Does a 2014 Smart fortwo Need a Stop Light Switch When Flat Towing  

Question:

Expert Reply:

Essentially you need both. The diode kit # RM-15267 powers the lights of your 2014 Smart fortwo so that you'll have running, brake, and turn signals while it's being flat towed. Then the Stop Light Switch Kit # RM-751437 is used to alert you whenever the brake pedal of the Smart car is being applied. It taps into the brake light switch and makes sure the supplemental braking system is working correctly.

In addition to the lighting and stop light switch you'll also need a base plate kit, compatible tow bar, some safety cables, a supplemental braking system, and likely a high-low adapter.

The base plate kit I recommend is the Roadmaster # 52285-1. It's custom designed for your Smart car and compatible with the Falcon 2 # RM-520 which is one of our most popular tow bars. The safety cables we always suggest are # RM-643 because they're plenty long enough and coiled so they don't drag on the ground.

Your vehicle needs to have the battery disconnected while flat towing. Instead of having to pull the battery cable each time the easy way is the add a Battery Disconnect Switch # RM-766. This way you can just flip a switch and the battery is disconnected and then flip it back to reconnect.

For a supplemental braking system the SMI Stay-IN-Play DUO # SM99251 is a favorite around here because of how reliable it is and it's easier to install than many other permanently installed systems. I like the installed systems over the portable ones because once you have it in the car you don't have to worry about it. The portable systems need to be set up each time you tow.

Finally, you'll likely need a high-low adapter. I've attached an article to help you determine the correct rise or drop your setup requires. I've also linked our selection of adapters for you to look at once you know what you need.

In addition to my recommendations I've linked some articles on flat towing that you may find helpful.

expert reply by: Charles S

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