Yes, we can still tow it. A car that is stuck in park, stuck in gear or completely dead is loaded onto a flatbed on skates, or carried with dollies under the wheels that would touch the road, so nothing is dragged. It adds a $25 special-equipment charge to the tow: $155 instead of $130 for 10 miles, the same at any hour. The one thing to do is tell the dispatcher it won’t go into neutral when you call.
Call dispatch: (414) 279-5510“Does it go into neutral?” is the question our dispatchers ask more than any other. Callers often hear it as a hurdle, as if the wrong answer means no tow. It doesn’t. The answer only decides which truck comes and what the driver brings. Here is why we ask, what happens when the answer is no, and what it costs.
Why neutral matters to a tow truck
In park, an automatic transmission locks itself with a small metal catch so the driven wheels can’t turn. In gear with the engine off, a manual does much the same job through the engine. Either way, two of the car’s wheels are held still. Pull that car and those tires don’t roll, they scrape, and the force goes into the transmission.
In neutral the wheels turn freely. A driver can winch the car straight up a flatbed, or lift one end and let the other end roll. That is quicker and needs no extra equipment. So the question is really “do the wheels turn?” A car with a locked steering column, a seized brake or a wheel that has come off gets the same treatment as one stuck in park.
What we use when the car won’t roll
Three pieces of equipment do the work. Our tow trucks carry them.
A flatbed
The deck tilts down to the ground and a winch pulls the car up onto it. All four wheels ride off the road, so nothing in the drivetrain turns on the way to the shop. This is what we send for a car that won’t go into neutral.
Skates
Hard, slick pads the driver sets under the wheels that are locked. The winch then slides the car up the deck on the pads instead of dragging rubber across steel. Skates are what get a car in park onto a flatbed.
Dollies
A small set of wheels that goes under the pair of tires that would otherwise stay on the road. The dollies roll and the car’s own wheels don’t. They are used with a wheel-lift truck, and for a car with a broken wheel, axle or tie rod.
Which one the driver uses depends on the car. An all-wheel-drive, hybrid, electric, low or damaged car goes on the flatbed every time. More on that choice is in flatbed vs wheel-lift towing.
What it adds to the price
Our rate sheet adds a $25 special-equipment charge to a tow when the car needs skates or dollies. Nothing else about the price changes: the tow itself is priced by the loaded miles, and the total is the same at noon and at 2 a.m.
The dispatcher gives you the whole figure on the call, before the truck leaves. If the driver arrives and the job is not what was described, for instance the car turns out to be in a garage or a wheel is off, the dispatcher re-quotes before any work starts. How the mileage part works is on the towing cost guide.
What to tell dispatch
Six answers, and “I’m not sure” is fine for any of them.
What you can try before the truck comes
None of this is required. If the car is in traffic, skip it and stay safe.
Make it safe first
If the car is on a slope and you are not sure whether it is in gear, set the parking brake and put something solid behind a tire. A car that does pop into neutral will roll.
Try the shifter the normal way once
Foot firmly on the brake, key on or the start button pressed without cranking, then move the shifter. Many cars will not release the shifter unless the brake pedal is down and the ignition is on.
Look for the shift-lock release
Most automatic cars have a manual override near the shifter, often under a small cap, for exactly this. Your owner’s manual shows where it is and how to use it. If you can’t find it, leave it for the driver.
Don’t force it and don’t let anyone drag it
Forcing the lever breaks the shifter. Pulling a car that is still in park drags locked wheels, which ruins tires and can damage the transmission. Neither saves the tow.
Call, and say it won’t go into neutral
Call (414) 279-5510 and lead with that sentence. The dispatcher sends a flatbed with skates and gives you the price with the equipment charge in it before the truck leaves.
A dead electric car: getting it into tow mode
An electric car has no neutral in the old sense. Most have a tow or transport mode that frees the wheels, and the setting lives in the car’s screen or a menu, which means it needs power. That power comes from a small 12-volt battery, separate from the big drive battery. When the 12-volt battery is flat, the screen is dark and the car can’t be told to let go of its wheels.
So the driver works in this order. First, boost the 12-volt battery so the car wakes up. Second, set tow or transport mode the way the owner’s manual for that model says. Third, winch the car onto the flatbed. If the car still won’t free its wheels, it goes up on skates like any other car that won’t roll. An electric car always rides on the deck with all four wheels off the road, because turning its wheels on the pavement turns its motor. The same goes for hybrids and all-wheel drive: see can a tow truck tow an AWD or electric car?
If the car needs that boost before it can be loaded, the boost is a jump start on top of the tow, and the dispatcher gives you one all-in number. Tell us on the call if the screen is completely dark.
Won’t-go-into-neutral FAQ
Can you tow a car that won’t go into neutral?
Yes. A car that is stuck in park, stuck in gear or has no power still gets towed. The driver sets skates under the locked wheels and winches the car onto a flatbed, or puts dollies under the wheels that would stay on the road, so the drivetrain is never dragged. Tell the dispatcher it won’t go into neutral when you call (414) 279-5510 so the right truck comes the first time.
Why does the dispatcher ask if my car goes into neutral?
Because the answer decides the truck and the equipment. A car that rolls can be winched straight onto a flatbed or lifted by one axle. A car that won’t roll needs skates or dollies and a few more minutes of loading. It is the most common question our dispatchers ask, and knowing the answer before the truck leaves saves a second trip.
Does it cost more to tow a car that won’t go into neutral?
Yes, by a special-equipment charge of $25 on our rate sheet. A 10-mile tow is $130 for a car that rolls and $155 for one that needs skates or dollies, and the figure is the same at 2 a.m. The dispatcher gives you the whole price on the call before the truck leaves.
Why won’t my car shift out of park?
The usual causes are a dead battery (the shifter lock needs power to release), a brake-light switch that no longer tells the car your foot is on the brake, a parking pawl jammed by parking on a slope without the parking brake, or a fault in an electronic shifter. A tow truck driver can try the manual shift-lock release. The repair itself is for your mechanic.
Do you need my keys if the car is dead?
Yes. The key or fob lets the driver unlock the steering, release the parking brake and try for neutral, which makes loading faster and gentler on the car. If there is no key, the car is loaded as one that won’t roll, with skates or dollies.
How is a dead electric car put into tow mode?
Most electric cars have a tow or transport mode that frees the wheels, and it needs the car’s small 12-volt battery to be awake. If the 12-volt battery is flat, the driver boosts it first, then sets the mode and loads the car. If it still won’t free the wheels, the car goes up on skates. Either way an electric car rides on a flatbed with all four wheels off the road. Your owner’s manual has the exact steps for your model.
Can you tow an all-wheel-drive car that won’t go into neutral?
Yes, on a flatbed. An all-wheel-drive car should not be towed with any of its wheels turning on the road, in neutral or not, so it is winched onto the deck on skates and rides there. It costs the same as any other tow that needs the equipment.