Tearing my hair out getting online quotes for a towbar!

 

Since the car is under warranty I'm specifying the vehicle specific wiring kit coupled to a 13-pin socket HOWEVER I'm getting utterly confused over the need for a software update!

 

Anyone know the answer? Is the software update always needed, or only needed if the universal wiring harness is used?

 

And how much does it cost?

 

Many thanks - Richard

Edited 17 July, 20169 yr by RMUrphy1952

Not so much an update, but you will need the tower wiring harness enabled in the car's settings. This will enable it to operate with the car's systems when things are plugged into it, and to ensure that reversing sensors etc are automatically disabled when the towber electrics are in use.

We have the genuine towbar & towing module fitted.

 

Like Chris said definitely not a software update. Just a configuration of the vehicle to recognise the tow module.

 

MY16+ Rapids have TSA (Trailer Stability Assist) which is activated when a trailer is plugged in.

Edited 18 July, 20169 yr by spiz

There has been some negative reporting about Rapid towing stability on here.

 

A very light car with poor crosswind stability just may not be a great tow - vehicle.

Edited 18 July, 20169 yr by camelspyyder

Thanks all for your replies - have settled on a national-chain fitter at a relatively sensible price, who include re-coding as part of the deal.

 

Interestingly

•     My most local fitter states I would then have to go to my Skoda dealer for the software or whatever
•     The mobile fitter recommended by the caravan dealership claims that the universal kit doesn't affect vehicle warranty - past experience suggests that this is not a risk I want to take
•     My Skoda dealership quotes a huge price and "as far as he's aware there are no software or recoding changes"!

 

As far as the Skoda dealership is concerned that makes me uncertain of them and puts them in the same category as the local Vauxhall dealership who fitted a bracket to my company car many years ago - as well as not changing the flasher unit ("we don't do that 'cos all it does is make the little light on the dashboard flash when you use the indicators", they didn't scrape off the underseal on the Mating faces on the chassis, so I had to refit the bar anyway (discovered it coming loose just-in-time)!

 

So I've settled for a company that fits these things all day and every day, always a better bet I think.

 

Camelspyder - The Rapid is about 100kg heavier than the Cavaliers and Astras that I used to tow with, (and has similar power but much more torque) and the caravan is about 90kg heavier than my original one which preserves my weight ratio, and there's possibly less overhang at the back of the Rapid than the Cavaliers had. While time will tell I have as much chance of finding out how it all handles as any other car I have used.

 

Your comments bring to mind I have in mind the disproportionately large numbers of badly set up car/caravan combinations that I see on the road each day - too much weight at the front of the van or too much at the rear of the car. Plus these days it's actually quite difficult to find caravans whose weight is within the range of smaller cars, so maybe that might help explain things.

 

Time will tell!

Edited 20 July, 20169 yr by RMurphy195

We have the genuine towbar & towing module fitted.

 

Like Chris said definitely not a software update. Just a configuration of the vehicle to recognise the tow module.

 

MY16+ Rapids have TSA (Trailer Stability Assist) which is activated when a trailer is plugged in.

 

Can you let me know what changes when the trailer is plugged in e.g. reverse sensor, car reversing lights etc.? I'd like to know what to check for when I collect the car after fitting the towbar - due next Tuesday due to problems with the fitter!

 

And - like my friends SEAT did the fitters give you  beam that they took off the back of the car?

 

Many thanks - Richard (RMurphy195, temporarily RMurphy1952 - it's a long story!)

Can you let me know what changes when the trailer is plugged in e.g. reverse sensor, car reversing lights etc.? I'd like to know what to check for when I collect the car after fitting the towbar - due next Tuesday due to problems with the fitter!

 

And - like my friends SEAT did the fitters give you  beam that they took off the back of the car?

 

Many thanks - Richard (RMurphy195, temporarily RMurphy1952 - it's a long story!)

 

All lights should work normally on the trailer. Rear fog light on the car may be disabled when the trailer is connected.(not sure on that, will have to check next time.)

Reverse sensors will be disabled if they are the type that display on the radio. If reverse sensors are the beep only type like ours they keep beeping. :(

 

The beam is yours to keep. (A friend who works at a MB dealer fitting towbars to new cars tells me that they bin lots every month because the customers don't want them.)

 

Cheers

Thanks for that Spiz - I guess you don't have the removable towball!

Thanks for that Spiz - I guess you don't have the removable towball!

We have the removable type (Skoda oem, which is actually a Bosal unit.)

Well, I finally got a reply from Skoda customer services today confirming the need for software update etc. and a breakdown of the costs - which neither of my local dealers could do!

