Stevie D
Guest
Thanks for that Colin, that's a big help.
I'm pretty confident with the wiring side of things as I'm a sparky by trade but it wouldn't harm to get the colours from you if that's ok. It was just the actual area inside the boot which I was wondering where the re-wiring would need to be done.
Did you just drill a hole in the underside of the boot floor to get the cable in?
Thanks again mate.
I'm pretty confident with the wiring side of things as I'm a sparky by trade but it wouldn't harm to get the colours from you if that's ok. It was just the actual area inside the boot which I was wondering where the re-wiring would need to be done.
Did you just drill a hole in the underside of the boot floor to get the cable in?
Thanks again mate.
AMR_RM
Guest
I have a Brink detachable fitted to my LCR
I have never towed anything over 400KG with it (MX bike in a 6x4 trailer)
Towequipe fitted it in 2005 so how they wont fit them is mad
Cost £250 new with 2 hours fitment
I have just sold my car
and will be removing it this weekend if anyone wants to make me an offer for it, everything you will need apart from the bolts as i believe in using new would be best
The electrics is a Relay type (the one which amplifies the signal from the car harness - much safer than just soldering in the wires)
I'll even do a fitting instruction if you like
Sorry for the ruthless hijack
BR
Andy
I have never towed anything over 400KG with it (MX bike in a 6x4 trailer)
Towequipe fitted it in 2005 so how they wont fit them is mad
Cost £250 new with 2 hours fitment
I have just sold my car
and will be removing it this weekend if anyone wants to make me an offer for it, everything you will need apart from the bolts as i believe in using new would be bestThe electrics is a Relay type (the one which amplifies the signal from the car harness - much safer than just soldering in the wires)
I'll even do a fitting instruction if you like
Sorry for the ruthless hijack
BR
Andy
I know this is a old thread but I have found this while searching for twoing info and wanted to clear a few things up.
the numbers on the shock tower are the axel weights, front and rear.
if the car can legally tow then there should be more weights on there...
-front axel
-rear axel
-gross vehicle weight (this should be either the same as both axel weights added together or lower, it can not be higher than the combined weights)
-gross train weight - if this figure is there then that model is homolagetd to tow, and the max weight braked is the figure when the gross vehicle weight is taken away from the train weight,
it could be the train weight says 0 or isnt there... again this means now towing.
also Avant4me is correct, if you have a towbar on a car not homolgated to tow you are in deep water, it may well fit, and the bar maybe strong enough, but if SEAT have said the car can't tow then thats the final word.
I work in vehicle homolgation, and component homolagtion, and most of the towbars you can buy in the UK are type approved by the company I work for, I am one of the engineers who witnesses towbar testing and issues the approvals among other things.
I know this is an old thread but I am hoping someone will be able to clear a few things up. Basically no one will sell me a towbar for the cupra r but I actually see no reason why they wont fit. The manual says we do not advise towing with the cupra r due to the risk of overheating. I would agree there is a risk if say towing a caravan for a few hours but not my lawnmower and a few grass clippings on local trips.
Secondly I have seen a couple fitted with towbars and seeing a few on here shows it can be done. The thing about towing weights on the logbook is rubbish as both my previous cars had nothing printed here and I have had no problem in the last 8 years with towing.
Thirdly I dont really care, if custom made minis and vw camper vans ect can use half shells as trailers when they go to shows I am sure I am not the only one who has a custom made towbar fitted to something the manufacture has said not to.
This is the towbar I think I will order and fit, I am not so worried about the bumper cut as seen on here this can be made into a flap so as far as I can see I am almost ready to order but would be interested to see what others think.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290616646038?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
Thank you guys
Secondly I have seen a couple fitted with towbars and seeing a few on here shows it can be done. The thing about towing weights on the logbook is rubbish as both my previous cars had nothing printed here and I have had no problem in the last 8 years with towing.
Thirdly I dont really care, if custom made minis and vw camper vans ect can use half shells as trailers when they go to shows I am sure I am not the only one who has a custom made towbar fitted to something the manufacture has said not to.
This is the towbar I think I will order and fit, I am not so worried about the bumper cut as seen on here this can be made into a flap so as far as I can see I am almost ready to order but would be interested to see what others think.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290616646038?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
Thank you guys
I have fired up the laptop for this one..... normally i post on my phone but i need to be clear here...
Firstly I am not just a know it all...my day job is Type Approval ("e" or "E" marking of vehicle components, and Tow bars is one of my specialist subjects..)
Heres the basic deal..
If the vehicle is not homologated to tow, then legally you can not fit a towbar, even if you are not using to tow a trailer and just to attach a cycle carrier, it does not matter, the potential is still there to hook a trailer up.
