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Subject Topic: skoda octavia towbar
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Persontwintens
30/12/2014 at 7:57pm
 Location: doncaster
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Hi all been a while I've bought a skoda octavia and it's got reversing sensors now I'm wanting a towbar fitted and I prefer the flanged rather than the detachable one reason is price the other is important bound to lose the detachable piece so my question is whether anyone as the flanged version with reversing sensors and does it effects them thanks in advance


PersonIainM
30/12/2014 at 8:49pm
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My three Octavias all haad swan necked fixed brackets .... didn't interfere with the sensors

-------------
2020 Volvo XC60 B5 R Design Geartronic / 2018 Swift Elegance 580

Best Wishes

Iain


Persondiesel steve
30/12/2014 at 10:05pm
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had 2 octavia estates,07 plate had factory sensors and flange fit bracket and a 10 plate had swan neck and no issues with either.


PersonSGThomas
30/12/2014 at 10:28pm
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We wanted flange type but have had to go for detachable because of the reversing sensors.
The cover of the ball needs to be exactly vertical, otherwise it sets off the sensors. A bit of a pain really.


Persongould300
31/12/2014 at 10:30am
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We have a Superb with a detachable flange and if I leave it on between towing trips it makes no difference when reversing.

As part of the installation the car is coded to know that it has a towbar and I imagine that one of the settings adjusts the sensor sensitivity.


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Personmorepints
31/12/2014 at 11:38am
 Location: Dartford Kent
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As you'll see from the pic, the sensors are fitted much higher than the towbar, and don't interfere. We have a fixed ball on our Yeti, and no problem.

What was eyewatering, was the cost of the electrics! The prep for this does some really clever things, including switching sensors off when towing; checking the lights on the towed unit, and showing a little picture of a trailer when reversing, all of which are very handy. I think it also changes the setup of the traction control etc. Don't skimp on this bit; it's important.

Enjoy your new wheels!


Persontwintens
05/1/2015 at 9:24pm
 Location: doncaster
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Got her booked in on Wednesday after taking on board what you all have said and also discussing it with the towbar fitted he thinks as most of you that it should be finewith a fixed flanged as the sensors are high up the bumper will find out then couldn't pay the extra 200 quid for the detachable towbar besides I'm a sod for loosing things wood be a bugger if I turned up to go away and couldn't find the towbar thanks again


Hooray For Horace
06/1/2015 at 8:46pm
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Quote: Originally posted by twintens on 05/1/2015
Got her booked in on Wednesday after taking on board what you all have said and also discussing it with the towbar fitted he thinks as most of you that it should be finewith a fixed flanged as the sensors are high up the bumper will find out then couldn't pay the extra 200 quid for the detachable towbar besides I'm a sod for loosing things wood be a bugger if I turned up to go away and couldn't find the towbar thanks again




FWIW, our Tiguan has a very similar style/height of bumper & sensor, and the sensors are not affected by a fixed flange ball - not even with a large protection plate fitted.

As it happens we're swapping to a Westfalia detachable after only a few months - but that's because of a poor quality PTC bar, nothing to do with the sensors.


Persontango55
07/1/2015 at 4:00pm
 Location: Lichfield
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It's where the electrical towing socket is fitted that matters and not the actual towball itself as the rear parking sensors won't detect it so the towing socket needs to be fitted preferably somewhere under the rear bumper.


Persontwintens
07/1/2015 at 4:10pm
 Location: doncaster
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Hi just picked car back up and like you all said not effected the sensors at all big shock when I opened the boot to find the rear slam panel in there but the fitter said that's the way it had to be done and the towbar is miles stronger than the slam panel so if anyone needs a rear slam panel I'm putting it on ebay lol thanks again for all your comments


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Persontango55
07/1/2015 at 8:44pm
 Location: Lichfield
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The rear slam panel is actually called a rear crash beam which is best to keep and store if possible because if you ever decide to sell the car and remove the towbar prior to the sale you will have to purchase a new crash beam for insurance reasons. Just thought it was a word of advice before you sell the vehicle's crash beam that's all.


