We're heading away in a couple of months to the Alps for a week with the bikes and I'm planning on using a towbar mounted bike carrier on the Octavia.

 

The company I contacted about it gave me the option of fixed or removable towbars with a hefty price difference betweeen the two, £260+vat for fixed or £480+vat for removable. One thong they said is that if you have reverse parking sensors that the fixed bar can possibly cause issues with them.

 

Has anyone had any issues with parking sensors when they've had a fixed towbar installed?

 

 

It’s rare, but it happens if you have a flange towbar. If it’s swan neck, it shouldn’t be detected by the sensors.

 

This is a Witter swan neck with twin electrics, all is out of the way of the sensors. Please ignore the missing reflector strip and exhaust trims...

I'd always trouble with getting a Westfalia detachable swan neck tow hitch off/on on my Mk2. Hard work and fiddly to release lock turn knob and drop the heavy hitch simultaneously. I eventually left it in place. I then got a fixed swan neck Westfalia fitted to my Mk3. No problems with the reverse sensors and  the proper wiring loom ensures the sensors are switched off and the stability program is engaged when electrics are connected to the wiring socket.

I have a removable swan neck towbar. Normally there is no problem if I leave it on, but one time it did show up on the reversing sensors. This was because the towball cover was sitting at an angle. This would suggest the margin is rather small.

Thanks guys, that's good to know.

I've just checked the quote again and the price didn't include dedicated electrics which were an extra £80+vat or coding which was another £55+vat, I thought it seemed cheap at first!!

 

Out of interest, does anyone know how difficult the coding is for the towbar? I've got the Ross-Tech VCDS and lead kit from when I fitted cruise control to a previous car so doing it myself would be an easy way to save £70 or so.

It’s really straightforward to do the coding, the instructions are in the main VCDS coding thread on this page.

3 hours ago, SashaGrace said:

It’s really straightforward to do the coding, the instructions are in the main VCDS coding thread on this page.

Thanks for that 

On 15/04/2018 at 12:42, gregoir said:

I'd always trouble with getting a Westfalia detachable swan neck tow hitch off/on on my Mk2. Hard work and fiddly to release lock turn knob and drop the heavy hitch simultaneously. 

 

Thats what I fitted to my Oct 2 and I found it really easy to use.  The hitches are heavy but I think they are all roughly the same.  The advantage of the Westfalia is that it truly is hidden whereas some have a bar /mounting point that shows.

 

On 15/04/2018 at 14:03, grmtylr said:

Thanks guys, that's good to know.

I've just checked the quote again and the price didn't include dedicated electrics which were an extra £80+vat or coding which was another £55+vat, I thought it seemed cheap at first!!

 

Out of interest, does anyone know how difficult the coding is for the towbar? I've got the Ross-Tech VCDS and lead kit from when I fitted cruise control to a previous car so doing it myself would be an easy way to save £70 or so.

 

The dedicated electrics make it a doddle to install, the main issue I has was unpicking a couple of wires out the back of the fuse box.  I've since bought the proper tool for this for a few pounds online.

 

I coded with VCDS on my old Oct 2 and it is simple to do (even getting it to show a trailer in reverse on the screen).  My old Oct 2 was a Scout and its important to programme another code (to do with traction control/4wd system).

Slightly off topic, but I've got the Factory fit Towbar on my vRS, I discovered the camera view the other day for hitching up - very clever with an overlaid target grid for where the towhead is, I'll be a Command Module Pilot Docking to the LEM in my head the first time I use it 

 

I just had a Westfalia swan neck towbar fitted to my 2017 Octavia by a local towbar specialist.  I went for the dedicated (7-pin) electrics and the towbar people agreed to do the coding (well, get in a mate who owed them a favour to do it, anyway).   First off .. no problem with false reverse parking warnings, the towbar is well out the way of the sensors.  BUT  I'm not convinced all .. or any .. of the coding has been done.  

 

With the light board plugged in, all the light board lights work and an extra indicator light is on the dash confirming the tow bar indicators are working.  Other than that, the only change I've found is loss of EcoMode;

 

- the rear parking sensors are still working when I select reverse

- there is no picture of a trailer on the (Admunsen) "CAR" screen

- the rear fog still lights up (I've no issue with that, it's a sailing dinghy I'm towing not a caravan and my light board has no fog lamp)

- the alarm doesn't go off when I unplug the light board

 

What functions am I supposed to have got?  I'm not inclined to spend £70 on a ODBEleven Pro kit just to turn on some additional features, on the other hand, those are why I paid extra for the dedicated wiring.  I can go back to the garage and moan - but need to know what I'm supposed to be asking for!

... just a thought.... is it because my light board is all LED, and the car can't detect it because the currents are too low?  Probably not because it does perform a few of the required functions, just not all of them.

 

anyone out there got dedicated wiring, coding and a working LED light board?

Just wanted to clarify this before I get the towbar fitting booked...

 

If I go for the universal electrics then there should be no issue with reagrds the lights etc on the bike carrier?

I'm only going to be using a Thule bike carrier on the towbar, no trailers at all, so I'm not too bothered about stability control and the likes. I'm also not overly concerned about switching the reverse sensors off when the carrier is fitted as I've no intention of reversing anywhere with about £15k worth of bikes on the back of the car 

 

So for my needs would the universal electrics be good enough?

 

Universal will still make the lights light up and will give you a bleeping noise when the indicators are working; like cars used to be in other words. 

 

I've found that the tow bar itself (Westphalia Swan Neck) does sometimes interfere with the reversing sensors when no trailer is attached - when the ball cap is on askew I guess - and no amount of wiring and coding will stop that.  When you have the bikes on, it will certainly say you are about to hit something every time you select reverse - but if you never use reverse it's not an issue.   As the garage screwed my coding, it does that anyway, even with the special and expensive wiring!

 

Need to find someone with the kit to do my coding some when.

From what others have said on here I think the following safety/driving features can be enabled where the car has the ability and the ECU is correctly coded; coupled with a 'Dedicated'/OEM loom/trailer module. ('Lane Assist' has also been mentioned, but I don't know what alters in respect of its performance).

 

* ESP disabled and Trailer (Towing) Stability Programme enabled

 

* ECO Driving Mode is disabled

 

* Vehicle rear fog light is disabled when the light bar’s fog light is detected

 

* Warning of bulb failure on light bar is enabled

 

* Additional indicator light on dashboard / indicator ‘bleep’ when flashing

 

* Car alarm is activated if vehicle is locked and trailer plug is disconnected from socket

 

* Rear Parking Sensor / Auto-brake disabled - Infotainment display shows trailer attached

 

 

Edited 30 May, 20188 yr by Rab-k