Towbar costs again

[Gilesmengland]

1) Pulling the 800kg trailer tent, no problems, got 42mpg, a slight weave only occured once at 70mph.

Was this on the continent....!?

[Sanqhar]

Any chance of a photo of the button?

Was it fitted at the time they did the towbar wiring?

tom

[a65rocket]

The weave was on the M1, gosh, I was breaking the law !

The button to turn off the rear sensors was the standard one, position 2 from the left side below the radio.

[fuzzybunny]

2) Pulling a 3 motorcycle trailer, no problems, but I couldn't see the trailer through the rear window, mpg was 48 !

Thats excellent mpg with a trailer, very encouraging.

I probably wont be able to see my boat trailer through the window either but tend to use the wing mirrors on my VW to see the wheels.

Oh and the mast can be seen through the window,

Edited 11 April, 2010 by fuzzybunny

[Sanqhar]

The weave was on the M1, gosh, I was breaking the law !

The button to turn off the rear sensors was the standard one, position 2 from the left side below the radio.

I have an SE with the rear parking sensors, but no button?

tom

[Sanqhar]

The weave was on the M1, gosh, I was breaking the law !

The button to turn off the rear sensors was the standard one, position 2 from the left side below the radio.

I have an SE with the rear parking sensors, but no button?

tom

[Terfyn]

I think the confusion comes from the fact that the 13 pin socket is for caravans and trailers that have the continental wiring system. The UK system does allow for the "trailer sensor" but, according to the Caravan Club article, it is rarely used in the UK. Another example of double standards!

I presume the P button referred to is the one fitted when the front parking aid sensors are fitted. Like Sanqhar, I have the SE and no P button!

[a65rocket]

I have the part assist as well, so with two buttons, front and rear sensors.

[Lady Penelope]

A big "Thank You" to Tenacious Terfyn :sun: for so far...solving this and also to Tonyp5a, a65rocket and Sanqhar for all helping in the mystery...

OK... so we have NO Park Assist therefore no button to disable those little bleepers that way...

and as we are English and do not have (presumably)? continental wiring in the bike or any other trailer the clever little 12th pin on the 13 pin socket does NOT turn off the rear sensors...

BUT according to Terfyns quoting from manual instructions ...it would do... IF WE HAD HAD THE FACTORY TOW BAR PREP :S

Can the problem of the rear sensors beeping in reverse with a trailer attached on a NON factory prepped towbar installation and in a Yeti WITHOUT Park Assist really not be sorted out???

somehow??? GGGGRRR

Can't the ECU be programmed retrospectively to recognize this 12th pin function on th 13pin socket....GGGRRRRRR :'(

[Gilesmengland]

The UK system does allow for the "trailer sensor" but, according to the Caravan Club article, it is rarely used in the UK.

Isn't that the anti-sway feed though ? Newer caravans have this fitted. Another advantage of factory fit/coded electrics is that the vehicle ABS works differently to combat swaying - something that bypass electrics cannto do.

I don't have a towbar on the yeti, but on my other vehicle have factory 13 pin electrics. When I plug in either my trailer or bike carrier(s) the rear sensors and foglights disable. Trailer has OEM 7 pin electrics with a 7/13 pin adaptor, so nothing fancy !

[Thompson2]

A big "Thank You" to Tenacious Terfyn :sun: for so far...solving this and also to Tonyp5a, a65rocket and Sanqhar for all helping in the mystery...

and as we are English and do not have (presumably)? continental wiring in the bike or any other trailer the clever little 12th pin on the 13 pin socket does NOT turn off the rear sensors...

