Superb MK2 Estate - Towbar fitment

 

I am using PF Jones Brink fixed towbar and vehicle specific electrics.

 

This has been a mammoth job so far. The instructions and technical support has been brilliant if anyone is thinking of buying from them.

 

Towbar - simple to fix on if you have a good set of tools and torque wrench. 

 

Lights electrics - bit more challenging, all fitted and running from the boot, down the right to the fuse box at the side of the drivers steering wheel. Hooked onto the canbus network.

 

Power electrics - instructions just say fit to the battery power and run down the left side ok the car to the boot 🫣 Glovebox out, found a grommit under the windscreen to feed the wires through and removed all the trim down the left to the boot. These wires have now connected to the lights electrics and is monitored by a battery regulator relay.

 

Jobs left - Coding the electrics, this is the moment of truth 🤣 found a very nice man to help locally with his VCDS. Put the trim back into the car and cut the bumper to fit around the towbar.

 

I got quoted £400 to fit all of this and I wanted to have a go at fitting myself. I have really enjoyed doing this so far and would urge anyone to have a go. But make sure you have a good set of tools, torque wrench, wire strippers and access to VCDS. Otherwise, pay someone else 🤣

 

Just about to collect my Superb estate and this will be one of my first jobs. Thanks for the pictures but please may I ask a few questions for clarity.

 

Does the rear bumper have to come off completely or does that just make access a bit easier I have fitted on my Volvo's and they all slot in behind the rear bumper?

 

The wiring you have used is it a universal canbus unit or a car specific kit? 

 

For the power supply from the battery is there not a power supply that could be used near the rear such as 12v socket or boot space fuse board?

 

Thanks for any help you can give.

 

 

Bumper must come off. You remove the crash bar and replace it with the towbar.

 

If you use Skoda electrics (the best option IMO) then there are two possibilities. If your car has factory towing prep then there will be a connection in the boot for the remaining (new) harness to connect to. Otherwise you have to pop out the sill trims along the driver's side to rum the full harness to the fuse panel. Given that the full current draw for the 13-pin setup is around 60 or 70 amps, you're not going to find a good power source in the boot and will need to run a cable from the battery anyway.

 

The Skoda electrics integrate with other vehicle systems, alarm (unplugging the trailer while the car is locked sets it off) , ESP (towing mode to help if the trailer starts snaking), disabling rear parking sensors while the trailer is hitched up. Much better than a universal canbus kit.

6 hours ago, chimaera said:

Bumper must come off. You remove the crash bar and replace it with the towbar.

 

If you use Skoda electrics (the best option IMO) then there are two possibilities. If your car has factory towing prep then there will be a connection in the boot for the remaining (new) harness to connect to. Otherwise you have to pop out the sill trims along the driver's side to rum the full harness to the fuse panel. Given that the full current draw for the 13-pin setup is around 60 or 70 amps, you're not going to find a good power source in the boot and will need to run a cable from the battery anyway.

 

The Skoda electrics integrate with other vehicle systems, alarm (unplugging the trailer while the car is locked sets it off) , ESP (towing mode to help if the trailer starts snaking), disabling rear parking sensors while the trailer is hitched up. Much better than a universal canbus kit.

Thanks for the extra information. It all helps. I also note now from the pictures that the towbar needs to slide a long way into the chassis rails anyway so another reason the bumper comes off too. I'm only setting up for trailer towing rather than caravan but yep probably best to go the full monty on the electrics.

 

Will need to investigate whether the car is towing prepped or not first (not sure what I will be looking for atm) and also see if I can find some details to help take the rear bumper off without messing all the usual silly little plastic fixings .

 

Thanks again for the help. Much appreciated

 

Yeah the bumper comes off fully. It isn't a difficult job or even fiddly to be honest. I would make sure you have a torque wrench though for the fixings. 

I fully recommend PF Jones for all of your kit and yes get the vehicle specific wiring kit. 

 

When you remove your bumper you will see a cut out line already on there for you to follow, rather than use the template they send. 

 

When you come to buy the electric kits, the vehicle specific kit that will run from the boot, down the drivers side to the footwell for the fuse box....is for lights, ESP, sensors etc. This is the one that you will need to get coded in on VCDS. 

Then there is a universal kit add on for the battery that runs from the boot, down the passenger's side, through the firewall to the battery. This connects to the vehicle specific harness in the boot via a protection relay. This will charge a leisure battery and turn the fridge on. 

 

So the question is, do you need that bit and if not, then you can always add it easily at any time. 

 

If you get any questions then please just give me a shout, happy to help. 

