Hi  newbie here.  Apologies if this has already been asked ...

 

I'm interested in the Yeti green line 1.6 diesel.  I'd like to fit a tow bar for a bike carrier.  My dealer tells me it's not possible to fit tow bars to green line models.  I'm not clear as to why.  Can anyone enlighten me please?

 

I'm not planning on towing anything - I'm just interested in using it for a bike carrier.  I have health problems which makes lifting bikes on to the roof difficult.

 

Thanks

You cannot have a factory fit as its extra weight messes up the emmision figures, but a dealer or aftermarket fit is not a problem. Infact last year? a Greenline scored highly in the towcar awards.

Be warned though, you are looking at a very expensive cycle carrier set-up.

 

Colin

Thanks Colin - that's very helpful.

 

I take your point, but I already have the bike carrier.

Well, I fitted my own tow bar to my greenline yeti... easy to do, so any good towbar fitter can do it.

I bought mine from Towsure, fully EU approved so cannot affect the car warranty in any way.

Bumper off, remove crash bar 7 torx bolts fit tow bar, four bolts, then cut bumper to suit bar, or otherwise...

The wiring is another job, and not for the inexperienced.

I use mine for a bike rack, and /or a small camping trailer.

Now if you only wanted a bike rack, and the lights on the car are not obscured, would you need a lighting board...? probably not... So in theory you wouldn't need the extra wiring.

However... At MOT time, any tow bar is tested with the electrics so think about that aspect.

It's the electronics for the lights that can cause an issue, now if I was towing a caravan, I would have gone for an after market full system that interacts with the stability control and reversing sensors.

But for my system I did my own interface, that samples a very small current, and is optically isolated from the canbus, so there is no way that any external voltages from the trailer electrics can back feed into the canbus, unlike some systems.

There have been a few posts on here about that and the affect on warranty so that's why I designed my own interface.

The main wiring loom of the car was not touched in anyway.

The tow bar on mine is fixed, and to be fair, I quite like that, as when the crash bar is removed, there is very little stopping the rear plastic bumper from deforming before hitting the actual steel work of the tow bar. Personally I wished it had some form of foam insert, to take any small parking knocks from incompetent drivers that are unable to park properly.

Also with having a fixed tow ball, it does not interfere with the operation of the rear parking sensors, mine is the face lift city version, others might be different!

Hope it helps.

Edited 5 February, 201511 yr by rustic

thanks Rustic - very helpful.

This must have changed with the Facelift.  I have a 2012 greenline with factory fitted towbar.

Practical Caravan reviews the Škoda Yeti GreenLine II

Hi  newbie here.  Apologies if this has already been asked ...

 

I'm interested in the Yeti green line 1.6 diesel.  I'd like to fit a tow bar for a bike carrier.  My dealer tells me it's not possible to fit tow bars to green line models.  I'm not clear as to why.  Can anyone enlighten me please?

 

I'm not planning on towing anything - I'm just interested in using it for a bike carrier.  I have health problems which makes lifting bikes on to the roof difficult.

 

Thanks

 

Your dealer needs educating!!

Email him a link to the YouTube video.

Given that the Skoda UK web site lists the Greeenline's towing capacity as 700/1400 (unbraked/braked) you'd think they expect that to be done with a tow bar! I can see that they might not fit one as part of the build due to weight constraints, but the configurator lets you select tow bar prep on a Greenline build - http://cc-cloud.skoda-auto.com/CarCard/64657924

Given that the Skoda UK web site lists the Greeenline's towing capacity as 700/1400 (unbraked/braked) you'd think they expect that to be done with a tow bar! I can see that they might not fit one as part of the build due to weight constraints, but the configurator lets you select tow bar prep on a Greenline build

It's done on chassis ability that they state that but if fitted it would probably push it over the "Green" tag if it left the factory fitted.

It can be fitted as an after market accessory (perhaps even by the dealer!!!).

No Urrell, as has been shown you can order a Greenline with a tow bar from the factory.

Tow-bar preparation yes, tow-bar no.

From Brochure Options:

Towbar, removable and lockable Provides a single electrics solution - unsuitable for split charging*

* Not available on GreenLine II

 

And it does not even appear in the configurator if Greenline II is selected.

Edited 7 February, 201511 yr by Urrell

I'm sure I did a Config recently and it allowed me to do fit at source.

Mind you that is using the Config system...................................

 

What ever system, we do have proof from the Practical Caravan link that a Greenline can be used to tow, so therefore can have a towbar fitted, and that the dealer is wrong.

thanks for all the replies folks.  Went back to the dealer and mentioned the conversations here.  He stands corrected.

Welcome to the Power that is Briskoda :clap:

Bumper off, remove crash bar 7 torx bolts fit tow bar,

 

Don't suppose you recall what size Torx was needed?

 

I'm about to do mine (a 2010 CR170) and need to get a set of Torx sockets to get the bolts out.

 

I don't want to buy a whole set as it's not something I'd use again and need to ensure that it fits my 3/8" wrenches as well. Just buying the right size Torx seems the best bet to me.

