I am looking at changing to a 2017 1.6TDI Octavia Estate and asked the question of Skoda over the costs to add a tow bar. £3200!!!

They say that it requires significant cooling upgrades and some gearbox work to be able to tow due to that specific engine.

 

I have done a search and found a couple of other threads about cooling upgrades being required when adding a tow bar, but then also see third parties offering to fit tow bars when they won't be upgrading the rest of the system.

 

Is there anyone else out there towing on a 1.6 TDI? Other than potentially affecting the warranty if issues arise because of a 3rd party  tow bar, are there any other liabilities due to it?

In my case it'll be a 900kg (unladen) caravan that I'll be looking to pull.

Cant vouch for the 1.6 diesel engine but when i got a tow bar fitted at my local skoda dealer in northampton i spent the best part of £1200. Ive got the 2 liter diesel.

I dont know if having a 3rd party to supply and fit a tow bar and electrics would affect the warrenty. Your local skoda dealer should be able to advise you on that.

@6by9   Welcome to the forum. 

Someone will be along that knows the answer to your question.

 

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Does your 1.6TDI CR have a DQ200 7 speed twin clutch DSG?

 

 

I know about Skoda and the Prep to tow at the factory, extra cooling etc.   The threads are in the different models sections.

 

Then there are cars they do not give towing weights for like Mk1 & 2 Fabia vRS, or a Kodiaq.   Then you have no Manufacturers towing weight, and can invalidate your Insurance fitting a towbar and towing & break the Law.

eg http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/429261-dont-buy-a-201718-150ps-4wd-man-7-seat-if-you-tow

 

 

 

But, 

Skoda gave the car a plate / weights and Braked and Unbraked towing weights.  No big sticker or plate saying, this vehicle can not be used to tow.

So some will buy the cars, fit a towbar and electrics and tow whatever they legally can in the UK.

Edited 4 March, 20215 yr by e-Roottoot

Jesus, what did you tell them you'd be pulling? I've heard of cooling system upgrades but not gearbox work / upgrades as well. 

 

£3200 seems high to me! Different engine/gearbox admittedly but my Westfalia cost £450 fitted and I tow a 6 berth caravan...

Thanks all for the replies. Communities like this are great.

 

1.6 TDI 5 speed manual.

I've looked at 3rd party towbars (towsure and towbarexpress) and they're coming in around £700-800 for a detachable bar with vehicle specific electrics.

 

This is what is getting me. You go to Parker's or the like and it lists unbraked towing weight of 680kg, and braked at 1800kg. End of story surely.

Skoda appear to be saying that's only if you go and get their tow bar with all the cooling mods, which to my mind invalidates their claimed weights. Buy a boiler hooked up to just the radiators, and then get told it needs a different burner if you add in a hot water tank too (sorry analogies never fully work). It almost feels like a bait and switch scam.

 

I've currently got a 2007 1.9 TDi PD Octavia Estate that pulls the caravan fine. Based on pure numbers the 2017 1.6 TDI has the same torque and a slightly higher BHP, but is 200kg lighter.

 

The dealer is saying the warranty is affected if the install of a 3rd party towbar is the cause of the issue. He's recanting a horror story of a customer who had a 3rd party install a tow bar and manage to fry half the wiring loom on a brand new car - TBH that seems like a liability claim against the 3rd party installer.

As it's a used car and therefore really only a 1 year warranty I'm not totally bothered for the warranty side. But if it's implying that towing is going to cause me longer term reliability issues then that's a bigger deal.

How heavy is the caravan? 

Caravan is 900kg factory weight, max 1100kg laden.

(FWIW 1995 Elddis Crown Crest - hmm that differs slightly from the book that came with the caravan)

According to the attached the 1.6 TDI 5 speed manual has a 1500kg limit at 12% incline and a 1800kg limit at 8%.

 

You're 400kg off the lowest value at your caravans MTPLM. 

 

Who else could validate the cooling and gearbox upgrades needed? An alternative, because you're way off the max weights, could be to change the gearbox oil more frequently. 

 

And accept the fact the clutch will be wearing faster whilst towing. I do, as my van is 1420kg max laden. I've also had to start from a standstill on a 16% incline 😳 

Edited 4 March, 20215 yr by Swirly182

Thanks swirly182.

 

I do note the ** against towing weight of "Please note in some instances it is not possible to retrospectively fit a tow bar if is not fitted with towing prep at Factory"

That sounds like covering their backsides to me.

 

I guess I need to see the VIN plate / V5 of the actual vehicle and see what it says there. If it lists a suitable towing weight then I take it at face value and get a 3rd party tow bar fitted.

 

I have read through the other linked threads and they seem to be against particular vehicles not having the right paperwork for towing. That seems to be against a model of vehicle, rather than a specific car not having been prepared in the factory.

I'm only likely to be towing a few times a year, and not 100's of miles, so the extra wear and tear should be relatively low.

