I have a towbar that I plan to fit to an Octavia II for use with a bike rack.  Do I need specialist electrics (I do have parking sensors but am happy with them screaming at me when towing) or can I use a loom recycled from a previous car?

Thanks for any help.

Alastair.

Edited 29 August, 201015 yr by Alastair H

I have a towbar that I plan to fit to an Octavia II for use with a bike rack.  Do I need specialist electrics (I do have parking sensors but am happy with them screaming at me when towing) or can I use a loom recycled from a previous car?

Thanks for any help.

Alastair.

I have a detachable Witter on my Scout.

My car doesn't have the factory fit towbar prep but the fitter was able to deactivate the rear PDC and foglights when the electrics are connected.

I'm sure he just chopped into the rear lights (which isn't ideal) but all has been well since its been done.

Cost me £350.00.

Edited 29 August, 201015 yr by silver1011

I have a detachable Witter on my Scout.

My car doesn't have the factory fit towbar prep but the fitter was able to deactivate the rear PDC and foglights when the electrics are connected.

I'm sure he just chopped into the rear lights (which isn't ideal) but all has been well since its been done.

Cost me £350.00.

Nice looking scout there!

Thanks!

Just need a vRs to replace the white Peugeot 306 lurking in the background

Thanks!

Just need a vRs to replace the white Peugeot 306 lurking in the background

Yes, deffo. Whats the weight the scout can tow? Ive got a vrs estate and have it for the next three years on lease but having just bought a caravan, i found that i am slightly out with the weights so can tow the thing ( dont have a tow bar either so lucky as it saved me some money!). I was thinking about trading in for a scout in three years as i guess they can tow more?

I have a towbar that I plan to fit to an Octavia II for use with a bike rack.  Do I need specialist electrics (I do have parking sensors but am happy with them screaming at me when towing) or can I use a loom recycled from a previous car?

Thanks for any help.

Alastair.

Hi Alaster

Yes I suspect you need specialist electrics, as your car will have can-bus wiring, You will need something like this:

http://www.towsure.com/product/13145-Smart_7_Way_Can-Bus_Relay

Don't quote me on this, but this is the type of thing you will need, but will need something more specialized if you want the parking sensors to be disconnected while towing.

on saying all that check with your local Skoda dealer and there might be something within the car wiring and can just be switched on with the computer !

Radiotwo

Scout max limit is 1600kg, vRS is 1400kg!

Scout max limit is 1600kg, vRS is 1400kg!

1600 is perfect fro my caravan - if only i knew i would be buying a caravan when i bought my car, Oh Well!

I have a towbar that I plan to fit to an Octavia II for use with a bike rack.  Do I need specialist electrics (I do have parking sensors but am happy with them screaming at me when towing) or can I use a loom recycled from a previous car?

Thanks for any help.

Alastair.

A bypass relay will do the job for you (£20?) and a proper wiring kit (£120+) will seem OTT. Nevertheless, if you google RightConnections you can read up on 'proper' CanBus wiring on a site run by a passionate specialist. They are tedious to fit, and the best way to go if towing more than a lighting board!

Edited 1 September, 201015 yr by teledu

I'm in the process of adding a towbar to my Octy II 4*4 estate. I don't have parking or reversing sensors which makes it easier, but I do need a 12v supply to run bypass relay. I've been told I can connect to the cigarette lighter in the back. Has anyone out there done this? And if so, do you just scotch-lock the power line onto the cable? There are two wires, which one should I connect to?

Cheers

One will be the earth (outer) and the centre should be positive which is what you want, you will want a better connection than a scotchlock as it will have to take the power for all of the road lights on the trailer, if you want to do a proper job you can run cables to the drivers fuseboard but its more involved taking trim off, see here -http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/162617-octavia-fl-scout-access-to-relays-fusebox/

I'm in the process of adding a towbar to my Octy II 4*4 estate. I don't have parking or reversing sensors which makes it easier, but I do need a 12v supply to run bypass relay. I've been told I can connect to the cigarette lighter in the back. Has anyone out there done this? And if so, do you just scotch-lock the power line onto the cable? There are two wires, which one should I connect to?

