The P5: What Would You Change?

[Sethodine]

????? Where did you hear that the transmission has not bee rated for towing and by whom?????

If you dig through the threads on the transmission / powertrain I'm sure you'll find it, but I first was alerted to this by the tour folks when I went to go see the P4, back in August.

 

[W. WIllie]

The "vehicle was not rated for towing", same as My G1. People have made lightweight trailers and towed with the G1 though. Some hit in mpg was the results.

 

[Trusting]

I've got a '98 Mazda B2500 pickup, 4 cylinder and 71,000 miles and have had almost no problems. After I bought it (new) I read everything I could find about towing a trailer. The word was "don't", it's not suitable, can't handle it, etc. Being a contrary SOB I did it anyway. Screwed a ball in the hole in the bumper and hooked up my boat trailer with my 17' trimaran, and was off. I don't know how much the rig weighed but I would guess about 700 lbs. I've hauled it probably a couple of thousand miles, including up and down the Texas hill country. No problem. The point is, you can't believe what the manufacturers tell you, they're out to cover their own..... Now, I don't think an Elio could have pulled that boat, but I bet it could pull a couple of hundred lbs. The problem I see is how to put a trailer hitch on it.

 

[ehwatt]

Does any wizard in here know the heaviest (gross wt) vehicle in which the Elio transmission has been installed? Seems like a decent indication of transmission capacity.

 

[Sethodine]

Does any wizard in here know the heaviest (gross at) vehicle in which the Elio transmission has been installed? Seems like a decent indication of transmission capacity.

I know some of the (non-North American) Toyota Yaris had the Aisin BC5 / MC5 transmissions

 

[NSTG8R]

Does any wizard in here know the heaviest (gross wt) vehicle in which the Elio transmission has been installed? Seems like a decent indication of transmission capacity.

I think the Toyota Yaris uses the Aisin MC5. It rolls in at 1440 kg which is around 3100 lbs. That seems kind of heavy to me given the size of the car, but that's what the spec says...so who am I to argue.

http://www.car-specs.za.net/car.aspx?specs=toyota-yaris-1.0-t1-3-door-2008-11-7340

 

[NSTG8R]

I know some of the (non-North American) Toyota Yaris had the Aisin BC5 / MC5 transmissions

Dang! Beat me to it!

 

[NSTG8R]

Does any wizard in here know the heaviest (gross wt) vehicle in which the Elio transmission has been installed? Seems like a decent indication of transmission capacity.

Okay...Given the Elio is nearly 1/3 the weight of the Yaris, the Elio transaxle won't even break a sweat hauling you, a passenger, and whatever you can stuff in it. A trailer is sounding very feasible after my warranty expires.

 

[ehwatt]

Okay...Given the Elio is nearly 1/3 the weight of the Yaris, the Elio transaxle won't even break a sweat hauling you, a passenger, and whatever you can stuff in it. A trailer is sounding very feasible after my warranty expires.

So, there are Two of you. Thank you gentle wizards.

 

[Sethodine]

So, there are Two of you. Thank you gentle wizards.

I've been called a lot of things in my life.

"Gentle wizard" is a new one