I would like to ask all Octavia Mk 3 owners with a dealer fit towbar to check the following please to help me identify if I have an isolated problem with my new car or whether it occurs on other vehicles with the same setup. I took delivery (after 9 weeks wait) on 25/06/14 so build date is possibly around late May early June.

 

1. Connect your trailer that has a single 7 pin electrical connector via a 13-7 pin adaptor to the towbar socket.

 

2. Turn on the ignition and observe that the ESP light (skidding car symbol) goes out about 2 seconds after the ABS light goes off. This indicates the trailer stability program TSP is activated.

 

3. On cars with either rear/ front parking sensors check to see if they rear sensors have been disabled.

 

4. On cars with Admunsen infotainment, check in the setup that the picture of a car changes to a car with trailer.

 

5. If you have a fog light fitted to the trailer, turn on your rear fogs and the car fog light should be off. If the trailer does not have a fog light the car fog lights remain on.

 

6. Finally, lock the car with the trailer still connected, wait a couple of minutes for the alarm system to stabilise and then disconnect the trailer electrical connector, including the 13-7 pin adaptor. The alarm should be triggered - possibly after a delay period that could be 30 s or more?

 

On my car the TSP does NOT activate and the alarm is not triggered.

 

Your help is appreciated.

Hi, I know there are currently issues with the coding at the moment as my dealer needs to contact skoda technical services about it as I have just had a towbar fitted. I would contact your dealer and ask for a fix as I know some software has been patched.

Steve

The car is at the dealers now and this is their third attempt at a fix.

Not checked the TSP - but my reversing sensors don't get deactivated...and no picture of a trailer (I'm also using a 13-7 pin adaptor).  Didn't seem exactly stable over 60mph either (in France).  Found cruise handy set at 60mph though!

 

Haven't checked fog light but it permanently put up a bulb warning when using my towing board, possibly as it doesn't have a separate number plate light?  Caravan was fine.

Dealership fit towbars are frequently a bodge. In theory, you could insist on factory installed towbar.... but I bet you will have a hard time finding a dealer to agree to it. Even though factory installed towbars on Skodas are of very good quality and certified for use throughout EU.

 

On another note, the mandatory automatic ESP program change can actually be dangerous for you, if you use the towbar for anything other than towing.  I use towbar only as a mounting point for towbar box carrier. No ESP changes required/wanted and for both my cars a fixed flange towbar+ fully relayed electrics was under £150 all included rather than high £££s from a dealer.

Edited 10 July, 201411 yr by dieselV6

It would seem that my problem is an isolated one. My dealer phoned this afternoon and said my car has been sorted. So after the third attempt, they finally coded the car correctly and now all the functions that failed before are working as per. I do find it hard to believe that something they installed was not tested before it left the shop. Fit and forget it mentallity and hope the user doesn't spot anything.

Thanks to all those that replied.

It would seem that my problem is an isolated one. My dealer phoned this afternoon and said my car has been sorted. So after the third attempt, they finally coded the car correctly and now all the functions that failed before are working as per. I do find it hard to believe that something they installed was not tested before it left the shop. Fit and forget it mentallity and hope the user doesn't spot anything.

Thanks to all those that replied.

Not isolated, mine has just been back to the dealer for re-coding of the towbar, I was only aware of the problem with the reversing sensors, but they say it is now coded correctly. Will test it once I get time.

Not isolated, mine has just been back to the dealer for re-coding of the towbar, I was only aware of the problem with the reversing sensors, but they say it is now coded correctly. Will test it once I get time.

Have just tested it, and no difference, just gonna call Skoda tomorrow and see what they will do.

Jeez - it isn't rocket science to code it in!

I stripped the LHside if the boot area to get to the towbar electrics this week to find out what was going on, found that the towbar was fitted with a PCT Automotive ZR2000 bypass relay for the electrics, even though the car has factory towbar prep, no wonder it could'nt be coded..

 

Have gone back to the dealer (through leasing company) and towbar fitters are now planning how to sort it out..

Dealership fit towbars are frequently a bodge...

 

Told you so... let's hope they'll cough up for a full kit now. Too bad the factory car harnesses were cut into to get connections for the aftermarket relay... I'd ask for compensation.

Edited 4 September, 201411 yr by dieselV6

I have the same problem, no alarm or TSC activation. Fog lights didn't go off either when I had caravan.

From what the dealer said as I understand it they get a code with the towbar wiring they enter into their 'diagnostics computer'. This should effectively code everything for them. I guess like a macro.

On mine the code was wrong and caused the car to shut down and not restart. The dealer had to get the factory to reload the config via their diagnostic link.

Eventually it was sorted after 4-days (I had a courtesy car) and I collected the car and went away with the caravan.

I investigated the TSC as i felt things weren't right, it didnt tow as well as my Mk2 did. So now I'm debating whether to book it back in or ask my local VCDS Briskodian to sort now we have the info.

I have the same problem, no alarm or TSC activation. Fog lights didn't go off either when I had caravan.

From what the dealer said as I understand it they get a code with the towbar wiring they enter into their 'diagnostics computer'. This should effectively code everything for them. I guess like a macro.

On mine the code was wrong and caused the car to shut down and not restart. The dealer had to get the factory to reload the config via their diagnostic link.

Eventually it was sorted after 4-days (I had a courtesy car) and I collected the car and went away with the caravan.

I investigated the TSC as i felt things weren't right, it didnt tow as well as my Mk2 did. So now I'm debating whether to book it back in or ask my local VCDS Briskodian to sort now we have the info.

What happens when you use the indicators with the trailer attached?

 

If you get a bleep from the boot of the car then you have a bypass relay fitted, no functions can be coded as the towbar module is not fitted.

Told you so... let's hope they'll cough up for a full kit now. Too bad the factory car harnesses were cut into to get connections for the aftermarket relay... I'd ask for compensation.

Factory connection still there, could not see how they had spliced there wiring in, am assuming it will have been scotchloks, as soldering and heatshrink would have been too professional...

 

Although I'm not happy with the install, it is getting sorted, and I'll only have the car for 3 years as it is leased, but someone further down the road may start to get problems because of this bodge.

Edited 4 September, 201411 yr by Miz

What happens when you use the indicators with the trailer attached?

 

If you get a bleep from the boot of the car then you have a bypass relay fitted, no functions can be coded as the towbar module is not fitted.

No, thats all fine. I have factory wiring with module. I get the indicators with the 2 little arrows in the instruments. When reversing the sensors disconnect and the pic aof a traler appears in the Bolero display.

When I try to put it in Eco mode it wont let me as it says trailer attached.

BUT fog lights on car don't deactivate (need to check caravan fog light first), ESP light dooesn't stay on and alrm doesn't trigger when plug removed while locked.

To be fair its only the TSC I want, the rest don't matter.

As I only have the basic(leased) mk3 with no reverse radar or anything I wanted to save the £200 plus difference and just go for the basic add on relay.  Anyone know if this works OK? I'm not expecting Bolero display or anything, there's a 7 pin socket that can, physically,disconnect the vehicle fog-light if required. I'm fine with just hearing a beep to let me know the trailer indicators are working too. Your thoughts and experiences would be valued.