Hi

When i bought this car i asked the dealer for a towbar thrown in. He died they don't for the sides ones but use a local company that I'm familiar with. All good and Towbar fitted until i tried using it. The parking sensors and worse still emergency brake keep going off in reverse. Yes i know i should be turning them off each and every time i reverse.....

In hindsight i should have demanded a properly installed towbar of whatever make. Has anyone any advice based on past experience? Can i get this one coded in? Is there some way way to turn off the sensors and emergency braking?

TIA and Merry Yuletide

Peter

First question - is the car plated to tow?

second - is this a main dealer or small independent?

third - what have they fitted, specifically, brand, model and such?

forth - where are you located?

we need all this detail to advise further.

 

a properly fitted tow bar should of been fitted that seamlessly ties with the vehicle systems and automatically turns off and changes certain systems when plugged in, this clearly hasn’t been done

The Towbar will be perfect, EU / UK Approved otherwise the fitters broke the law.

 

The Electrics are the issue, someone unqualified, or untrained or all the gear and no idea, or not all the gear.  So get them to sort it out. 

1 minute ago, toot said:

The Towbar will be perfect, EU / UK Approved otherwise the fitters broke the law.

 

The Electrics are the issue, someone unqualified, or untrained or all the gear and no idea, or not all the gear.  So get them to sort it out. 

Broad statement to make that the tow bar will be perfect without having seen it. 
you’d assume and hope it’s all the correct specification, approved and fitted correctly but can not be 100% yourself.

 

the point of concern is even if a legal tow bar is fitted, if the vehicle weight plate doesn’t allow a gross train weight then it’s still not legal to tow with it

Thanks!

Car is played to tow

Main dealer for car local company for towbar which main dealer uses for all their towbars

NI

Just wondering who "we" is...?

Peter

@ApertureS "otherwise the fitters broke the law."

 

If a Towbar fitter in the UK or EU does not know what they can buy in and supply or fit then they really are on very dodgy ground.

They might be crap, but they are in deep poo supplying and fitting wrong towing equipment.

 

As to being competent in fitting and electrics then that is something else.

 

My good buddy is a Towbar Fitter and supplier and the employer of many others.  

 

 

Edited 9 December, 20223 yr by toot

11 minutes ago, BPL said:

Just wondering who "we" is...?

We are the Borg,  Ur @$$ will be laminated!   

I bet that has towbar fitters quaking in their boots!

 

What law would they have broken? Who would prosecute them and what could the penalties be?

 

Same questions for someone fitting a towbar to their own vehicle?

 

I am not asking about the act of using a vehicle to tow which does not have the appropriate approvals but the act of fitting a towbar to one.

You can fit your own tow bar and take the consequences. If there are issues, towing when the car can not legally tow.

If it goes t1ts up it is between you, the law and insurers.

 

As to a commercial business fitting the equipment and not complying, as hopeless as the Law is in England & Wales & Scotland or England they can and do act and prosecutions take place.  

As to the law or no law, or who GAF, then maybe there is nothing really to bother about if you are a business.

They better be insured and carrying out work safely and fitting the correct parts / equipment safely. 

 

http://pfjones.co.uk/ec-towing-regulations.html

http://ultimatetowbars.co.uk/tow-bar-type-approval

 

I GAF. 👍

 

What law were you referring to that the fitters in question would have broken?

@J.R.I am pleased that you 'Give a ****'.

There might well be no law broken, just them acting and trading in a way that Officers of the law or VOSA or whoever will be visiting them as they do.

 

When VOSA do 'Checks' at or in the area of 'Recycle centres, Car Boot Sales, Cattle Markets, Race tracks etc and stopping vehicles and checking them and their trailers and tow bars and licences / waste permits etc the drivers that are then asked who fitted the tow bar or such are usually prepared to say exactly who if there is an issue with it. 

http://somersettowbars.co.uk/towbars

 

 

 

Edited 9 December, 20223 yr by toot

12 hours ago, toot said:

There might well be no law broken

 

Could you ask your good buddy then?

I have. 

You can do things Legally, or there is Illegal.  In business you do Legal unless you are a dodgy geezer.

 

What the Law, rules or statutes will be relevant to who you are or what you are.  Or maybe there are no laws.  

 

 

3 hours ago, toot said:

I have. 

 

Would you care to share his wisdom then?

 

There are no laws in my Dodgy Geezer world, just people that like to tell me I am breaking the ones of their imagination!

4 hours ago, J.R. said:

 

Would you care to share his wisdom then?

 

There are no laws in my Dodgy Geezer world, just people that like to tell me I am breaking the ones of their imagination!

Pretty spot on 😂 But I don’t believe there is a specific law on tow bars, maybe on the consequences and on other things such as what you can and can’t tow.

there is EU specifications on what is approved and tested tow bars but don’t think it’s a legal responsibility on companies.

 

either way - at the end of the day and all the courts are interest in - you as the driver of the vehicle HAVE to make sure your vehicle or any vehicle you drive is safe, legal and fully working before every journey. 

It must suck to have bought a vehicle specifically for towing only to find that for whatever their reasons were VAG had not put a towing weight on the homologation papers.

 

But not in my world thankfully.