2012 Honda Ridgeline Owner's Manual - Page 393

Emergency Towing, If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck If your vehicle needs to be towed, call a professional towing service or organization. Never tow your vehicle with just a rope or chain. It is very dangerous. The only way you can safely tow your vehicle is with flat-bed equipment. The operator will load your vehicle on the back of a truck. Any other method of towing will damage the drive system. When you contact the towing agency, inform them a flat-bed is required. If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck If your vehicle gets stuck in sand, mud, or snow, call a towing service to pull it out (see the previous column). TIE DOWN HOOK REAR TIE DOWN HOOK Towing your vehicle with two tires on the ground will damage parts of the 4WD system. It should be transported on a f lat-bed truck or trailer. FRONT For very short distances, such as freeing the vehicle, you can use the tie down hooks on the lower of the front and rear bumpers. ''Rocking'' your vehicle between f orward and reverse gear or revving up the engine and allowing the wheels to spin f reely at high speeds can damage the automatic transmission. Use a tow service to prevent transmission damage. Taking Care of the Unexpected CONTINUED 385