Towing a trailer

[psycho6149]

Towed a trailer for the first time last week (Octy Elegance 1.9) i noticed something i cant find in the manual. When a trailer is connected the indicators beep when operated rather than the usual click noise - is this normal?

[Whippetlady]

Yup - totally normal! I haven't towed anything with my Octy yet, but my Nissan Almera always beeped when I towed my trailer tent! The noise is good confirmation that you have got all the electrics connected up properly. Eleanor

[auroan]

Yep thats right, I think you have to have a bleep (some eu regulation).

[Exhausted]

The reason for it beeping is to advise you that the trailer indicators are working. If your trailer is connected and you get no beep then you will know that there is a problem with the trailer indicators that need attention.

Derek and still Exhausted

[neharris]

Thats a shame - as we towed with my wife's Octavia last week for the first time since getting the car and it didnt beep. The indicators on the trailer were working fine, and the rear parking sensors cut out as their supposed to when the electrics were plugged in - just no beep. I was hoping that the regulations had changed since the last car - but now I need to get them checked.

The towbar and electrics are the Skoda factory fit detacheable ones - so there is also a converter from the now standard 13 pin electrics to the older twin 7 pin used. I would try and track it down myself, but as its only 7 months old, it'll go back to the dealers.

Thanks for pointing it out - I was hoping to forget about it.

Neil.

[Octygone]

It doesn't have to bleep .......the towing vehicle must have indication that the trailer incators are working .........now that can be audible ( the bleep) or visual (warning light, maybe a lit up tow hook, in the dash board) the audible ones are more usual as they are cheaper and far easier to fit.

[auroan]

ah fair enough....

[swing]

I think the rules changed a few years back - the rules used to be an audible or visible indication that the lights were working, however, I think the rules now also allow you to have a visible indication that the lights aren't working if you have a full bulb failure system fitted. With an original Skoda towbar, it might well have that, and hence not need any other form of notification...

[psycho6149]

i opted for getting a towbar fitted as one of the options when i bought the car - so was expecting the dealer to fit one but they sent it to a local company and got a brink one fitted - the parking sensors dont cut out - have i been duped?

[swing]

I suppose it depends what you paid for...?

If you paid the full going rate for the Skoda one, then yes, I guess you were. Whereas if you paid less, or haggled and got a towbar included in the deal, then unless the paperwork explicitly states a Skoda towbar, then probably not (even though you feel hard done by).

The parking sensors don't have to cutout - as long as the towbar is not interfering with them working when not towing, then it's a lot of money just to not get a tone whilst reversing whilst hitched up.

[bengie]

the parking sensors shouldn't work with a trialor hitched anyway as when they turn on the object will aleady be there. well thats what i was told anyway

[neharris]

It depends what you asked (and paid for). The factory fit one is about twice the cost of getting an aftermarket one but does integrate more completely with the electronics. Also the detachable towbar fits in the cutout in the spare wheel well (Well it did until I put the stabaliser bracket on it :confused: ).

When I bought the car I was offered either factory fit or aftermarket towbar. The dealer I bought from also didnt want to fit the aftermarket one themselves (or even a Skoda supplied one) but offered to have the towbar fitted by a local specialist before I picked up the car. In my experience this is common practice (I've had it done the last 3 times and gone the aftermarket route until now) as the dealer often can't make any money on fitting the towbar if it is to remain competative with the specialists offerings.

The reason that I went with factory fit this time was because of a problem we had on the last Octavia with a wiring problem. I had huge arguements with the local dealer about an electrical problem as they immediately pointed to the aftermarket towbar electrics and blamed them when they couldnt find the problem in the rest of the car. It turned out the problem was an incorrectly fitted telephone kit.

An aftermarket towbar is just as safe and works just as well as a OE one (assuming both were fitted properly), but due to the complexities of the CAN-BUS wiring on the Octavia most aftermarket electrics dont provide the extra facilities (such as cutting out of the parking sensors) that the OE one does. If you accepted that you were getting an aftermarket towbar then it's possible you have a valid complaint if you were lead to believe that it was "exactly the same as an OE one". Most sales people wouldnt know the difference though to advise you, and for the extra cost most people (myself included to be honest) would put up with the parking sensors going off when you were reversing a trailer.

Neil

Neil.

[psycho6149]

The specialists who fitted the tow bar are the best (and most expensive) in this country (Northern Ireland) company is called Indespension. Dealer told me that they fit all the towbars for this dealer (John Mulhollands) I know the bill from Indespension was

[swing]

I thought the Skoda one was much more than that, once you allowed for the fitting costs.

[Nomag]

I can't quite believe the prices quoted on here for aftermarket towbar fitting!

I had a Westfalia detachable bar fitted to our Octy II estate last month, it cost