towbar for saab

[DaveBev]

hello all,

were picking up our saab today and we have been told conflicting things about the towbar.

do we need to get the detachable towbar from saab or can i get a towbar ( witter i think he said) instead.

i heard that someone had a towbar fitted and then when it came to the electric side to it, it ended up blowing the cars computer and cost a few bob or two to get it fixed ( which the proffesional fitter wouldnt pay, said it wasnt his fault).

sorry questions a bit vague im not that techical when it comes to cars i just sit and navigate

just didnt want to ring saab and be told that it had to be a saab towbar for them to make money out of me.

thanks

bev

 

[rob_jax]

Hi Bev,

If you didn't order the Saab with a factory fitted towbar, then the dealer would fit a generic towbar - or more likely get a local towbar fitter to do the job for them.

Since 1998 all towbars must be type approved - so a generic towbar is dimensionally identical to the factory model. Note: type approval does not mean that all tow bars are built to identical standards - it only means they fit the car.

Saab don't make their own towbars, they will test (corrosion resistance, paint, weld quality, etc) and then buy in bulk from Bosal, Brink, Westfalia or one of the other quality European manufacturers. In the UK you also have the choice of Witter, Towsure, and others.

The important part is that the towbar fitter must use the dedicated cable for your car - and not (never, ever) make up a cable from bits - the dedicated cable simply plugs into the dedicated socket in the rear of the car.

This dedicated cable has all the right bits to handle the automatic cut-off the car fog lights, parking sensors, bulb-warning systems, and enable the trailer stability program for the car ESP system when you hook up the caravan.

The downside of the cable is the cost - around

 

[Mark_5127556]

Beware!!! I am aware that some main car dealers are making vehicle warranties void if non genuine towbar electrics are fitted. I was told that new cars should be ordered with a towbar as a factory option if required.

The problem is that new car electrics use a system called Can-Bus, where several functions can be performed by one wire using signals at different fequencies. For instance the stop and tail bulb on a new shape Vauxhall Vectra is a single filament bulb!! Where would an independant tow bar fitter pick up the feeds for a trailer socket?? This is how ECU's get blown, its all down to the complex way the vehicle wiring is configured.

BMW were pioneers of Can Bus systems and other manufacturers followed suit. Apparently BMW are now researching fibre optics for vehicle systems. This is all bad news for consumers, and me because I have to fix the things when they go wrong!!

 

[DaveBev]

the cars new to us but a few years old so it wont void any warranty. we have decided to take it to our local garage and let them do it, if they cant then they will take it to someone who can, then if there are any problems then they will fix it.

i know it will cost a lot more but in the long run its a lot better getting it done by someone who knows what there doing

bev

 

[John_374224558]

Taking Mark's point, I have a new shape Vectra (at the moment), and had the towbar fitted about 3 years ago by an independant specialist (who, incidentally my local Vauxhall dealer recommended). They fitted a Witter towbar and the electrics were quite complex due to the bulb failure circuit and extra components were needed. Touch wood it has not been any bother.

As you are buying a Saab, it may have similar electrics to some Vauxhalls as I know they share some parts, so a reputable towbar fitter should hopefully know his stuff.

John.

 

[chrisn7]

Dave & Bev

You don't say which model Saab you have, but if its a 9000, its incredibly easy to fit the towbracket, as all the bolt holes are already there. There is also a trailer plug on the left hand side of the boot behind the trim, by the lights. The electrics are uncomplicated and can be wired straight in. The trailer plug does NOT provide all the required wiring-only that for the lights.Appropriate gauge wire has to be run from the fusebox for fridge/battery charging.

 

[DaveBev]

its the 95 model, there is something there for a towbar,already in place and in the book is says something about a detachable towbar, and there being a place in the boot ( i think) where you can plug the electric in

bev