Removing a towbar - need the original bumper beam?

[oodoom]

Hello all

 

Got my 09 Elegance a couple of weeks ago, it came with a towbar which I'll never use and just looks fugly.

 

So how to remove it? It's not as simple as I'd hoped apparently. I don't really know where to start with the electrics, and it's not a case of just undoing a few bolts. The towbar manufacturer have told me that I must refit the "original bumper beam" - please can someone tell me what this is and where I can get one?

 

All advice gratefully received. 

 

cheers

 

Adam

 

 

[SuperbTWM]

You need the steel structure that sits behind the bumper which is removed to make way for the tow bar.

 

No idea where to get one other than the dealers or somebody that has fitted a tow bar. 

 

I do have one but not sure if i'll be putting it back on and taking the tow bar off when i sell the car

[Emberpup]

Expensive option, replace the tow bar with a detachable one, they can be very discrete, sell the old one to off set the cost? 

[chimaera]

Any idea what brand electrical kit was installed?

 

If it's Skoda electrics or a third party equivalent, removing it will take a few hours and involve removing a good chunk of the interior (all boot lining, lower trim along the driver's side) and a bunch of fiddling around under the dash removing the pins from the fuse panel and the BCM connector. Plus you then need to have 3 or 4 modules recoded to tell them that towing electrics are no longer fitted.

 

I'd second the suggestion of having a detachable towbar fitted, particularly if you're likely to sell the car on later: the Superb is well regarded as a tow car and having a towbar fitted could help a future sale.

 

Try a local breaker's yard to see if they can get the bumper bar for you.

[Emberpup]

I'd leave the electrics if they're sound, coil it back up to somewhere out of sight and secure it to something so it doesnt rattle, 

[andrehj]

When removing the tow bar, you definitely have to refit the inner (steel) bumper bar. Here's a picture of mine in 2012 (when I tried to sell it, but didn't manage to...):

Without this inner bumper, you're practically driving without a bumper, the outer plastic cover is not very strong...

[MarkTB]

Some towbars you can removed the fixed flange and therefore 'hide' the towbar behind the bumper - there may be some bolts on the towbar behind the bumper if you have a look up, this is how the flange bracket was fixed on my mk1 towbar iirc.

 

Otherwise, as above, get in touch with a scrap yard, they'll have plenty I would imagine - can't see the colour being an issue to you when it sits behind the bumper!

[lowedb]

If you are completely stuck, I have the beam from when I fitted my towbar and I'm not planning to remove the towbar when I trade in soon. Mines from an estate (combi) and I have no idea if that's the same as the saloon.

[Teedeeaye]

Got one of my 05 plate 1.9tdi. You can have it if you want it. Could meet you half way.

[chimaera]

3 hours ago, Teedeeaye said:

Got one of my 05 plate 1.9tdi. You can have it if you want it. Could meet you half way.

'05 is a mk1 - it's not going to fit the mk2.

[Teedeeaye]

My 05 plate is mk2

 

[TheRobinK]

27 minutes ago, Teedeeaye said:

My 05 plate is mk2

 

An 05 plate in the UK is still a 2005 to 2006 car.

 

To be a Superb mk2, the earliest possible year it can be is 2008.

 

Maybe you ave a mk2 Octavia and didn't realize this is the Superb forum?

[Teedeeaye]

Correct on all counts