Having had my Superb for a week now, I decided to try out the trailer electrics of the tow bar my dealer fitted (as per the accessories booklet, but the tow bar is a Brinkomatic). The problem is the trailer indicator doesn't come on in the dash when indicators going and the electrics are plugged in.

Now this to me sounds like a wire wrong in the dash, or they haven't fitted an uprated relay assy.

Of those few of us with Superbs, have any of you had the "Skoda" towbar and electrics fitted, or even after market ones. Does the dash indicator work for you?

In my old Octy the trailer flasher worked in the dash, but not this one.

I know a visit to my dealer is coming, I just wondered if I was the only one, seeing as I made a point of stating this was a requirement (and a legal obligation)

Cheers

Given the relatively sophisticated nature of the integrated electrics in modern Skodas (ie the CANbus system), is this a case of the dealer needing to tweak or enable a setting using a VAG diagnostics computer? Just a thought.

So how does this Canbus thing work then?

Cheers

Originally posted by Kentish in this post

So how does this Canbus thing work then?

Cheers

All you ever want to know (and more) about CANbus here http://www.kvaser.se/can/intro/index.htm

Basically, everything electrical on your car is permanently connected to the power supply (battery), and has a CANbus slave chip in it. The CANbus chip controls whether it's on or off (or whatever other options are available).

Instead of switching individual items (lights, etc) on and off, the switches tell the CANbus controller what state they should be in, and the CANbus controller tells each slave chip what to do.

I see (roughly), so now I have something like Win 98 running my car.....:( .

Cheers m8 thi for that link, but I have to say most of it was lost on me, the basic principle I understand tho.

Whats so bloody annoying for me (apart from my nice new car needing dealer attention already) is that Ok, it may be a new model and they probably havent done many or any towbars before on them, but if thats the case why not do and test the work more thoroughly?

There problem is that I am a service engineer myself, and dont suffer problems kindly, usually verbalising rather loudly and forcefully!!

Cheers

Originally posted by Kentish in this post

I see (roughly), so now I have something like Win 98 running my car.....:( .

Nah, it's not that bad, your car won't crash randomly and give you a blue (wind)screen. Think of it as more like Linux; rock-solid reliability, but nobody wants to get involved with it

There is a very marginally more understandable thread about CANbus here.

Well, I have been to the dealer, spoke to Skoda cust services, and after this taken advise on the legal aspect of the cars set up .....and it would appear that the car is correct and legal.

It transpires that the darkened trailer indicator in the dash is not used. Instead they have a relay in the boot, so that if you have a bulb FAILURE whilst towing the indicators flash at double speed, this being the same for later Octavias and Fabias.

Needless to say I am less than impressed with this pony idea, you have an indicator there so why not use it I think. Also having stated this reqirement when going with the dealership for the towbar, I find an aftermarket (tho probably the same bar) would have done exactly the same and been about