mikeb
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| posted on 9/1/09 at 10:58 AM |
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Second Hand Tow Bars?
Need to pick up my new project car, I have access to a trailer but no car with a tow bar.
New price for my audi is around £150 with electrics I don't have to butcher.
How ever I am just trying the online spares part finder thingy to see if a second hand one turn up.
Is this a really bad idea or not. I think on my audi a4 all the holes are predrilled so should be straight forward.
Otherwise £150 is near the price to pay someone to pic it up.
Thoughts welcomed.
Is it worth going for the wiring that just plugs in rather than the relay type that you then butcher into your rear lights (not an expert in this
area!)
Mike
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Stuart_B
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| posted on 9/1/09 at 11:03 AM |
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hi, i fitted a seconed hand one to my saxo, as i did not have the money for a new one. and i got one with the electrics on it, all the holes where all
ready there on the saxo so there was no drilling required just bolt it on, and then work out which colour does what in your rear lights and join it to
your rear light loom, mine works fine, but i have not wirred in the buzzer as i am not sure about that.
stuart
black mk indy, 1.6pinto on cbr600 bike carb's.
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sonic
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| posted on 9/1/09 at 11:06 AM |
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All modern towbars are type approved and fit to prexisting holes in the car.
If you are fitting it to an Audi i had an A6 and you have to remove all the rear bumper and the metal crossmember behind it,then the new tb goes into
the chassiss rails and bolts on.
Not that hard to do just time comsuming taking it all apart and back together.
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mikeb
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| posted on 9/1/09 at 11:07 AM |
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just out of interest how much did you pay and where did you get it from. Think towbar prices are pretty standard across car types
Mike
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 9/1/09 at 11:09 AM |
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I've never bought a new one, their such heavy gauge steel it will out last several cars. Worst job is usually removing the bumper, wiring up is
simple. Most of mine cost about £30 once fitted.
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02GF74
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| posted on 9/1/09 at 11:10 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mikeb
Otherwise £150 is near the price to pay someone to pic it up.
you can sell it to recoup the cost.
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Stuart_B
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| posted on 9/1/09 at 11:13 AM |
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have you had a look on ebay as i just typed in audi a4 towbar, and there are a few ther for alot cheaper than £150.
look here
stuart
black mk indy, 1.6pinto on cbr600 bike carb's.
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mookaloid
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| posted on 9/1/09 at 11:15 AM |
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I don't know about Audis, but for my saab there are lots of S/H towbars on ebay however none of them came with all the necessary brackets which
came with the new kit. I got the new Kit and was very pleased I hadn't got a S/H one as I wouldn't have known that some structural
brackets were missing.
Cheers
Mark
"That thing you're thinking - it wont be that."
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mikeb
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| posted on 9/1/09 at 11:19 AM |
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Tow bar is about £80 plus delivery.
Then for the fancy electrics which I dont really understand another 50 or so.
How bad is it to wire in the basic electrics rather than the more expensive vehicle specific type of harness???
Aren't there relays you need at a bout £30 a pop. Haven't got a clue when it comes to towing electrics
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907
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| posted on 9/1/09 at 11:31 AM |
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Hi
I have an A3 that I bought s/h from a main dealer. (Fool that I am)
That has circuits that detect a faulty bulb so these have to be changed if you fit a tow bar.
I told them if it didn't have a tow bar I wouldn't buy the car so they fitted one for free. (???)
There's now a second indicator warning light that works only when the trailer is on.
The car I had before that was a Polo (booted) and before that a Jetta.
Both of those had spade connectors in the rear light clusters so I fitted tow bars myself.
No need to cut into the loom.
hth
Paul G
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mikeb
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| posted on 9/1/09 at 11:36 AM |
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my audi has the bulb warning detection thingy, doubt whether there are just spade terminals in the a4 though probably some form of multiconnector.
So in summary, second hand tow bar is ok.
Just need to work out cheapest way of sorting the electrics, don't mind if its all a bit temporary!
This seems the easy way to do the electrics but is it worth it
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/13pin-Car-Specific-towbar-wiring-AUDI-A4-AVANT-96-01_W0QQitemZ380092514514QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?h
ash=item380092514514&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1299%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
Mike
[Edited on 9/1/09 by mikeb]
[Edited on 9/1/09 by mikeb]
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MikeCapon
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| posted on 9/1/09 at 11:46 AM |
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Beware of late VW/Audi towbar fits. Do your research with a towbar supplier first. I fitted one to an 03 Touran last year and it was fun. The stop and
tails on these cars seem to work with a 12v/5v supply Hence the need for the 'box'.
I bought a bar and the box made by Bosal and it was fine.
ETA Get a multimeter on the rear lamp supply and check the voltages on tail and stop. This is the same wire.
PS the complate Bosal kit cost me over 300€
[Edited on 9/1/09 by MikeCapon]
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coozer
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| posted on 9/1/09 at 11:46 AM |
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Got mine from the scrappy. £40 all in and a good learning excercise taking it off. It was nearly new Witter one and when I checked the price for a new
one it was £220 plus fitting!
Forgot to mention, the £40 included a bag full of nuts and bolts, hose clips, injector harness, an EDIS module and lots of other 'usefull'
stuff that was lying around
[Edited on 9/1/09 by coozer]
1972 V8 Jago
1980 Z750
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Howlor
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| posted on 9/1/09 at 12:08 PM |
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I've done a few now. Latest was on a 56 plate Passat. Electrics are easy even with Canbus etc. You just need a 7 way bypass relay off ebay, bout
£20. It is all marked up clearly, towbar wiring in to one side then just hook up the lights etc from the car loom to the other. These relays
don't effect the bulb out systems etc. Took me about 1hr to wire up.
As for the second hand towbar, take a look on ebay at the new ones, there are often links to the fitting instructions, these show you all the parts
that you should get and also detail the nuts and bolts etc. At least you know you are buying the full system.
Steve
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UncleFista
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| posted on 9/1/09 at 12:11 PM |
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Might be worth checking 'round the back of your local Audi dealer, where the part exchanges are handled. When they get PXs in with a tow bar,
it's standard to remove it and bin it (tow bars make a car look like it's been worked hard... supposedly) you might get lucky ?
Tony Bond / UncleFista
Love is like a snowmobile, speeding across the frozen tundra.
Which suddenly flips, pinning you underneath.
At night the ice-weasels come...
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RichardK
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| posted on 9/1/09 at 04:37 PM |
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Did my Skoda vrs and it was a right bar steward took me about 2 days in total, most of the back end off and had to wire right up to the front so all
seats out side rail etc, right job wouldn't do it again.
Wiring into the canbus system was also a nightmare although it was the proper kit still a nightmare.
Rich
Gallery updated 11/01/2011
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Danozeman
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| posted on 9/1/09 at 05:36 PM |
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I fitted a second hand on on my passat. 50 quid from a bloke on the bay just down the road. With twin electrics. As said theyr heavy metal so will
take alot to kacker them. Just make sure the car it cam off hasnt had one up the bum..
Dan
Built the purple peril!! Let the modifications begin!!
http://www.eastangliankitcars.co.uk
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