2 hours ago, Elliot0808 said:

Yeah the bumper comes off fully. It isn't a difficult job or even fiddly to be honest. I would make sure you have a torque wrench though for the fixings. 

I fully recommend PF Jones for all of your kit and yes get the vehicle specific wiring kit. 

 

When you remove your bumper you will see a cut out line already on there for you to follow, rather than use the template they send. 

 

When you come to buy the electric kits, the vehicle specific kit that will run from the boot, down the drivers side to the footwell for the fuse box....is for lights, ESP, sensors etc. This is the one that you will need to get coded in on VCDS. 

Then there is a universal kit add on for the battery that runs from the boot, down the passenger's side, through the firewall to the battery. This connects to the vehicle specific harness in the boot via a protection relay. This will charge a leisure battery and turn the fridge on. 

 

So the question is, do you need that bit and if not, then you can always add it easily at any time. 

 

If you get any questions then please just give me a shout, happy to help. 

Thanks for the reply, for sure at the moment I only need towing capability for trailers (horsebox and general van type box trailer) that said may go the whole hog with charge power for leisure battery. I have tools including torque wrench and a good space to work in so I think I may just go the same route as you with pfjones kit. 

 

I assume that coding the car for trailer use is doable at a dealer for a cost, or do I check to see if my local usual all makes garage can cope with that.

 

Anyway, will collect the car later today and start to have a rummage to see what it does and does not have. It may even be that it's all there and tucked away I just didn't look when I was buying.

 

.no fool like an old fool !

 

I would ask if it does. If you have the 4x4 version then it will have one. 

 

But if you look under the bumper, if there is no cut out there already, it won't have the electrics setup ready. 

 

I found a local guy on here to do my coding. Other dealers or garages, even VAG specialists wouldn't do it. I don't understand why as it's 3 options to change!! 

 

But I would search the VCDS list on here and find someone local to you to do it for a beer or 2!! It will take them 5 mins!! 

4 hours ago, Elliot0808 said:

Yeah the bumper comes off fully. It isn't a difficult job or even fiddly to be honest. I would make sure you have a torque wrench though for the fixings. 

I fully recommend PF Jones for all of your kit and yes get the vehicle specific wiring kit. 

 

When you remove your bumper you will see a cut out line already on there for you to follow, rather than use the template they send. 

 

When you come to buy the electric kits, the vehicle specific kit that will run from the boot, down the drivers side to the footwell for the fuse box....is for lights, ESP, sensors etc. This is the one that you will need to get coded in on VCDS. 

Then there is a universal kit add on for the battery that runs from the boot, down the passenger's side, through the firewall to the battery. This connects to the vehicle specific harness in the boot via a protection relay. This will charge a leisure battery and turn the fridge on. 

 

So the question is, do you need that bit and if not, then you can always add it easily at any time. 

 

If you get any questions then please just give me a shout, happy to help. 

The Skoda kit includes everything, no need for extra wiring. The Westfalia one is pretty much the same.

Hmmm thats incorrect. I am taking about PF Jones specifically where you select the wiring options you want. If you just buy the vehicle specific kit, it doesn't come with the harness for battery charging and the fridge.

 

Other websites or OEMs might do it differently. Just to be clear 🤣

4 hours ago, Elliot0808 said:

Hmmm thats incorrect. I am taking about PF Jones specifically where you select the wiring options you want. If you just buy the vehicle specific kit, it doesn't come with the harness for battery charging and the fridge.

 

Other websites or OEMs might do it differently. Just to be clear 🤣

I'm talking about OE Skoda and its equivalents. Everything is there in one setup with all the correct connectors and terminals to slot into the fusebox and BCM plug.

Thanks for the help guys, got my local (very useful and resourceful mechanic) to have a butchers, he already advised that if coding needed then he has a man with VCDS to sort.

 

The other thing for me is if I do go power for leisure battery charging I assume I can get that run from the battery which as I have 3.6 V6 is in the n/s boot compartment, so no running cables from bulkhead to rear of car for me! 

2 hours ago, Mowerman53 said:

Thanks for the help guys, got my local (very useful and resourceful mechanic) to have a butchers, he already advised that if coding needed then he has a man with VCDS to sort.

 

The other thing for me is if I do go power for leisure battery charging I assume I can get that run from the battery which as I have 3.6 V6 is in the n/s boot compartment, so no running cables from bulkhead to rear of car for me! 

If you get the OE Skoda kit all that is wired in at the fuse panel in the dash, no messing with extra wiring needed. The Westfalia kit is the same.