Anyone towing a 2012 and newer VW with auto trans?

[Gingercat]

I have a '14 VW Beetle with DSG transmission, so it will work in Drive, Sport or Manual mode. The manual says that if towing it must be on a flatbed, or on a dolly, but not more than 30 miles and no more than 30 mph. I understand that this is commonly stated in most auto transmissions. I would prefer to tow on a dolly rather than a flat bed. I don't want to give up my car, I get 500 miles out of my 13 gallon tank. But, I don't want to break my car. Anyone have any experience with this? Is this where the driveshaft disconnect comes into play? I looked on the Remco site and it said it must be towed on a dolly, but didn't say anything else. Advise please!! BTW, I'm really enjoying the forum and have gotten lots of good tips from my own questions and by spending literal hours reading others' posts.

 

[Lou Schneider]

Are you sure you're interpreting the manual correctly?  Restrictions on speed and mileage usually apply when the drive wheels are on the ground, to prevent transmission damage.

I'd contact VW directly to confirm their restrictions apply when using a tow dolly to lift the front drive wheels off of the ground.  You may be worrying about a problem that doesn't exist.

 

[Gingercat]

My manual says "If in the following situations, the vehicle cannot be towed and must be transported on a flatbed *no transmission fluid *if the wheels cannot turn *if the battery is dead *If you have to tow an automatic transmission vehicle more than 30 miles.  This is after stating that if you have to tow, the front wheels must be off the ground.

 

[driftless shifter]

Are you sure you're interpreting the manual correctly?  Restrictions on speed and mileage usually apply when the drive wheels are on the ground, to prevent transmission damage.

I'd contact VW directly to confirm their restrictions apply when using a tow dolly to lift the front drive wheels off of the ground.  You may be worrying about a problem that doesn't exist.

I'm with Lou on this. I tow a front wheel drive on a dolly, with the steering locked, in park and the keys in my pocket. as far as the transmission is concerned the car is sitting in the driveway parked. The front wheels could not turn if they wanted to, as the tie downs would prevent them from moving. My dolly has a pivot plate, there are some dollies that require the steering to be unlocked and the steering wheels of the car do the pivoting for turns, that may be a problem, but research will show you that those type dollies, though less expensive, are undesirable. they tend to wear out toad tires and tweak front end alignment.

Bill