regular,towing with an accord auto.

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berge

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for various reasons, I have decided to get rid of my 'work truck', a 1990 Mazda MPV 4cyl/5spd., and just get a utility trailer to hook up to my 1994 accord wagon, automatic.
the trailer weighs about 500lbs. and I would have approx. 500lbs. weight in there with an occasional load of 900lbs.
I've scoured all the auto mnfct. sites and, in north america, there seems to be a generic 1000lb. limit for towing with a trailer without brakes, but the same automakers in their asia, europe, australian sites double the ratings to 2000lbs for the same setup with same vehicle.
volvo, which seems to be the only one that tested their vehicles recommends 2700lbs across the board.

the question is, has anyone towed with a vehicle similar to mine and other that a transmission cooler and more frequent atf changes, are there any tips or insights you can share with me. Also, I'm clueless on hitches, should I just go with whatever the hithc installer is recommending? is there a difference. the trailer would be unhooked/hooked 4-5 times /week.

thanks.
 
for a class 1 hitch (which is what you will probably get) the max load is 200lbs on the tongue and 2000 lbs without trailer brakes. as youve already found out, manf put trailer weight limits on their auto's which are less then the hitch limit.

i went to uhaul website and oddly enough, for youre 94 wagon they recomend a 2500lbs max tow limit.
 
Does the vehicle have any already existing provisions for a hitch? Sometimes there are already bolt holes on the chassis for a particular style hitch that can make installation easier, but if you're having someone else install it then it probably doesn't matter.

I'd definitely go with a good sized ATF cooler and spring for a ATF temp gauge too; above 180 deg. F or so isn't ideal. You might want to keep an eye on engine oil temps too since you'll be loading her up a bit more.
 
Funny, my 04 saab 9-3 is rated to tow 3500 lb in auto or manual trans setups. Of course, the trailer must be "properly equipped".

Other than watching your AT fluid quality (and maybe adding LC), Id just make sure that you have a good, well installed hitch so that your car does not get ruined.

JMH
 
Does your Saab 9-3 have the 13-pin trailer connector? It'd be in the trunk somewhere, probably near the rear fuse panel. The service manual gives me the impression that this is a standard feature.
 
I have a 1994 Grand Prix with the 3100 v6 and have used it a LOT over the years to haul 1000-3000 lbs (trailer plus stuff). The biggest issue is brakes, with the weight you're talking about you'll be ok. Definitely get a transmission cooler which was already mentioned and don't overload it beyond what you've mentioned. Load it up and try an emergency stop before you really get into an emergency to make sure your brakes are adequate. On older cars I've found that eventually the radiator gets dinged up and doesn't cool as well under towing conditions and can get hot. You may need to clean out the radiator and straighten the fins up to improve things if it is getting hot. I've always changed my transmission fluid every 30,000 miles and have had no issues and my odometer hit 195,000 this morning. Get the biggest transmission cooler that will fit.
 
I tow an trailer w/ATV with my 04 Accord fairly often and have yet to need anything "more" for my towing needs.

Total weight (gross) is at the limit of 1k lbs. For the Accord, only class 1 hitches are manufactured. And regardless of what the hitch may handle, you should not go far over the manfacutures specs for towing.

Its a saftey thing, not what the car can actually pull. There's safety built into the 1k limit for braking, handleing, body type of car, and of course the drivetrain.

On my two Honda's, the hitch bolts directly to the tow hook on the Accord and CR-V then two bolts to the "frame" or holes drilled into the trunk with backing plates used. Well, you know darn well that tow hook alone can hold more than 1k lbs, but when towing at 65 mph, think of the constant load spikes the hitch (and car) will see. Do you really want to test the limits the manufacture set? I dont!

And if you stay within the limit for these cars, there's no need for aftermarket coolers. Just change the fluids more often, and keep your brakes in top shape.
 
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