As a brief introduction, I am a new convert to the Skoda marque, having bought an 06 Octavia 2.00tdi Elegance last Thursday.

On of my first jobs is to get a towbar fitted. I’ve starting a new thread, as the standing thread seems to have veered off into a discussion of towing; rather than fitting.

A list of questions.

1. Is self-fitting a doable job for someone relatively handy with a good range of garage tools? Is it easy to get the rear bumper off?

2. My car comes with rear sensors. With this in mind, would it be good advice to let it done professionally?

3. Which detachable towbar is best?

4. Which wiring loom do I need to ensure I don’t damage the existing electrics? I’ve been told the Octavia II uses a ‘pulse’ electronic system and the old electric clips are no longer an option. What I’m looking for is a straight plug-in system. Which is best?

5. As an alternative option, can anyone recommend a good fitting firm within reasonable travelling distance of Chester?

Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to offer.

Welcome to Briskoda,

I had a Witter Fixed bar on mine as the Skoda approved was unavailable as it hadn't been designed . Cost just over £200 fitted.

When I had one on my Fabia with sensors the towbar didn't affect the sensors.

Ours was fitted by a local specialist company as recommended by our dealer. Cost was £380 for a fixed Brink bracket with twin electrics.

I wouldn't consider fitting my own, simply because I am only a thick Primary School Deputy Head, I don't have the technical skills!

Should have said ... we don't have reversing sensors so that is not an issue for us ... my Mrs uses the towbar as her reverse sensor!

witter

Genuine Skoda detachable swan neck. No cutting of any sort! I think Flyntech did a full write up on fitting the bar himself. Not sure on the sensors though. I seem to think that when the electrics are fitted they are set to disable when you connect the trailer/caravan electrics, but you should check. I had the electrics fitted by the dealer as I wanted a charging circuit, however it might be worth your while checking out prices elsewhere & getting a proper towbar fittter/auto electrician to do them as they may take better car of your car!

Heres the link:

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/new-octavia/fitted-skoda-detachable-towbar-my-rs/62247/

I did mine - myself last month.

I saw an Octy on a caravan site in Belgium and I could see no sign that it was a towcar. I asked what he was using and it turned out to be a Westfalia - so that is what I've got and very pleased too.

I can't see how any tow bar can be fitted without some cutting of the bumper. If you look underneath the rear bumper you will see matt black plastic and it is this that needs cutting. The painted part of the bumper is not cut and It is impossible to see any cut unless looking underneath it.

Skoda recommend a removable tow ball to use with reversing sensors otherwise they could just see the towball when selecting reverse.

You don't say whether you need it for caravanning or not. If you only need the lights and not the fridge supply then I wouldn't go canbus (what you call pulsed electronics). If you do want a fridge etc supply then you have to go back to the fusebox and then you can, if you wish, use a canbus lighting controller. This controller lives in the boot area but needs wiring up to the fusebox area.

The alternative to canbus is a 7 bypass relay. I haven't used one myself so can't give guidance.

I'm sure that I've given some answers but posed new questions.

VRStu has an excellent step by step guide on Octavia-vrs.com

I couldn't have done it without it. Eeven so, due to certain ambiguities, it took me about 3 days. (Mind you I am no longer supple and take much much longer coffee breaks).

Exhausted

I Fitted A Tow Bar From Towsure With A Detachable Ball,i Had Sensors But Left Them Conected And Rested Bumper On Floor,the Rear Lights Have To Come Out To Remove Bumper,i Used A Genuine Wiring Loom And The Dealer Programed The Sensors And Bulb Warning For Free.

Thanks for all the help and advice provided so far. As next steps I’d like to ask some detail questions.

1. I’m thinking of going with a detachable Westfalia. Can anyone recommend a good cheap supplier? As an alternative, are there any good internet sites for supplying genuine Skoda towbars?

2. I only need lights for a boat trailer. Can I get a wiring kit which just pugs straight into a socket within the existing wiring loom? I don’t fancy tapping into existing wiring.

3. Does the system need to be reprogrammed so it knows that a trailer is in use; or does the act of plugging in a 7 pin lighting board automatically disable the sensors? If not, is this something that a dealer has to do.

