When it comes to tow bar wiring there are three options available to you:
Approved vehicle specific dedicated tow bar wiring
The vehicle specific dedicated tow bar wiring is a wiring loom that’s designed specifically for your make and model of vehicle. This type of tow bar wiring has been designed, tested, and approved for use with your vehicle. having dedicated towing electrics will enable any vehicle towing features to be activated, such as towing ABS, towing stability, and other vehicle dependent safety features that the manufacturer has built into the vehicle.
Bypass tow bar wiring
Bypass towbar wiring bypasses the vehicle’s complex CANbus wiring and enables a far cheaper method of fitting tow bar wiring to your vehicle. It is cheaper but does come at a price. Fitting this type of tow bar wiring by-passes the towing safety features on the vehicle. Fitting bypass electrics in most cases will void any manufacturer warranty on your vehicle. Due to bypassing the vehicle’s safety features, there may also be issues with insurance should you have an accident while towing.
Lights only towbar wiring
This is the most basic form of tow bar wiring. Wires are Scotch locked on to your vehicle’s rear lighting wires and connected to the tow bar socket. There’s normally a buzzer fitted to the indicator wiring to signal that the indicators are working.
In older cars, that do not have CANbus wiring this is fine. However, this method should never be used on vehicles that have CANbus wiring.
Make sure that the tow bar wiring you choose is fit for your purpose and designed for your vehicle. Having the incorrect tow bar wiring fitted can be an expensive experience.
If you want any advice about appropriate tow bar wiring then please feel free to give us a call on 0114 360 7080.
Happy Towing – Team Ultimate Towbars.