 

And I've spoken to 2 Skoda dealerships about it. They apparently have a database that they look the vehicle reg/VIN up in and they're obliged to quote the work that the database tells them to do. One quoted £3k and the other £3k2, so they do seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet.

I don't know who else to approach over whether the work Skoda are proposing is actually required or not. I guess Witter or other tow bar manufacturer may be able to make comment.

 

There is the comment at

that it is uprating the fan (which shouldn't be kicking in anyway under normal conditions), and secondly to change the grill to allow greater airflow.

From what I can tell, you've not bought the car yet?

 

If so, I'd be tempted to find a car with a different engine or even a towbar or prep already fitted.

Just as a random example that's not massively far from Cambridge: https://usedcars.skoda.co.uk/en/used-cars/skoda/octavia/estate-2017-16-tdi-115-ps-se-l-dsg-q4chayx

 

It's a "SKODA OCTAVIA ESTATE (2017) 1.6 TDI (115 PS) SE L DSG" with towing prep already fitted.

 

Not sure if it's the colour/spec you want but might work out better value for fitting a towbar to.

Correct, I haven't bought the car as yet. It's https://usedcars.skoda.co.uk/en/used-cars/skoda/octavia/estate-2017-16-tdi-115-ps-se-mbchcte that I'm looking at, also at Wings Peterborough.

 

Finding cars with tow bars seems to be like finding rocking horse poo. I hadn't noticed that the used car search could look for tow bars, but doing so brings up 1 Octavia Estate within 150 miles of me (the one you linked to) and 5 nationally!

 

I'm tempted to abandon Skoda altogether and look elsewhere - sad as my current Octavia has been a great car.

Does it have to be the 1.6? Do you know of the 2L cars need upgrades? 

 

They're brilliant tow cars, it would be a shame.

No, it could be the 2.0l, or actually even a petrol, but getting a price to fit a tow bar seem to be on a case by case basis.

 

Vindis Skoda Cambridge said that the 2.0l required fewer mods, but they have to put it through their magic database to get an actual price so didn't give me numbers. 2L cars are also more expensive to buy.

 

My current Octavia had been playing up (ABS wheel sensor or possibly module issue) which is why I was looking to change quickly. Murphy's law is that it's been behaving since, although not done many miles.
This was the first car that came up that seemed to tick the boxes, and I'd expected my enquiry over a tow bar to be a formality. It turned out to be a good thing I asked.
I'll pass on this car and just keep my eyes open for something else.

 

Thanks everyone for your assistance.

I didn't even consider cooling upgrades when getting the tow bar installed. I rang round several independent tow bar installers and none mentioned them. I didn't bother with Skoda though! 

 

The 2L TSI does remarkably well, granted having 245bhp helps, but I've no doubt the 190bhp will be just as capable most of the time. Mines a bit thirsty with the van behind but, like you, we only tow a few times a year so doesn't actually matter. 

Additionally doesnt factory bar/prep come with different rear springs?  A few years ago admittedley but I brought a towbar from PF Jones with dedicated electrics and fitted myself (& coded) on my MK2 Scout.  Pretty simple job

My MK3 came with a factory bar - I had no idea there were potential difference to my Mk3 over over a non towbar car.

 

Personally if your towing a van i'd look at a 2.0

the main thing of concern when getting a third party place to fit it is whether they do actually use a dedicated wiring loom and code it up properly, as opposed to cut snipping into the rear light clusters' looms and whacking a bit of heat shrink over to cover the solder joint.

 

one thing to consider if you're looking at a new car and it's in a main dealership is to see if they'd do you a deal on an official towbar and that would be both a bit of business for them and also peace of mind it's a proper job.

 

With regards to engines, I know mine is the more powerful VRS tdi, but anything I've ever towed has given the car any issues. Highest weight trailer I've pulled was an empty horsebox which must have been close to the ton mark. 

 

Would I be right in thinking the ratios on the 5 speed will be taller, compared to a 6 speed?

Thanks for the further replies.

 

I'm certainly looking at the vehicle specific electrics on 3rd party bars, so it should all be done nicely.

 

It's a used car I'm looking at. If new then you'd get the factory to fit it (unless pre-reg).

Exactly what they change with towing prep or upgrades seems to be nearly trade secrets. It's a shame they're not more forthcoming but there seem to be a large number of variables.

 

I'll sit tight for now and see what comes up on the used pages over the next few months. Having just gone past 1st March they may get a number of part-ex's from those upgrading for the new plate.

if I remember correctly oil and water coolers are upgraded, along with the fan. And cabling is pulled to the rear of the car, otherwise you need to pull cables to the BCM. 

 

This is all to do with being able to retain towing performance at elevated temperatures and geographies (i.e. over the mountains in summer).

 

Well my dilemma is resolved - they've sold that car.

I'll be keeping my eyes open for a 2.0l TDI, or one of the larger petrols.

 

Thanks all for your contributions.