Calling Towbar experts...

[Rab-k]

Mk III Scout (FL) with after market fitted Witter detachable towbar. (Fitting/wiring done by dealer's choice of 3rd party company - Skoda 'towbar preparation' factory wiring was not fitted).

 

First time today with Thule towball mounted bike carrier, with 7pin to 13pin Thule adapter, (Scout 7pin/carrier 13pin), only to discover that none of the expected towing related functions are active...

 

* Rear parking sensors disabled and screen/display instead shows trailer/caravan to rear of vehicle when reverse gear selected.

* Car alarm does not activate when car is locked and the bike carrier's plug is removed from car socket.

* Eco Driving Mode disabled

 

Instead, when reverse is selected the rear parking sensors go ballistic, unsurprisingly, with red bars appearing on the screen directly behind the car.

 

When the car is locked the alarm doesn't activate when the carrier is unplugged. (All bulbs on the bike carrier's light bar function normally however).

 

Having spoken to the dealer, ( who I'll not name), they suggested that coding isn't the issue and are veering towards sending me to the 3rd party fitter.

 

So as not to be shunted from pillar to post when I take it to the dealer next week, any suggestions as to possible causes and solutions would be appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

 

Edited 25 May, 2018 by Rab-k
Eco

[CWARD]

They’ve gone the cheapest and easiest route of splicing into the wires with a generic module rather than fitting dedicated electrics and coding to recognise the towbar electrics. The socket would have been 13 pin if they had used dedicated electrics too 

[Rab-k]

Assuming that to be the case, would such a setup prevent any of the functions listed previously from being enabled by the dealer setting the appropriate codes?

[logiclee]

You need a dedicated wiring kit and coding for the functions to work.

 

It sounds like the towbar fitter has used a cheap and nasty bypass relay.

 

Your only option is to have the towbar wiring completely redone and then coded correctly

Edited 25 May, 2018 by logiclee

[KevC_Derby]

And obviously didn’t test it with a light board, only a voltmeter

[CWARD]

^ as logiclee said needs to dedicated wiring. Which is the towbar prep, the wiring loom from the canbus, fuse box and battery to the boot of the car. Then the second part which is the socket to the boot. When you specify dedicated wiring you get both parts but obviously this costs more and involves more labour too. 

The coding tells the car the towbar module is connected and the extra functions are available. Even before the coding has been done the electrics still work for lights and power. 

[Rab-k]

Well that sucks. 

 

My own fault I guess for not specifying exactly what I wanted - having simply asked the dealer to fit a detachable towbar as part of 'the deal', (I was spoiled by my old MkII 4x4 having a detachable Westfalia with 'towbar prep').

 

Wonder what they'll say next week. 

 

.....caveat emptor 

[CWARD]

Looking on P J Jones you’re looking at £140 for the dedicated electrics plus fitting 

[Rab-k]

Good to know, thanks. 

[Rab-k]

Had a browse on the P J Jones website - some useful info.

 

If indeed it is the cheaper universal bypass relay that they've wired in, as opposed to the dedicated system, might such compromise the warranty on any associated electrics?

[CWARD]

It wouldn’t help in a warranty claim but it’s going to be hard to dismiss a claim when it is the dealer's 3rd party fitter that did the work. 

[Rab-k]

You'd think so. See what they say tomorrow...

[BlueclouduK]

The simplest way to decide who is responsible for the fitting of the wiring is; who did you pay the money to?

If the dealership took your hard-earned beer tokens then it's them.  If they sub-contracted the job they are still the party you dealt with.

I know it's a bit of shutting doors long after Black Beauty has done a runner, but whenever asking for work to be done, especially things like tow bars, always put in a request in writing.  It only needs a little note to ensure that the 13pin option is fitted and should work as per the manufacturers specifications.

[Rab-k]

20/20 hindsight a wonderful thing indeed...

 

Anyhoo, the dealer (who I paid) recons it's a dedicated loom installed and the fitter either didn't code (forgot) or there's an issue with the module ( you'd think they'd have checked).

 

Trip to the fitter beckons. Keeping my powder dry meantime...

[Rab-k]

Fitter confirms universal bypass relay fitted, therefore none of the car's towing related safety/security/driving features can be activated :(

 

So, for £500 I've got a detachable towbar and can power a light bar, which is fine for a bike carrier, (thankfully I can mute the reversing sensor alarm and disable the auto-brake function using the display. Also, the indicators 'bleep' - which I assume will cease should a bulb fail), but will I consider strapping on 1.75 tonnes of caravan or gravel-filled trailer when the ESP is set up for the car only? Errrm, nope!

 

Moral of the story - be ultra specific when agreeing with the sales guy what extras you want before taking delivery. Specifically, if you want a towbar fitted and 'towbar preparation' wasn't installed at the factory, insist that a 'Dedicated' loom and trailer module is fitted if you want any of the car's towing related features to function.

 

As for fitting an aftermarket 'Dedicated' system, (in the absence of factory 'towbar preparation'), this is what's involved, so if not up to a spot of DIY then prepare for eye-watering labour costs...

 

The alternative is a 'Universal Bypass Relay' spliced into the lighting electrics, with none of the car's associated whistles and bells working.

 

Edited 1 June, 2018 by Rab-k
Spilling

[Cakemonster]

so glad I've ordered a factory fitted towbar...

 

having fitted a towbar to an old Mondeo estate, but by splicing into the boot wiring, the Octy, though neat looks a considerably bigger job trim removal wise, didn't even take the bumper off on the Mondeo