Towbar prep. What is done when built ?

[clivecoo]

I've ordered the towbar prep option on my soon ? to be built Karoq. 

I did not go for the full towbar fit as I may not require it, but decided to get the prep option in case I need to tow a trailer at a later date. I currently can use a van for transporting my toys  (motorcycles ) and general  big stuff.

Does anyone know what the actual prep details are during the build ? Possibly electrics. Any bracketry etc . And would I have to use skoda kit to later fit the towbar  ?

 

[CWARD]

The tow bar prep is just the wiring from from the fuse box and can bus to the boot. You can then buy a tow bar and socket that will plug into this wiring at the boot.

Westfalia make the towbars for VAG which you can buy from P F Jones.  Remove the rear bumper and steel beam behind it, install the tow bar frame and pass the socket wiring through the rubber grommet into the boot and plug into the module. Remove the panel from the rear bumper or cut me out so the tow bar will come through and refit the bumper. 2-3 hours of work and you’ve got a working tow bar with dedicated electrics extending the alarm to the towbar electrics, disengage reverse sensor and stability program for towing. 

[Kenny R]

Once fitted some coding would be required to have the towbar integrated with the car safety and alarm systems. Some towbar fitters seem to be able to do this correctly some don’t. 

The dealer should be able to do the coding or someone with VCDS.

[CWARD]

Kenny, I think factory prep is already coded and once you connect the socket then plug something into it all the functionality is there. 

If you don’t have factory prep to begin with then you need to get it coded otherwise you just gets the lights function but not the extras,  at least that’s how it was on mine. 

[clivecoo]

Thanks for the reply guys.  I'll have a good look at mine when I get it. I like the skoda bar that flips down from underneath and clicks into place. 

The factory fit bar seemed expensive but maybe it will end up a similar price if I go down the retro fit route ?

I like getting the spanners out so fitting is not a problem. 

When I finally get the car I will get some comparison prices including skoda oem prices for the parts.

 

[CWARD]

The swing down towbars are nice but only marginally easier than a detachable one that still can’t be seen when removed. The Westfalia one will set you back around £300 and surprisingly easy to fit, bumper removal is the most difficult part. 

[clivecoo]

1 hour ago, CWARD said:

The swing down towbars are nice but only marginally easier than a detachable one that still can’t be seen when removed. The Westfalia one will set you back around £300 and surprisingly easy to fit, bumper removal is the most difficult part. 

 

The Wesfalia option may be the way to go. At least it can be kept in the dry if easily detachable

[skoda1982]

I have tow bar prep and there are no noticeable signs it has it only there are fuses fitted in the fuse box and plug'sockets in the boot where the pull out panels are  

[JohnD5314]

When Skoda fit a tow bar they have to modify the cooling - a replacement fan and grill. If you opt for a third party towbar, and do not have this done, please be aware that if you have a problem that can be attributed to not having the mods, your warranty can be invalidated. Considering what you are paying out for the car, is it worth the risk?

 

The ideal solution is to have the towbar fitted when the car is built - the new fan etc will be fitted at very little extra cost (as opposed to a retro fit when it is very expensive). And, no, tow bar prep does not include these mods.

[Doogle69]

I assume the updated fan and grill apply to the 1.5tsi engined vehicle as well? I am so glad I have the factory fitted towbar. Its well engineered. My car tows a 1300kg caravan very well. 

[silver1011]

If its not too late I'd be tempted to take it off the order and put the money towards the towbar instead.

 

There have been several posts on aftermarket towbars. The vast majority of fitters prefer to use their own fitting kits and don't bother with the factory fitted wiring.

[CWARD]

38 minutes ago, silver1011 said:

If its not too late I'd be tempted to take it off the order and put the money towards the towbar instead.

 

There have been several posts on aftermarket towbars. The vast majority of fitters prefer to use their own fitting kits and don't bother with the factory fitted wiring.

 

Thats because it’s quicker and easier for them to fit but also removes the benefits of dedicated electrics. 

