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Old 10-16-2013, 05:24 PM   #285 (permalink)
RedDevil
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Nieuwegein, the Netherlands
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Red Devil - '11 Honda Insight Elegance
Team Honda
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It depends a lot on how aerodynamic that tow is. If it is it would hardly add any stress at all. If it follows the template it could even reduce total drag so it would wear less on the transmission, not more.
Remember cars should be able to handle the power they can produce by design. A long climb uphill without a tow would strain the transmission just as much as towing something heavy and unaerodynamical on the flat.

When in doubt adjust your speed... or measure gear box temp.
I have a cheap digital thermometer that I attach to whatever I want to measure. Was intake air, but now I have my UltraGauge that's not needed anymore so it can boldly go where no temp sensor has gone before...

The Insight has a maximum tow weight of exactly 0 pounds (or stone, ounces, milligrams, you name it) so I have a rooftop box to take the family stuff for a weekend off (need to talk with the wife again about that...)
The rooftop box adds 25% to my fuel consumption. I bet a small trailer would cost me less!
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2011 Honda Insight + HID, LEDs, tiny PV panel, extra brake pad return springs, neutral wheel alignment, 44/42 PSI (air), PHEV light (inop), tightened wheel nut.
lifetime FE over 0.2 Gmeter or 0.13 Mmile.


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