The little hatch you’ve never heard of
![](http://samove.raa.com.au/app/uploads/2023/07/Distance-shot_hero-with-circle.jpg)
Take a look at the front and/or back bumper of your car and you’ll probably find a little hatch (see the image above).
It’s unlikely you’ll ever need to open this compartment, but it might come in handy one day.
Known as the towing eye cover or cap, it protects a threaded hole designed for the attachment of a towing eye. Which leads to a couple more questions. What is a towing eye and where can I find it?
You’ll find this attachment (below) in your car, usually among the tools used for changing a tyre. If it’s not with the tools, or your car doesn’t have a spare tyre, check the owner’s manual for its location.
![](http://samove.raa.com.au/app/uploads/2023/07/Eye-resized_1082.jpg)
A towing eye can be used with an appropriate, weight-rated cable or strap for winching a broken-down vehicle onto a truck for transport. In most cases, towing companies will have their own equipment. If not, it might be a job for the eye.
Typically, the cover is opened by pushing on a marked patch to release internal catches, but some require an opening tool. Check the owner’s manual to find out how the cover is opened on your vehicle.
![Towing eye cover open](http://samove.raa.com.au/app/uploads/2023/07/Hatch-open.jpg)
The towing eye must be fully screwed into the threaded slot before use. It’ll either have a left-handed thread (screws in anti-clockwise) or a right-handed thread (screws in clockwise).
![Towing eye attached. Image: RAA](http://samove.raa.com.au/app/uploads/2023/07/Tow-eye-in-edited-and-resized-002.jpg)
It’s not designed for distance towing or bog recovery, and never tow an automatic vehicle when its drive wheels are touching the ground – this can seriously damage the transmission.