PersonLlaniDavis
07/1/2015 at 9:35pm
 Location: Llanidloes Powys
 Outfit: Skoda Yeti SEL4x4 +Bailey Ranger 460-4 View LlaniDavis's Profile View Profile   Reply to LlaniDavis Reply   Quote LlaniDavis Quote  
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I hope you have also had the car's electrics re programmed to accept the new wiring?
Test: select reverse with the trailer attached and you should see a trailer shape show up on the central infotainment screen.


Persontwintens
08/1/2015 at 6:11pm
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Reprogramming the the cars electrics should the towbar fitters do this or do I need to get someone in it only ask as my van is in storage what will happen if I don't have this done never heard of this with any of my other cars


Hooray For Horace
08/1/2015 at 9:18pm
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There are two ways of doing the electrics - a 'bypass' relay', which is a way of isolating the trailer wiring from the vehicle electronics - thus ensuring that they are not damaged if the caravan wiring goes faulty.

I've had a number of cars with bypass relay wiring, and never had a problem.

Bypass wiring, however, doesn't 'integrate' with the vehicle (remember, it's purpose it to keep the two systems as separate as possible)

On our 2014 VW we had an Erich Jaeger dedicated kit fitted. This is my first dedicated kit and it does make life easier.

It puts a trailer graphic on the central LCD screen, and also cuts out the car fog lights and rear parking sensors.

Additionally, it warns you of bulb failure on the caravan (even tells you which one) and supposedly integrates with the car stability programme (although I've never noticed anything happening)

It also ties the caravan into the car alarm - so that unhitching triggers it.

These features require the car ECU to be reprogrammed - basically, the fitter plugs a glorified tablet into the car, and inputs a series of codes.

It doesn't have to be the official VW system - our fitter used the 'Autologic' software to perform the coding.

All this is a lot more expensive than a bypass relay - so many people might consider the extra features to be uneconomical - that's a decision only you can make.


PersonLlaniDavis
09/1/2015 at 1:10am
 Location: Llanidloes Powys
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Quote: Originally posted by twintens on 08/1/2015
Reprogramming the the cars electrics should the towbar fitters do this or do I need to get someone in it only ask as my van is in storage what will happen if I don't have this done never heard of this with any of my other cars


Nothing to do with the 'van, so you don't need to go near it.
Your towbar fitter should have done the reprogramming. If they didn't you need to take it to a Skoda dealer, or a Skoda independent with the right computer equipment.
If you don't have it done there will be several electrical circuits on the car that will be affected:

the flasher rate of the indicators,
the extension of the bulb failure system to include the trailer, which also gives the legal requirement about the failure of the trailer indicators,
the extension of the car's alarm to include the trailer,
the cars stability system,
turning off the rear parking sensors when the trailer is attached,
turning off the rear fog lights when the trailer is attached,
and showing a trailer icon on the central radio screen.
(and others)
The best test is whether there is the shape of a trailer on the central radio screen shown when you plug the trailer electrics in and select reverse.


Persontango55
09/1/2015 at 10:32am
 Location: Lichfield
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I initially had a by-pass relay fitted on my Volvo towbar wiring but had nothing but problems over several months and had the RAC out twice but they could not rectify the problem. Modern cars have a can-bus electronic system which relays messages throughout the vehicle in milli-seconds so if the alien towbar wiring is not compatible with the vehicle it causes all sorts of dashboard messages in the vehicle which in my case it caused brake failure so the vehicles electrics were non existent. I eventually had to take my car to a Volvo dealer and have the by-pass wiring harness removed and replaced with a 13 pin Volvo dedicated wiring harness. The problems were then eliminated and had no further issues but it cost me more in the long term than having the correct wiring harness fitted in the first place. The Skoda dealer has the appropriate equipment to install the correct codes once the dedicated harness has been fitted so the application basically is having the right tools for the job.



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