Lubricating the transaxle before towing 4-down

[JoelP]

My DW and I have had discussions about the procedure for flat towing our 2016 Ford CMax Energi. I have made it a practice to disconnect the CMax when setting up and driving it for a few minutes in the morning before hooking it up to insure that the transaxle is well lubricated. By driving it I was able to make sure that the engine ran rather than just the PHEV motor. As I read the Ford manual it only says to run the engine for one minute before towing. I believe that I can run the AC and force the engine to run even if the PHEV batteries have a charge. Is that enough without driving it?

I am camped tonight in a regional park as an overnight. They asked if I planned to detach the toad. I said I planned to do that, but learned that there is an additional charge of $12 if I detach. My plan tomorrow is to run the engine without detaching. I will certainly save time. Am I at risk of harming the transaxle?

 

[CharlesinGA]

No different than what Ford says to do, I don't see that its an issue. They just want fluid circulated thru all of the passages and bearings.

Charles

 

[Kirk]

While I would agree with Charles, I also think that driving it is a good practice so would do that in most cases when there isn't a reason not to.