Now, if your vin plate on the vehicle list a number of weights, inc a gross train weight which is higher than the vehicle Gross Vehicle Weight then you can tow a trailer.
When it comes to old Minis, VW Campers etc these can have a towbar fitted because 1) the manufacture said they can tow... and 2, they don't have Whole Vehicle Type Approval.. meaning no coupling approval. (If the vehicle has Type Approval then in order to be able to fit a tow bar that vehicle must have a Coupling Approval.. which basically means that the manufacture has said a bar can be fitted, and when it is fitted it complies with the rules on tow bars)
If you fit a tow bar to a M1 passenger vehicle in the UK (I.e. a car) it has to comply with "Construction and Use" This is national law! C and U states the bar must be Type Approved... so by fitting a bar to a vehicle which is NOT homologated you will be in breach of C and U.
(Trailer now have to be Type Approved too, so people building their own home made trailers - not ones that are already in use - should be either getting Whole Vehicle Type Approval, a National Type Approval, or for One Offs, they should be taken to VOSA for a IVA (Individual Type Approval)
The normal Leon bar will fit... however your insurance will be null and void if anything happens..... as will VOSA..
As for your V5 not listing weights before... depending how old the car was, and what info was placed on the DVLA system by the dealer (dealers have access to register and enter some info about the vehicle, the rest is generated from the vehicle type approval info held on file I believe) it is very likely that info was missing...this is very true if it is a older car, as each time the V5 is updated they add more information, however the vehicles that already have V5s dont get extra info added, they just get blanks..
however from the tone of your post it appears you have already made your mind up, a bar is going on.... but maybe others will heed the advice?
Firstly I am not just a know it all...my day job is Type Approval ("e" or "E" marking of vehicle components, and Tow bars is one of my specialist subjects..)
Heres the basic deal..
If the vehicle is not homologated to tow, then legally you can not fit a towbar, even if you are not using to tow a trailer and just to attach a cycle carrier, it does not matter, the potential is still there to hook a trailer up.
Now, if your vin plate on the vehicle list a number of weights, inc a gross train weight which is higher than the vehicle Gross Vehicle Weight then you can tow a trailer.
When it comes to old Minis, VW Campers etc these can have a towbar fitted because 1) the manufacture said they can tow... and 2, they don't have Whole Vehicle Type Approval.. meaning no coupling approval. (If the vehicle has Type Approval then in order to be able to fit a tow bar that vehicle must have a Coupling Approval.. which basically means that the manufacture has said a bar can be fitted, and when it is fitted it complies with the rules on tow bars)
If you fit a tow bar to a M1 passenger vehicle in the UK (I.e. a car) it has to comply with "Construction and Use" This is national law! C and U states the bar must be Type Approved... so by fitting a bar to a vehicle which is NOT homologated you will be in breach of C and U.
(Trailer now have to be Type Approved too, so people building their own home made trailers - not ones that are already in use - should be either getting Whole Vehicle Type Approval, a National Type Approval, or for One Offs, they should be taken to VOSA for a IVA (Individual Type Approval)
The normal Leon bar will fit... however your insurance will be null and void if anything happens..... as will VOSA..
As for your V5 not listing weights before... depending how old the car was, and what info was placed on the DVLA system by the dealer (dealers have access to register and enter some info about the vehicle, the rest is generated from the vehicle type approval info held on file I believe) it is very likely that info was missing...this is very true if it is a older car, as each time the V5 is updated they add more information, however the vehicles that already have V5s dont get extra info added, they just get blanks..
however from the tone of your post it appears you have already made your mind up, a bar is going on.... but maybe others will heed the advice?
Yes you are right however I see no other reason why it should not be fitted apart from some office monkey in a high paid job saying no. I dont mean to be rude either just to clear things up!
Both cars before were based on the same model, a 93 and 94 colt (i had 2) along with a 04 satria. all fitted with the same towbar and never a problem with both saying a towbar could be fitted!
I believe the roofbox weight in these is 40kgs so maybe the grass cuttings and mower would be safer in this? and if a accident did happen and someones head was crushed by flymo you guys would all stand up and say it was ok?
Both cars before were based on the same model, a 93 and 94 colt (i had 2) along with a 04 satria. all fitted with the same towbar and never a problem with both saying a towbar could be fitted!
I believe the roofbox weight in these is 40kgs so maybe the grass cuttings and mower would be safer in this? and if a accident did happen and someones head was crushed by flymo you guys would all stand up and say it was ok?
It is not the type approval authority who say it can't be fitted, that is down to the vehicle manufacturer.. In this case seat.