Edited 17 November, 2018 by CWARD

[silver1011]

I can't speak from personal experience, but a number of members have claimed that the kits the towbar fitters use these days integrate directly into the cars CANBUS, and after being coded allow all the same factory features to be enabled. This is why they don't bother with the factory fitted 'towbar prep'. Using it takes longer than them fitting their own kit that they're familiar with.

[CWARD]

I have done the wiring into the can bus and fuse box which involves laying on your back over the car sill looking up into the underside of the dash beneath the steering wheel. While you’re there you make the fuse connections which involves undoing the fuse box so you can get to the rear of it.

After that you move onto the canbus wiring which is 1mm thin wiring. Removing some of the female connectors from the coupling and moving them whilst installing new ones from the tow bar wiring. Tedious doesn’t really cover it unless you have childlike fingers.

On the other hand you pass the plug from the tow bar socket  through grommet behind the bumper feed it round to the right of the car boot behind the trim and plug it into the module of the dedicated wiring and hey presto everything works. 

Most tow bar fitters splice into the wiring and no amount of coding will extend the alarm or alter the stability program when something is plugged into the towbar electrics. The owners of the cars then come Briskoda complaining they don’t the function only to find you get those with dedicated electrics. 

[silver1011]

Splicing into the wiring of the rear light clusters is largely relegated to older cars. It simply doesn't work on a lot of modern cars.

 

I'm not suggesting using the dedicated wiring wouldn't be simpler, I'm suggesting that there are several instances on here of tow bar fitters not using it, despite knowing it's there. There has to be good reason for that.

 

Edited 17 November, 2018 by silver1011

[CWARD]

Maybe they bought bypass wiring, which is much cheaper than getting the wiring kit for that plugs into the module of the prepared wiring. Can’t see any other reason to avoid going click and it’s connectedwith the prepared wiring to instead wiring in another system to the canbus. 

As the OP wants to install the towbar themself there is no easier way to do this than on a car that already has towbar prep as you are working behind the bumper and boot only. No need to start running wire down the inside of the car to under the steering wheel. 

[JohnD5314]

On ‎17‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 18:42, Doogle69 said:

I assume the updated fan and grill apply to the 1.5tsi engined vehicle as well? I am so glad I have the factory fitted towbar. Its well engineered. My car tows a 1300kg caravan very well. 

 

You would be best advised to check with your dealer about the 1.5.tsi - if it was factory fitted I am sure you have what is required. I needed it for the 2.0 diesel DSG 4x4 Edition.

[Bowdie]

I would say that the swing down tow bar is much easier than the detachable. No keys, no plastic plug to insert when the tow bar is off, no storage needed and no groping around for the lighting socket as it's incorporated in the tow bar. Must admit I thought it was expensive until I had a Westfalia after market tow bar fitted to a Scout. I think the factory fit bar on the Karoq is the best I've ever seen and would recommend it to anyone. I towed a 1.5 tonne mini digger on an Ifor Williams Plant Trailer for close on 200 miles when we moved house. Right on the cars upper limit for towing, but no problems whatever.

[JohnD5314]

I have recently come to the end of a very long running saga to get a tow bar fitted to my 2.0 TDI Edition 4x4 Karoq. The car was delivered with tow bar prep. The comments below will probably apply to other care in the Skoda range.

 

The crux of the problem relates to exactly what is included in tow bar prep - my dealer (sales and aftersales) insisted that it was wiring only and no cooling modifications. Consequently I paid £1300 for the tow bar, and replacement fan and grill (it was going to be £1500 but the aftersales manager 'sharpened his pencil' for me when I complained).

 

As I still owned the old radiator and fan I asked for them to be returned to me so I could recoup some of the cost by selling them on. On close examination I discovered the ones they put in were exactly the same as the ones they took out, so I contacted Skoda UK for a definitive statement as to what is included in tow bar prep. This was the reply:-

 

     Thank you for your recent contact with ŠKODA Customer Services.

     As discussed today, as your vehicle has had factory fitted tow bar preparation, this includes all wiring and necessary cooling functions, fitted at factory.

     We hope this information is useful. If we can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us on the number below.

