https://www.foxnews.com/auto/rv-driver-blows-up-jeep-engine-towingMajor mistake led to huge repair bill
By Gary Gastelu | Fox News
Here’s a lesson on how to flat-tow a vehicle. One you'll definitely remember.
A Florida mechanic has posted video to social media of the aftermath of what can happen when you do it the worst possible way.
Toby Tuten told The Drive he thought it was unusual to see a nearly new 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon come in for service, and once he looked underneath it things got even stranger.
https://youtu.be/P2d3NXp4lDkHe discovered that the entire bottom of the engine had been blown out, exposing the cylinders from beneath and destroying the transmission bell housing, catalytic converter and other components.
It turns out that the owner had been flat-towing the vehicle behind their RV without a trailer and had forgotten to shift the transfer case into neutral, but it was even worse than that.
The transfer case had been left in its low range and the transmission in first gear, which means its rotating wheels had caused the V6 engine to spin to approximately 50,000 RPM on the highway, which is slightly more than its 6,600 rpm redline.
Needless to say, the results were catastrophic and Tuten, who is a Mopar master tech who often works on Jeeps, estimated the parts alone would cost $30,000
For the record, according to Jeep, the correct way to tow a Wrangler is:
-Automatic transmission in PARK
-Manual transmission in gear (NOT in NEUTRAL)
Transfer case in NEUTRAL (N)
Tow in forward direction.
Gary Gastelu is FoxNews.com's Automotive Editor covering the car industry and racing. Follow @foxnewsautos