 

But I had it done at a local specialist who did know what he was doing - the Westfalia detachable bracker that he fitted, plus specific wiring and the software up date came to the same as the Skoda dealers charge. Ho hum.

 

Yup I did get the beam back, all done the day before yesterday - yesterday I picked up the caravan so used the bar for the first time.

 

Interestingly, I left the ball on while reversing without the trailer on - and the reversing sensors didn't pick it up! So didn't need the extra expense after all.

 

I need to pop back to the fitter 'cos I forgot, in his demo, to check that the drivers warning was working - an it doesn't (no extra lamps on the dash, or beeping when the indicators are going.Interestingly the Rapid owners manual goes into great detail about towing and fitting the ball (not necessarily i that order) but makes no mention of any dashboard or audible warnings.

Well, I finally got a reply from Skoda customer services today confirming the need for software update etc. and a breakdown of the costs - which neither of my local dealers could do!

 

But I had it done at a local specialist who did know what he was doing - the Westfalia detachable bracker that he fitted, plus specific wiring and the software up date came to the same as the Skoda dealers charge. Ho hum.

 

Yup I did get the beam back, all done the day before yesterday - yesterday I picked up the caravan so used the bar for the first time.

 

Interestingly, I left the ball on while reversing without the trailer on - and the reversing sensors didn't pick it up! So didn't need the extra expense after all.

 

I need to pop back to the fitter 'cos I forgot, in his demo, to check that the drivers warning was working - an it doesn't (no extra lamps on the dash, or beeping when the indicators are going.Interestingly the Rapid owners manual goes into great detail about towing and fitting the ball (not necessarily i that order) but makes no mention of any dashboard or audible warnings.

 

That is correct, the reverse sensors do not pick up the ball.

What the module does is it disables the reverse sensors when the trailer is plugged in... otherwise the continuing beeping (from detecting the physical presence of the trailer) would be somewhat distracting.

 

I do not recall any dashboard or audible warnings.

I finally got round to ploughing through the Westfalia fitting instructions for the towbar and wiring harness that the fitter left me with - and on page 8 I found the key phrase "A failure of the trailer turn signal lamps is indicated by increased flashing rate of the pilot lamp in the cockpit". So there you are.

 

I suspect that attempting to include a buzzer or lamp might cause electrical problems with the CAN bus (whatever that is!) unless I can find some sort of induction sensor to clip to the wires.

You won't get a warning to tell you the caravan indicators are working, you will have a bulb out warning if one of them fails, I checked mine one day by connecting up the caravan and turning an indicator on, normal service started, then I removed the caravan indicator bulb. I got back to the car and had the warning light on. If you have maxidot and someone to take the bulb out then you may see the message come up telling you which bulb has failed.

If you have the picture come up on the radio when reversing then this will change to show a car with a trailer and the beeper will not sound. Also when you have the caravan connected then this will disable the fog light on the car and light up the caravan fog light instead, it will extend the alarm to include sounding it if the caravan plug is disconnected. It will also turn on the trailer stability control if you have stability control on your car.

Ian

You won't get a warning to tell you the caravan indicators are working, you will have a bulb out warning if one of them fails, I checked mine one day by connecting up the caravan and turning an indicator on, normal service started, then I removed the caravan indicator bulb. I got back to the car and had the warning light on. If you have maxidot and someone to take the bulb out then you may see the message come up telling you which bulb has failed.

If you have the picture come up on the radio when reversing then this will change to show a car with a trailer and the beeper will not sound. Also when you have the caravan connected then this will disable the fog light on the car and light up the caravan fog light instead, it will extend the alarm to include sounding it if the caravan plug is disconnected. It will also turn on the trailer stability control if you have stability control on your car.

Ian

Thanks for that Ian - I've been missing the comforting sound of the warning beeper as I go along that tells me the plug hasn't fallen out! I haven't noticed the change in the picture when reversing with the caravan on, I'm usually looking at something else (such as the wife's hand signals!) But I'll look out for the changed symbol next time - at the very least it will provide a double check before I set out!

 

BTW very pleased with the pulling power of the 1.6tdi 90 engine, it coped very well with the strong headwinds over the last few days. And even with the caravan on I can still slowly creep forward just using delicate clutch and brake control (no throttle) for delicate manouvres.

 

Thanks - Richard

We are all glad to be of help on here Richard, reassuring that you find the pulling power of the engine sufficient, I may have to change cars in the future due to a medical issue but don't want to give up the caravanning and other half categorically states that she won't be driving the car with the caravan behind! Getting an auto Yeti means realistically going for a lower power version. Happy touring.

Ian