1. I got my Westfalia from towequipe.co.uk. Cracking price and service.

2. As far as I'm aware only the Skoda electrics are totally plug in. It relies on a connection to the canbus which means wires going all of the way to the fusebox area. This is shown on the VRStu octavia site as mentioned earlier. DO download his information on this as you get blow by blow commentary and photographs.

The canbus I got from Towequipe turned out to be a Witter but soldering is required on one wire in the tail light cluster and also when connecting to the canbus itself. (Near fusebox).

The canbus instructs the various car lights to switch on or off. You will have a "black box" in the boot area which connects to the canbus. This box has a multipole connector which goes to the 7 pin socket only. The "black box" interprets the canbus commands to the various rear lights and switches the 7 pin socket connections accordingly.

3. This can only be the case if you do go for a canbus system and you will need to get the dealer OR a fellow Briskodian with VAG-COM to activate it. HOWEVER It's no big deal leaving it as it will only beep at you while you are reversing the trailer.

Exhausted

IIRC towsure do a plug in system for CANBUS vehicles which gives you either the 13 pin or twin sockets

Welcome to Towsure - Discount Camping and Caravanning Equipment, EC Approved Towbars, Trailers and Trailer Parts from Towsure

when I had my towbar fitted on octy mk1 they were very good and not too badly priced

Thanks to all the advice I think I’m nearly there on what I need to get and do. The level of detail on the VRStu Octavia site is very helpful.

The final, double checking question is on the electrics. I only need the single (N type) connector for use with a small boat trailer. Is there a neat, plug in kit for this, or would I have to use snap-connectors: or fit a canbus system all they way to the fusebox? I’m very wary of messing up a ‘multiplexed or canbus’ wiring system.

As far as I'm aware, due to the canbus controlling the lights (and everything else), there cannot be a simple socket for your 7N to plug into.

In old technology cars there could be a socket or you could use Scotchlocks to connect to each light circuit. Alas this is no more.

Your only choice is the canbus route or a 7 way bypass relay which does scotchlock onto the appropriate lighting wires but doesn't interfere with canbus control or bulb failure detection.

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Thanks to all the advise I’m now comfortable with the fitting of the tow bar: but would want to double check exactly which 7 pin bypass system I should get for use with a simple trailer lighting board.

Can someone give me a link to a site which would supply a suitable 7 pin bypass system; and finally; most of the pictures show the tow bar fitting; can anyone describe where to connect the bypass, or even better, post pictures?

There’s every chance I’m making heavy weather of this; but I want to be absolutely happy with what I'm doing before I start. In my defence, the only thing worse than asking stupid questions at the start is asking them half way through!

I’ve found info on a link to a 7-pin Octavia kit which seems to fit the bill.

7 Pin Car Specific towbar wiring Skoda octavia Est 04>>: ZEKSK0002b Towequipe - UK's best value towbar store

This piece of kit seems to be a simple, if a bit costly, way around by reluctance to fit a (£26 ish standard relay kit) It on the towequipe site as suggests that it is “a Car Specific wiring kit for the vehicle listed which plugs into the rear lights or the vehicles manufactures trailer plug. This is that same as the OE original equipment and 80% of these kits are plugged directly into the rear of the vehicle with no wiring to the front of the vehicle. It includes all the relays that are applicable for the fitment of the electrics for this vehicle. “

What do you think?

This is the canbus version which I used. Reread my previous posts but briefly with this there is soldering on the rear light cluster and soldering to the canbus itself which is under the dash.

I feel that a 7 way bypass relay would be a better bet for you but you will need to connect to every light wire with scotchlocks. I have no experience of using these but they seem straight forward.

Exhausted

towsure can supply a 13 pin to 7 pin addapter it just plugs straight in.

When you say it 'just plugs straight in'; are you saying that the towsure adapter plugs straight into an existing connection in the wiring at the back of the car - or are working on the assumption that the car is already wired for a 13 pin lighting connection; and the adapters purpose is to knock this down to the UK 7-pin system?

ie, I would have no new connections or need break into the wiring to make with this towsure adaptor when fitting from scratch as I am in this instance.

Skoda's own canbus wiring doesn't appear to need any soldering or cutting of wires. Read through the latter part of the VRStu towbar fitting guide.

Exhausted

the adapter converts 13 pin plug to 7 pin plug ,