Why was this HUGE Screw-like thing in my Leaf??!! Confused

[fc123]

Have had my Leaf for 2 weeks now. ~600miles on it and loving it. Yesterday, my wife was in the passenger street and felt something below the carpet mat with her foot. To my surprise, we found a huge screw like object under the floor mat passenger side. Will try to post a photo of it soon. It's length is roughly the diameter of a small/medium pumpkin and it's about 1-2 inches thick. Any idea what/when this should be used?? I couldn't find any reference to it in the owners manual or on the web. Any thoughts?? My guess is something accidentally left there during final car assembly. Or perhaps left there by the dealer? I haven't heard other owners mention having found one. I am planning to remove from the car unless there's some good use for it. Thx!




Blue S with QC
Orange County, CA

 

[TonyWilliams]

I assume it's from assembly with sloppy workers. Please get us a pic!!!

 

[Spies]

Sounds like the tow hook. If it is just put it in the jack parts bag in the rear drivers side quarter panel of the vehicle.

 

[Spies]

Here is a picture I found of the tow hook

 

[fc123]

Thanks!! You are right. It was the tow hook you showed in your picture. Hope I'll never need it. But I better keep in the car just in case.

 

[ebill3]

Look at the driver's side front of the car. There should be a small removable panel. Wrap a screwdriver in a rag, find the slot at the bottom, and gently pry off the panel. That is where you use the tow hook when you run out of battery and need to be flat-bedded.

I suspect most tow truck drivers know the system, as a similar set-up is common on several other makes of cars.

 

[cwerdna]

^^^
Priuses also have a similar tow hook.

 

[UBUYGAS]

It's a weapon you use it to fight off crazy motorcycle drivers!

 

[Turnover]

The tow truck driver we ran into last year refused to use it as he "knew better." It ended up with damage to our Leaf's undercarriage totaling almost $4K. Don't assume a driver knows ...

 

[stjohnh]

IT'S NOT A TOW HOOK !!

It is a tie-down hook and only used to hold the car in place if car is placed on a flat bed truck. See pg 6-14 and 6-15 in the 2013 manual. Specifically says Do NOT use hook to tow vehicle.

 

[ObjetDart]

IT'S NOT A TOW HOOK !!

It is a tie-down hook and only used to hold the car in place if car is placed on a flat bed truck. See pg 6-14 and 6-15 in the 2013 manual. Specifically says Do NOT use hook to tow vehicle.

He's right, that's what it says. Interesting because I asked the dealer about that hook when I leased the car and he said it was for pulling the car out if it gets stuck. Guess I should know better than to listen to what the dealer says, huh!

 

[ebill3]

IT'S NOT A TOW HOOK !!

It is a tie-down hook and only used to hold the car in place if car is placed on a flat bed truck. See pg 6-14 and 6-15 in the 2013 manual. Specifically says Do NOT use hook to tow vehicle.

Correct, it is not a tow hook. But it is also not a tie down hook. My 2011 manual calls it a recovery hook. It also says do not use a tie down hook for towing, which is different from the recovery hook. The manual again says to not use the recovery hook or tie down hook (two separate items) to tow the vehicle.

The dealer is correct - the item under discussion is used to free a stuck vehicle.

 

[stjohnh]

Correct, it is not a tow hook. But it is also not a tie down hook. My 2011 manual calls it a recovery hook. It also says do not use a tie down hook for towing, which is different from the recovery hook. The manual again says to not use the recovery hook or tie down hook (two separate items) to tow the vehicle.

The dealer is correct - the item under discussion is used to free a stuck vehicle.[/quote]

Hmm.. confusing, the 2013 manual pg 6-15 shows a drawing of an item that appears to be the one in the photo and calls it a tie-down hook. There is also mentioned a "recovery hook" but no drawing of the recovery hook. The wording suggests these are 2 different items, but it is not clear. It also says "Do not use the tie down hook for towing or vehicle recovery." Since the "recovery hook" would logically be used for "recovery," this also suggests the tie-down hook is not the same as the recovery hook......

