Towing Chevy Spark 4 Down: Can a Chevy Spark Be Flat Towed?
Modern cars have far more advanced parts these days than older cars. These upgrades do have a cost. You may not be able to flat-tow a vehicle without a lot of hassles and problems to overcome. Sometimes it is better to put the car on a trailer and tow it that way.
According to the 2020 Chevy Spark owner’s manual, only the manual transmission version of this vehicle can be flat towed. The automatic cannot be towed with all four wheels down. Also for the 2017-18 models electronic stability control (ESC) brake activation of one wheel may occur. That would give you problems.
To learn more about this issue, just continue to read our article. It has the information you need to know about so you can tow your Spark safely and easily. If you can tow it at all. Take a few minutes to get up to speed on this topic.
Can a Chevy Spark Be Flat Towed?
There seems to be only one answer to flat towing a Chevy Spark. The car needs to have a manual transmission to do it. This answer applies to the 2019 Spark as well as the other models we have already mentioned.
For the Spark with a manual transmission, you will need to put it in neutral and disconnect the negative battery cable. When you do that, you also have to install an outlet kit part. That part powers the supplemental braking system.
The Spark with an automatic transmission needs to be towed on a dolly. Plus, you would need a supplemental braking system as more states are requiring that safety feature.
Yes, you can flat tow one type of Chevy Spark but you will need the proper safety equipment to make sure it brakes properly when towed. Some owners have tried to tow automatics but they have had nothing but problems with this act.
Check your owner’s manual as it will mention if the vehicle can be flat towed or not. If the manual doesn’t say it can or provide instructions on how to do it, then you can’t flat tow the Spark.
Which Chevy Spark Can Be Flat Towed?
It seems that only the LS 5-speed manual Spark can be flat towed. All the other models may require a dolly to get them where you want them to be. However, with a dolly set up, you will have to take into account the added weight.
This is important to do because you cannot go over the tow weight limits with your RV. Flat towing is popular because the equipment needed to tow a vehicle adds almost no weight to your vehicle. The dolly and its equipment will.
People want to tow the Spark because it is probably the lightest vehicle you can tow behind an RV. This fact brings a lot of benefits to the RV owner. You save on fuel consumption and wear & tear on your RV’s braking system.
Plus, you have less weight to tow uphill and your RV’s transmission doe snot get overworked. The 2022 Chevy Spark is also one of the shortest vehicles you can tow. It measures 11 feet 9 inches, older Sparks are shorter.
What Year Chevy Spark Can Be Flat Towed
This car has an interesting history but before we get to that, we did not find a model year that could not be flat towed. But it could only be flat towed if it had a manual transmission.
The cars that Americans drive are the 3rd and 4th generations. The first two generations were made and sold in South Korea under the name Matiz. The 3rd generation Sparks came out in 2013 and was produced till 2015 when the 4th generation took over.
The South Korean car maker Daewoo was bought by GM in 2002 and many of its cars bore the GM badge when exported out of that country. The future does not look bright for the Chevy Spark.
The car and all of its models are slated to end production in October of this year. What GM will replace it with is unknown at this time. The car was an exact duplicate of the Daewoo Matiz and was advertised as having interchangeable parts.
Can You Tow a Chevy Spark Behind a Motorhome?
Yes, you can but you have to be careful when doing this. Check the owner’s manual for the proper towing instructions. Following those will save you a lot of frustration and problems.
For example, when you go around curves or make a turn, the wheels can squeal on you. The reason for this noise is that the electronic stability control (ESC) brake activation will activate. It may only activate in one wheel but that is enough to produce that annoying squeal.
The revised towing instructions for the 2017-2018 Spark are as follows:
1. Position the vehicle to tow and then secure it to the motorhome.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Shift the transmission to Neutral.
4. Disconnect the negative battery cable to the battery. (See the “negative battery cable disconnection" procedure below.)
5. Cover the negative battery post with a non-conductive material to prevent any contact with the negative battery terminal.
6. Release the parking brake.
When you are getting ready to unhook your Spark, make sure to park on a level section of ground or pavement.
Some Final Words
Towing is not easy these days. Modern vehicles have too many safety devices installed making it hard to flat tow your vehicle. This can be done with the Chevy Spark if you follow instructions and use the version with the manual transmission.
For the automatic version, you will have to use a dolly and that will add weight to your set up. Make sure to factor that extra weight in before you pack your RV.
