Faced with a wave of new Chinese names and models, domestic drivers, without hesitation, decide that they know and can do everything. And they begin to exploit the products of the “Celestial Country“ in the same way as they used imported cars from other countries.
In our country, it is not customary to read instructions: whether it is a washing machine or a car, everyone is experienced, has seen everything and understands it. As a result, inconveniences happen regularly: employees of dealerships have a whole bunch of stories when angry customers return, shouting “fraud, fraud“ and after a few minutes and a few clever manipulations of an experienced salesman, they leave, apologizing.
And in this particular case, it may not be often, but it comes to a situation in which the vehicle can lose mobility. And of course, the first thing to do is to accuse the Chinese of negligence and poor quality, which is sometimes appropriate, but in some cases the instructions in the glove compartment can save you.
The most popular example is towing a Chinese car with a rope. There are about a million videos on the Internet showing how various fashionable and beautiful crossovers have a piece of their bumper torn off during “evacuation“ from a snowdrift or muddy terrain. Usually, in addition to individual parts, entire bumpers, headlights and other internal parts are torn off.
All this damage can be repaired, but except for money, nothing can help the nervous system and self-esteem of the car owner - the damage is irreparable there. However, can this disgrace and the subsequent impressive costs be avoided? The answer is clear: of course, yes. But to do this, you need to open the car's operating instructions and read the chapter on the use of the so-called tow hooks. In most Chinese cars, the problem of towing with a rope is described in the service manual.
In order not to be verbose, we will quote: “the best way to tow a broken-down car is with a tow truck and this is (attention!) the preferred way of towing... If it is not possible to use roadside assistance, the vehicle can be temporarily towed with a rigid towbar (!).“
And now, perhaps, the key, which we also quote verbatim: “if the car is stuck in mud, deep holes and cannot move, do not use the tow hook to avoid serious injuries and damage to the car.“ Simply put, you cannot tow the car with a rope. By the way, starting a car by towing is also prohibited - this is also a quote. The towbar can only be used on asphalt, only for short distances and only at speeds up to 40 km/h.
It's a shame to pay a lot of money and not be able to use the tow rope, but such are the realities of Chinese cars. And you can only make claims against yourself. The manufacturer warns of the consequences.