BUT according to Terfyns quoting from manual instructions ...it would do... IF WE HAD HAD THE FACTORY TOW BAR PREP :S

Can the problem of the rear sensors beeping in reverse with a trailer attached on a NON factory prepped towbar installation and in a Yeti WITHOUT Park Assist really not be sorted out???

somehow??? GGGGRRR

Can't the ECU be programmed retrospectively to recognize this 12th pin function on th 13pin socket....GGGRRRRRR :'(

My monster is fitted with a Wesphalia 13pin towbar, no factory prep (the dealer said it wasn't needed for 13 pin) and no extra button. The car was returned for some minor points to be rectified including the reversing sensors not disabling. The dealer said that they ommited to program the ECU when the towbar was fitted. I haven't checked yet but they say the revering sensors now disable, a picture of the 'van appears on the dash display but they cannot get the 'van bulb failure to work. I have also heard of this happening on Audis with 3rd party tow electrics

[Sanqhar]

The more I look at this the more I get confused.

Towbars Direct are advertising on Ebay a Westfalia kit:

Towbars Direct

Look a bit down the advert and you find this:

Upgrade universal single to universal twin (12S) electrics complete with split charge relay

add £19.00

Upgrade universal single to universal 13 pin twin full function electrics complete with

split charge relay add £25.00

Upgrade from universal single to vehicle specific single electric kit designed especially for the

Skoda Yeti (dealer download recommended) add £120.00

Upgrade from universal single to vehicle specific 13 pin electric kit designed especially for the

Skoda Yeti. (dealer download recommended) add £166.00

Adaptor to convert from 13pin on car to twin (12N/12S) electrics on caravan

add £22.00

So there is an electric kit out there "designed especially for the Skoda Yeti"

tom

[a65rocket]

I was at the dealer today getting my rear bumper tow bar plate installer, it didn't fit.

The dealer had cut out the rectangle hole correctly, however they didn't order the inside mounting section of the cover.

He also confirmed that since I had park assist fitted, I could turn off the rear sensors when I had a trailer fitted.

The option to allow the sensor turn off is programmed at the factory, and the local dealer couldn't change it.

Maybe the Milton Keynes HQ can, they have access to mode advance programming software.

[Futurama]

Todays quote for the Skoda detactable towbar on car without the prep:

£900!

Central Skoda of Birmingham: I can only imagine they are not interested in doing this work. Another local dealer quoted £690.

Has anyone actually had a towbard fitted to a Yeti in the West Midlands at a reasonable price and been happy with the work.? I do want a proper job that will not jepodise the car warranty.

[a65rocket]

yes, Autosales near Cannock

[mellyboy]

I would like to again bring up the costs of fitting towbars to Yetis. The Skoda quoted price, as of today from the Dealer, is £713. This is based on a labour time of 4 hours. (a previous quote was for 2 hours but Skoda have found that 4 hours is more realistic due to the considerable time taken in threading and fitting the electrics harness)

Is there anyone who has had a recent quote? Particularly if the electrics were not fitted at the factory and would have to be fitted by the Dealer.

I have discussed this cost with my Dealer and the quote is based on the Skoda menu system for estimating work.

I am not happy with this price but I would have insisted on the Skoda electrics to protect the system in the car.

I have booked the YETI in for a tow bar fitting with indespension for the sum of £ 278 ,they are major European trailer supply and fitting company ,they fitted a tow bar and electrics to my fabia had no problems, they allow 2 hours for fitting and i hour for twin plug electrics

Edited 30 April, 2010 by mellyboy

[Pit-Yaka]

I have booked the YETI in for a tow bar fitting with indespension for the sum of £ 278 ,they are major European trailer supply and fitting company ,they fitted a tow bar and electrics to my fabia had no problems, they allow 2 hours for fitting and i hour for twin plug electrics

Very interesting mellyboy, are you getting a detachable towbar with the removable bumper panel or a fixed towbar which doesn't need the panel. Did you get towbar prep when you got your Yeti. Stories abound that if the vehicle doesn't have towbar prep and the twin plug electrics are scotclocked into the rear wiring harness the ECU will not recognise when a trailer is hitched nor disable the reversing sensors and some dealers cannot reprogramme the ECU to recognise a trailer or show if a trailer bulb fails. I sotchlocked into the rear of my LR Defender 90 and brought a switched positive from the ignition circuit and all worked OK but some folk say that this will not work on the Yeti. Please post again when you have the work completed with an update for us, cheers.