Cheers

Only just seen this - but don't connect the live 12v feed to the cig lighter in the boot, the wiring isn't up to it and the voltage drop is therefore considerable. You need to run a good quality cable from rear to front for it to work as it should. Can't recall the number of strands required but any towbar fitting outfit worth their salt will tell you what it should be. I had a towbar fitted to a Mondy estate some years ago and they cut the corner by using the cig lighter feed. The voltage drop was significant, to the point where the voltage at the caravan battery terminals, with engine running, was about 11.3. Not a good idea. The fridge (if you are running one) is around 120w, ie 10amps - and that's constant because the thermostat doesn't operate when on 12v.

Hi, new on here I've recently purchased a skoda octavia vrs diesel 2007, it had detachable towbar and towing electrics fitted I pressume when new, but when i tried to use it for the first time using the 13/7 pin adapter for my camping trailer nothing, electrics don't work i didn't have the key for the detachable towbar given to me when i bought it, but it turned enough for me to get the towbar on, the trailer electrics work on my neighbours car ok , i have read a few of the forums on here saying the car has to recognize that the towbar has been fitted, i'm happy enough to buy another detachable towbar itself, but want to know if this is the problem first, or an easy way to find out the problem, can anyone offer me some good advice thanks.

Modern cars have a lot of electrics - Almost gone are the days when you can diy towbar electrics. If you are asking advice on a forum then get it done properly - probably not from a skoda stealer either.

If you have parking sensors I assume that you also have a bulb warning light which may get upset if you start hacking your wiring.

I have just fitted a witter towbar to my 57 plate octavia vrs. Surprisingly easy job to be honest.. just time consuming. I used a 7 way smart bypass relay. Didn't use the 12 s connection as only going in the UK. I used "chocolate block" connectors, and everything worked first time. If using 12 n only, then your permanent live from your 12v in th boot will be fine. I get no bulb warning lights on the dash, with patience its a relatively easy job.. and I'm a novice..!!

This site was very helpful..

http://towsure.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-fit-7-way-bypass-relay.html

sent via HTC

Edited 28 September, 201114 yr by rustyGT

I have also just fitted my own tow bar and electrics to my octy. However I have a problem with the passenger side indicator light not working on the tailboard, the car light is fine. Having checked the voltage from the by pass relay it is very low, too low to power the bulb. 

 

Any ideas on how to solve this problem?

 

The relay is attached to the 12 V supply to the CD changer in the back and all the other lights work just fine.

 

Hope you can help.

Faulty relay?

Hi Silver 1011,

 

I have the same problem if I take the relay out of the circuit. The voltage to the indicator bulb is below 5 V though the bulb still lights up on the main cluster. Hence the confusion.

 

cheers

1600 is perfect fro my caravan - if only i knew i would be buying a caravan when i bought my car, Oh Well!

What's wrong with towing a caravan with a vrs. I do it all the time.

I have just fitted a witter towbar to my 57 plate octavia vrs. Surprisingly easy job to be honest.. just time consuming. I used a 7 way smart bypass relay. Didn't use the 12 s connection as only going in the UK. I used "chocolate block" connectors, and everything worked first time. If using 12 n only, then your permanent live from your 12v in th boot will be fine. I get no bulb warning lights on the dash, with patience its a relatively easy job.. and I'm a novice..!!

This site was very helpful..

I have exactly the same job to do on my 56 plate Octy. All I will ever tow is a standard trailer with a 7 pin socket (12N) and I already have the bypass relay off Fleabay for around a tenner. At first I was a bit dubious as to whether I could do this myself (I've fitted many towbars in the past) after reading about CANBUS blah blah, and pulsed signals etc, but it doesn't seem quite so bad if you are wiring up for just towing a trailer.