 

[TonyWilliams]

Hmm.. confusing, the 2013 manual pg 6-15 shows a drawing of an item that appears to be the one in the photo and calls it a tie-down hook. There is also mentioned a "recovery hook" but no drawing of the recovery hook. The wording suggests these are 2 different items, but it is not clear. It also says "Do not use the tie down hook for towing or vehicle recovery." Since the "recovery hook" would logically be used for "recovery," this also suggests the tie-down hook is not the same as the recovery hook......

I think the lawyers are tripping over themselves to limit any liability for Nissan. Maybe they should call it a "weight augmentation device", used only to add weight to the car.

Seriously, use it to pull the car onto a flatbed tow truck, or drag the car out of a ditch, etc. There is no other logical spot to connect tow straps to.

Or you can let the lawyers guide you.

 

[planet4ever]

Correct, it is not a tow hook. But it is also not a tie down hook. My 2011 manual calls it a recovery hook. It also says do not use a tie down hook for towing, which is different from the recovery hook. The manual again says to not use the recovery hook or tie down hook (two separate items) to tow the vehicle.

The dealer is correct - the item under discussion is used to free a stuck vehicle.

Hmm.. confusing, the 2013 manual pg 6-15 shows a drawing of an item that appears to be the one in the photo and calls it a tie-down hook. There is also mentioned a "recovery hook" but no drawing of the recovery hook. The wording suggests these are 2 different items, but it is not clear. It also says "Do not use the tie down hook for towing or vehicle recovery." Since the "recovery hook" would logically be used for "recovery," this also suggests the tie-down hook is not the same as the recovery hook......

ebill3 is right. The layout in the 2013 manual is very confusing, but it doesn't actually say the the hook in the front is a tie-down hook. What they did do was drop the instructions for using the recovery hook and add a picture with an X through it. I think it was supposed to tell us pictorially not to use the recovery hook for towing, but they messed it up quite badly. From the 2011 manual:

Pulling a stuck vehicle
Do not use the tie down hook for towing or vehicle recovery.
Front:

1. Using a suitable tool wrapped with a cloth, remove the hook cover from the bumper.
2. Securely install the recovery hook as illustrated. (The hook is stored in the left side of the cargo area.) Make sure that the hook is properly secured in its original position after use.

Note that the 2013 manual left in a picture of using what looks like a flat head screwdriver to remove the hook cover. Why would you do that in a discussion of recovery if you weren't going to use the recovery hook? They also warn that "Pulling devices should be routed so they do not touch any part of the suspension, steering, brake or cooling systems." Tell me, please, how are you going to do that if you don't use the recovery hook?

Ray

 

[LeftieBiker]

Unless schizophrenia is official Nissan policy now, I'd say that there were originally two different hooks...

 

[stjohnh]

So... I guess the proper name for this item is a "tie-down-nonrecovery hook"?? or is it a "tie-down-recovery hook"? or maybe a "tie-down/recovery nontow hook."? If we are discussing an approriate name for it, it really isn't a "hook" at all, but an "eye" (as in a common "screw-eye" used to hang pictures). Perhaps it should be called a "tie-down/recovery nontow eye??"

BTW has anyone calculated how many kwh are wasted by carrying around a heavy metal object that most users will never use for the life of the car??

 

[CMYK4Life]

I wish I used this device rather than let the towing company put my Leaf on the flatbed a few months ago...

I was really pushing the limits of the car and needed some help getting to the charging station 1/2 mile down the road.

Nothing was broken but itt took so long for him to get it up there then drop it off. It would have taken us 15 mins to pull my car down the road with the flashers on.

 

[rlewis123]

In CA a car being hauled on a trailer or flatbed tow truck has to be secured in 4 places. So any tow truck driver dealing with a leaf might use it to pull it up onto the trailer or flatbed with that tow eye but they will be finding 4 other places to grab onto the car.

"A vehicle transported on a slide back carrier, tow truck or on a trailer shall be secured by at least four tiedown chains, straps, or an equivalent device, independent of the winch or loading cable."

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d13/vc29004.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[westcoastpirate]

I leased a Leaf on Monday evening. The tie down hook was in a plastic bag sitting in the back of the car. Is there a specific place this is stored in the car? Or do you just throw it in with the spare tire?