     Kind regards

 

So a quick trip back to the dealer and the conversation with the aftersales manager started with 'what do you understand is included in tow bar prep?' to which he replied 'just wiring mods'. He was then presented with the above response and his face was a picture, to say the least! Subsequent discussions have resulted in a £500 refund, so the cost of the Skoda tow bar amounted to £800 which, although still somewhat eye watering, is a good price (cheaper than if specified at build time).

 

In fairness, he showed me the route he has to go through on his computer to find out what parts are needed and it isn't particularly clear when told the car has tow bar prep. However there were a number of ways this could have been prevented, the most obvious being an understanding of what tow bar prep includes. The aftersales manager understands now but has also just left the dealership...……..

 

An easy way to get an indication if you have the cooling mods is to look at the radiator grill - if the vertical slots are about 6" tall you have the correct grill (and hopefully fan) - if they are about 1" tall, you don't.

 

Needless to say I am seriously considering whether I continue with this dealership, although it wouldn't surprise me if the same has happened elsewhere. Looking back over these forums there is a lot of confusion.

 

Finally I have to apologise for some of my earlier comments in this thread which I now understand to be incorrect - they were based on the information I had at the time. However, if you are speccing a new car and think you will want a tow bar, then you will save a shed load of money later by having tow bar prep. Any salesman who says you don't need it because it is just wiring, and that can be done by the installer, is talking out of his backside. And the risk to your warranty still exists if you are towing without the cooling mods and Skoda say you should have them.

[CWARD]

Sorry you have had to go through this and one of the main reasons quoted in the biggest threat to Skoda thread was the treatment of customers by the dealer. It looks like you’ve had the unfortunate first hand experience of this now.  

[JohnD5314]

1 hour ago, CWARD said:

Sorry you have had to go through this and one of the main reasons quoted in the biggest threat to Skoda thread was the treatment of customers by the dealer. It looks like you’ve had the unfortunate first hand experience of this now.  

 

Now thankfully resolved.

 

In fairness, I have owned Skodas (as has my wife) since the late 90's - we are on numbers 8 and 9 at the moment, and I have been very happy with customer service - this is the first time I have had problems. But if this is more common now then, I agree, it is a threat.

 

Fortunately I have a Eurovans relatively close (who are authorised Skoda repair agents) who were very helpful when I had a problem with my Yeti and I will be going there from now on.

[patrolman]

Coincidentally I’ve been looking in to a tow bar for my vehicle , yes the oem bar is made by   Westfalia but you can’t get one other than via TPS and this is the electric drop down type I contacted Westfalis in Bristol there uk head office and although it’s listed it’s not avalable yet and this is for both types electric and detachable they referred my to P H Jones and they quoted for a Brink detachable dedicated wiring and programming fitted at home 

£623 all in ,

I have spoken to the tech people at VW via work and it seems the issue of the cooling fan wich goes from 3.3 kw to 5 kw is not clear which vehicles it affects ,general consensus is it’s small engined vehicles that require more cooling as some one here has found out the dealers are in the dark as well 

[JohnD5314]

1 hour ago, patrolman said:

Coincidentally I’ve been looking in to a tow bar for my vehicle , yes the oem bar is made by   Westfalia but you can’t get one other than via TPS and this is the electric drop down type I contacted Westfalis in Bristol there uk head office and although it’s listed it’s not avalable yet and this is for both types electric and detachable they referred my to P H Jones and they quoted for a Brink detachable dedicated wiring and programming fitted at home 

£623 all in ,

I have spoken to the tech people at VW via work and it seems the issue of the cooling fan wich goes from 3.3 kw to 5 kw is not clear which vehicles it affects ,general consensus is it’s small engined vehicles that require more cooling as some one here has found out the dealers are in the dark as well 

 

Does this help? - its Skoda's crib sheet on which engines require cooling mods for retro fitting a tow bar.

 

Edited 16 January, 2019 by JohnD5314

[eribaMotters]

Why is it that Skoda still cannot sort out towbars and prep. This is an issue that also caused problems on the Yeti, the electrics situation only being resolved I believe in final years of production.

 

Colin

[Sanqhar]

I have a 1.5 SE L dsg. Reading the above looks like the only change is “Holder+Fan”, anyone know what this is?

 

tom

Edited 16 January, 2019 by Sanqhar