Don't suppose you recall what size Torx was needed?

I'm about to do mine (a 2010 CR170) and need to get a set of Torx sockets to get the bolts out.

I don't want to buy a whole set as it's not something I'd use again and need to ensure that it fits my 3/8" wrenches as well. Just buying the right size Torx seems the best bet to me.

Sorry I can't remember the size, but I know which set I used, so I could list the possible sizes in that set lol... helps to eliminate others though.

If I recall, I used my bit mounted in a 10mm af socket with 1/2" drive, with a long breaker bar, they came undone with a bit of effort.

If you are fitting your own tow bar, then may I suggest that you get a torque wrench, and a socket set that will take the torque required, not many of the 3/8" sets will be strong enough to tighten the bolts sufficiently.

The tow bar fitting is only deemed to be aporoved if the manufacturers instructions are followed, and the correct torque is essential.

The torx bolts go back into the holes in the car, I used waxoyl on my torx bolts when replacing them in the car, to stop corrosion, and help to seal the thread to stop water ingress.

Edit...

I have just been out to my garage, and looked at my torx set, now... when I removed my bolts there was some white mastic on the bolt heads, now looking at my torx set, on one of the bits there is some white mastic on part of one of the splines. The bit is marked T45 and has 6 points as per torx.

NOW... I cannot 100% guarantee that this was the actual bit, but if Columbo was doing the investigation, I'm sure he would concur.

But before rushing out and buying one, please wait for a second opinion...

I could be wrong... Columbo was once lol...

Edited 15 February, 201511 yr by rustic

If you could narrow it down that would be helpful.

Waxoyl already on my shelf as the bolts will be going back in the holes.

I've been offered the loan of a set of Torx sockets. Hopefully they'll be 1/2" and I'll see if I can get hold of a torque wrench for the towbar fitting bolts. These are hex head: so more sockets needed if I go 1/2" as well...

How much would it cost to have a Greenline fitted with a towpack and retro fitted electrics. I was also led to believe that there was no way the Yeti Greenline was tow capable.... I'll have a heated windscreen next!  

 I was also led to believe that there was no way the Yeti Greenline was tow capable.... I'll have a heated windscreen next!

It's to do with emissions not capability.

The Yeti Greenline makes a good towcar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3eFMKMp29k

How much would it cost to have a Greenline fitted with a towpack and retro fitted electrics. I was also led to believe that there was no way the Yeti Greenline was tow capable.... I'll have a heated windscreen next!

It's a weight issue, so it can get into the lower road tax band, the greenline can not have a factory fitted spare wheel either.

The suspension has also been lowered 20mm to reach the target, wow.. it must have been close.

Now my greenline arrived without a towbar, or spare wheel, but I sourced both locally, fitted them myself and everything fits as it should be.

Apologies for taking this off topic, but I can see it also coming up as a question on the Greenline.

A quick note on the spare wheel, the Skoda spare wheel is 195 mm wide and the Greenline alloy wheels are 205 mm wide, so rather than buy the "Space saver" and then be limited to 50 mph, and then use it only to the nearest tyre depot, I opted to buy a full size steel 7" rim, from Skoda, and I sourced an identical tyre to the ones on the car.

So I can travel to my destination at normal road speeds, at any time of the day, or night.

I also bought the spare wheel boot floor kit, inc a jack, wheel brace etc the only modification was to place a 10 mm packing piece under the supplied side storage boxes, which raises the boot floor to allow the spare wheel to fit properly. Cosmetically, it all looks great.

Note... The spare wheel kit takes up over a quarter of the available boot space, but the storage boxes underneath can hold quite a bit of kit.

Just a quick note... if anyone has the "space saver" spare wheel on their non greenline yeti, has anyone actually tried to fit the much wider alloy in the place where the spare wheel was after a puncture ? The floor sits rather high, and is no longer properly supported at the sides... I also doubt that the fixing bolt will secure the alloy in place either, but since you will only be travelling at less than 50 mph to your nearest tyre place, I doubt it would be a major issue.

PS you might get the impression that I am not a fond lover of these liquid puncture repair kits, or space save spare wheels, and you would be right lol..

Rustic,

The suspension was not lowered to save weight, but to improve the drag coefficient and therefore to make it "slightly" more aerodynamic, so hopefully more fuel efficient.

 

If you search through this section there are pictures of someone's boot with a full sized alloy fitted.

Rustic,

The suspension was not lowered to save weight, but to improve the drag coefficient and therefore to make it "slightly" more aerodynamic, so hopefully more fuel efficient.

If you search through this section there are pictures of someone's boot with a full sized alloy fitted.

I didn't say it was to remove weight, I said it was to meet the emissions target.

I knew it was to reduce the drag coefficient, but I think they were clutching at straws to achieve it.

I assume that during the fuel consumption test, the car didn't go through a regen, as that uses quite a bit of fuel.

Now it has been said, by others, that the regen can occur every 500 miles, which is basically a tankful, if this is the case, I do my MPG calculation based on a empty to full tank, so on average, it must hit most refuels.