[mellyboy]

Very interesting mellyboy, are you getting a detachable towbar with the removable bumper panel or a fixed towbar which doesn't need the panel. Did you get towbar prep when you got your Yeti. Stories abound that if the vehicle doesn't have towbar prep and the twin plug electrics are scotclocked into the rear wiring harness the ECU will not recognise when a trailer is hitched nor disable the reversing sensors and some dealers cannot reprogramme the ECU to recognise a trailer or show if a trailer bulb fails. I sotchlocked into the rear of my LR Defender 90 and brought a switched positive from the ignition circuit and all worked OK but some folk say that this will not work on the Yeti. Please post again when you have the work completed with an update for us, cheers.

I asked if they have done a Yeti before they said they said only one with no problems,as I said they are a large company and i would assume they do their homework on new models, I would not go to a small local independent fitter , The car is a demo so I assume that there is no prep. The sales manager knows that I am having a tow being fitted indepently and has not indicated that there could be a problem ,being fitted on 17th may ,collect yeti on 15th , The tow bar is fixed , useful in when parked if other drivers back into you

[Agerbundsen]

I asked if they have done a Yeti before they said they said only one with no problems,as I said they are a large company and i would assume they do their homework on new models, I would not go to a small local independent fitter , The car is a demo so I assume that there is no prep. The sales manager knows that I am having a tow being fitted indepently and has not indicated that there could be a problem ,being fitted on 17th may ,collect yeti on 15th , The tow bar is fixed , useful in when parked if other drivers back into you

Useful indeed. You can now park much easier and the reverse part by touch

Standard practice in Paris, Milano, Rome, Barcelona etc. Maybe not so popular in your local village.

[mellyboy]

Useful indeed. You can now park much easier and the reverse part by touch

Standard practice in Paris, Milano, Rome, Barcelona etc. Maybe not so popular in your local village.

I have parking sensors which i think are great for tight parallel parking, I have driven and parked in Barcelona ,easy do as the spanish do stop where you wish put flashers on hold up traffic collect your football paper and cigarettes whilst blocking the inside lane ,double parking on corners at night is fun as well.

[Thor]

Anyone know where to get one fitted here in the northwest,please lets know

Cheers.Pam

[Thor]

In all honesty, I don't know. I went to a Skoda dealer as I did not want a 'botch job' and decent come back if there were any issues going forward. I know they used a combination of there own technicians and a subcontractor fr the work.

The price did include 13 pin electrics for a caravan.

Sorry to be vague but again hope this helps.

Hi Tony spoke to Dave at where you got it fitted and he said he cant recall fitting the towbar for that price.

[fuzzybunny]

Anyone know where to get one fitted here in the northwest,please lets know

Cheers.Pam

I was qouted £425 by Mitchell Skoda near Chester so plan to go ther in the coming weeks.

Thats for a detachable westfalia with single electrics

i dont have factory prep so will be taking photos to show off the bumper cutout and cover so there is no confusion.

[Thor]

I was qouted £425 by Mitchell Skoda near Chester so plan to go ther in the coming weeks.

Thats for a detachable westfalia with single electrics

i dont have factory prep so will be taking photos to show off the bumper cutout and cover so there is no confusion.

They are not very helpful at Mitchells cant wait to get you off the phone,quoted me 528.75,lost my business.

[fuzzybunny]

They are not very helpful at Mitchells cant wait to get you off the phone,quoted me 528.75,lost my business.

I spoke to the service guy there called Tom who seemed very helpful.

Its all a matter of luck of course, I found Alex Lawrie awful but others think their great.

Claybank Skoda in Eccles quoted £425 as well, contact was called Brian but Eccles is a bit far for me.

Cheers