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Feasty
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PostPosted: 11:52 - 13 Jun 2017    Post subject: Car tow bar question Reply with quote

I know I'm posting a car question in a bike forum, but quite frankly I see a lot more sense in this forum than the majority of car forums out there! Thumbs Up

I bought a 4 year old Skoda last November which already had a tow bar fitted.
The tow bar is a detachable swan neck type with a 7 pin socket.
When detached the socket pushes away into the bumper and a cover is clicked into place on the bumper hiding it all.
The indicators beep when hitched up and in use, and all the lights work correctly as they should, however I don't think the car has been reprogrammed to tow as the media screen display still shows the back of the car when hooked up and the reverse sensors constantly beep. This could mean the ESC isn't programmed to adapt to towing either. Would this be a big issue?

I've towed to Scotland and back and the whole setup felt completely stable and controllable - so I don't really feel the need to splash out with money I don't have if I don't have to. Does anyone know if the reprogramming for towing actually makes a great deal of difference?
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
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Tamsin
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PostPosted: 12:27 - 13 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Reverse sensors are for losers anyway Laughing

My father has an Octavia estate (60 plate, I think) with a permanent towbar installed and it stops his reverse sensors working but he's never bothered changing it. I had the same thing on my last car (I just disconnected the beeper)

It just seems like a waste of money to me....
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weasley
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PostPosted: 12:53 - 13 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll post the answer here that I was going to post on Briskoda. Mr. Green

It sounds like your towbar has been fitted with a universal wiring relay rather than the dedicated wiring loom and module. This means that the car essentially doesn't 'know' that the towbar is there - the ECU is oblivious to it. Thus it can't activate any advanced features such as parking sensor muting, trailer stability, fog light delete, bulb failure monitoring and so on. If it works then it works and so long as you know the limitations, it's fine. I fitted mine with the OEM module and had it coded by a dealer so it does all the fancy stuff (on the rare occasion I do tow).

One small thing that you might come across is that the universal modules are often fitted using Scotchloks into the car's loom. Some will tell you this will require the whole car to be rewired or set on fire. I'm not a fan of Scotchloks myself, but a bit less militant.
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Feasty
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PostPosted: 13:25 - 13 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

weasley wrote:
I'll post the answer here that I was going to post on Briskoda. Mr. Green
Thumbs Up Laughing

Bit less militant I like!
So the Scotchloks (I've never heard of these before), is there a way to tell if that is what's been used? And where would you get an OEM module from - Ebay? I've done some searching around but don't really know what I'm looking for?
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).
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P.
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PostPosted: 13:29 - 13 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Feasty wrote:
weasley wrote:
I'll post the answer here that I was going to post on Briskoda. Mr. Green
Thumbs Up Laughing

Bit less militant I like!
So the Scotchloks (I've never heard of these before), is there a way to tell if that is what's been used? And where would you get an OEM module from - Ebay? I've done some searching around but don't really know what I'm looking for?


Yes, you'll see them, horrific little fuckers.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=scotch+locks&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi32Y2c6brUAhVjI8AKHdDGA10Q_AUIBygC&biw=1280&bih=904

They just splice half into a wire Shocked
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Polarbear
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PostPosted: 13:34 - 13 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Scotchlocks - spawn of the devil and the favoured connectors of the lazy and inept. They are popular because there is no need to strip back any wires, they cut through the insulation when fitting. They are oK for a wile, then the connection becomes loose and fails electrically.

I would never fit them on any of my vehicles, boats included.

https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.xsRQ_o2F6jnJjV-EiNiMoAEsEs&w=188&h=188&c=7&qlt=90&o=4&pid=1.7

To find if they are fitted, just trace the wire back to to where it joins the loom.
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kgm
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PostPosted: 13:50 - 13 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I hate them also. My CX500 has a few fitted. Horrid things that will need replacing.
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Feasty
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PostPosted: 14:17 - 13 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh FFS, I've seen them before - they are stupid things to use! I really hope they're not on my car or we'll have to pay a pretty penny to replace it all.

I've found a pdf on how to fit a proper kit so I'll have a rummage under the steering wheel/bonnet to see how this has been done...

Thumbs Up
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 14:49 - 13 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

How many Scotchloks have you racists collectively seen fail in practice?

I mean, considering that you never use them. Whistle
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Polarbear
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PostPosted: 16:31 - 13 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rogerborg wrote:
How many Scotchloks have you racists collectively seen fail in practice?

I mean, considering that you never use them. Whistle


Will you be happy if we call them Welshlocks?

And yes, I have seen many failures from bad connections to actual electrical burning. They are probably fine if the wires never move, but they do on any vehicle.

So I stand by my racist views Folded arms
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weasley
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PostPosted: 18:53 - 13 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I fitted the OEM module and wiring loom myself, but then my car was built with "towbar prep"' which meant that it had some extra wiring fitted from the fusebox to the boot into which I could plug the module. You can get aftermarket modules but IIRC the OEM one was not very expensive; it just required a bit of removal of trim in the boot to get at the connector. If your car has no towbar prep then there is another loom and module you can buy that runs from the fusebox on the driver's side to the rear, which requires a whole load more interior dismantling. A car with towbar prep can usually be spotted by having the towing-specific fuses present in the fusebox.

It's possible your car is towbar prepped but someone fitted the cheaper and quicker universal kit anyway, or probably more likely that it isn't towbar prepped, hence the uni-kit. It's also possible the kit has been wired in nicely rather than using the Scotchloks, but cheap and quick solutions usually involve cheap and quick methods.
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