If you used a roof box and you squashed some one due to it falling off then you would be prosecuted due to carrying a incorrectly secured load... The same as a skip lorry driver would be if be carries a skip which is filled above the full line, ESP if he does not put the net, and secure it over the skip..
Like I say the bar will physically fit...you could make a lot of things fit... However that does not mean it is right or legal.. And towbars are coming into the MOT... Don't be surprised if in the near future a car with a Towbar fitted that is not homologated to tow will fail a mot... (In a road side stop i would put money on VoSa impounding the car esp if it was towing...)
The short answer is if you want to tow, buy a Cupra instead and fit the Cupra r kit... As I am sure cupras can tow...
If you used a roof box and you squashed some one due to it falling off then you would be prosecuted due to carrying a incorrectly secured load... The same as a skip lorry driver would be if be carries a skip which is filled above the full line, ESP if he does not put the net, and secure it over the skip..
Like I say the bar will physically fit...you could make a lot of things fit... However that does not mean it is right or legal.. And towbars are coming into the MOT... Don't be surprised if in the near future a car with a Towbar fitted that is not homologated to tow will fail a mot... (In a road side stop i would put money on VoSa impounding the car esp if it was towing...)
The short answer is if you want to tow, buy a Cupra instead and fit the Cupra r kit... As I am sure cupras can tow...
just because it wont go on the ramp... thats not a reason to fail... that just means your MOT places doesnt have a flat access ramp... and they can refuse to test it,
If they really tried to fail the car they COULD MAYBE use:
Section 6.1 of the testers manual..they could use 1a as the reason for rejection.
"1.
a.
Excessive displacement of the body relative to the chassis which might lead to loss of control of the vehicle when driven"
however it would be a far reach to claim the plastic splitter scuffing a little to the approach angle of their ramp and I suspect you could earily over turn that on appeal! (How do Lambos, and all other super cars get MOTs??? their fronts are lower and stick out further than your Leon, yet there isn't hundreds of MOT failure super cars filling the classified that are 3 years old...
Like I have said all along, it appears you have already made your mind up, however you are now clearer on where you would stand... ie the wrong side of the law,
p.s. the cost of a tow bar will buy alot of garden waste bags at £3 a pop for 5 bag.,,, https://beta.herefordshire.gov.uk/environmental-protection/waste-management/refuse-garden-waste/
If they really tried to fail the car they COULD MAYBE use:
Section 6.1 of the testers manual..they could use 1a as the reason for rejection.
"1.
a.
Excessive displacement of the body relative to the chassis which might lead to loss of control of the vehicle when driven"
however it would be a far reach to claim the plastic splitter scuffing a little to the approach angle of their ramp and I suspect you could earily over turn that on appeal! (How do Lambos, and all other super cars get MOTs??? their fronts are lower and stick out further than your Leon, yet there isn't hundreds of MOT failure super cars filling the classified that are 3 years old...
Like I have said all along, it appears you have already made your mind up, however you are now clearer on where you would stand... ie the wrong side of the law,
p.s. the cost of a tow bar will buy alot of garden waste bags at £3 a pop for 5 bag.,,, https://beta.herefordshire.gov.uk/environmental-protection/waste-management/refuse-garden-waste/
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Yes I dont think they would fail it but they could if they wanted to. Another thing is fitting aftermarket exhausts is also another reason. I had a powerflow fitted to my old colt in about 2004 but it wasnt until 2009 when I first got a problem with it. Was pulled over by the police and given a £30 fine. Not for the noise but because it was not fitted standard to the car.
I explored all avenues with this and the officer was right basically they can issue this fine to anyone who has anything fitted to a car that is not standard. I argued the noise using high performance cars ect and it wouldnt wash as they come out of the factory like that.
They did a round robin of the area and pulled over just about everyone they could and gave out the fines. So the bottom line is you make any changes to your car and you are bound to be breaking some rule or laws somewhere but the custom car market is massive and I cant see that changing!
I am going to have to take the splitter off anyway before it gets pulled off. I dont think Herefordshire council are going to relay several junctions round here where it catches on!
I explored all avenues with this and the officer was right basically they can issue this fine to anyone who has anything fitted to a car that is not standard. I argued the noise using high performance cars ect and it wouldnt wash as they come out of the factory like that.
They did a round robin of the area and pulled over just about everyone they could and gave out the fines. So the bottom line is you make any changes to your car and you are bound to be breaking some rule or laws somewhere but the custom car market is massive and I cant see that changing!
I am going to have to take the splitter off anyway before it gets pulled off. I dont think Herefordshire council are going to relay several junctions round here where it catches on!
was it a DIY bar you fitted or was it fitted by a garage? I would have to agree with you though, they are far more suited to towing that a fair amount of cars out there to be fair
Willem
Guest
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