighting Solution

A lighting solution is a safety feature sometimes needed when towing. If your braking system does not connect your turn signals or hazards, you need a lighting solution. A good lighting solution is one that very simply lets you connect the tail lights on the Honda to the signal on the towing vehicle. It should work quickly and accurately.

How to Set it Up

Setting up your Honda Fit for towing is not too complicated, but there are some safety elements you should double-check for. These tips and requirements are all in the Honda Fit owners manual.

Manual Transmission

These are very obvious requirements for towing any vehicle, but you have to leave the Honda Fit in neutral and make sure the parking brake is not activated. These are necessary or the wheels on the Honda will not roll when being pulled and it will suffer damage to the tires and can be damaged in other ways as well.

Automatic Transmission

There are a few more steps than the manual transmission when preparing the automatic transmission for towing your Honda Fit.

1. Top off the transmission fluid. Do not overflow the transmission fluid, but also don’t leave it nearly empty.
2. Start the Engine
3. Press down on the brake and move the shift lever through all of the positions.
4. Shift to drive (D) and leave it there for 5 seconds.
5. Shift to neutral (N) and let the engine run for 3 minutes.
6. Turn off the car and put the key back into the accessory position.
7. Release the parking brake

When towing for more than 8 hours, you need to repeat this process every 8 hours so that you do not damage your transmission. When these steps are followed, you should avoid any transmission damage.

Basic Precautions

Making sure everything is set right is so important when flat towing your vehicle. Some basic precautions to take when towing your Honda Fit are:

• Do not exceed 65 mph
• Leave the key in the accessory position so the wheel stays unlocked. Make sure to have another key on you for locking and unlocking the car.
• Leave the radio and dome lights off.
• Unplug any accessories that might wear the battery down while in accessory mode.

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