2006 A6 Avant tow bar

[Redmetal1986]

I would like to fit a tow bar to my Avant. Audi have asked for £2,000 to fit a bar with detachable towing ball (single electrics). Seems a bit steep! Does anyone have experience of independently fitted tow bars?

[a8 tech]

No way is it so much,i have fitted plenty and i am not sure but its below £1000.The only part that can cause issues is the codeing of the gateway to tell the control units that a removable tow bar single electrics is fitted.Also the server in germany needs feed back from the control units so when future software updates/recalls are carried out it can program the vehicle correctly.The labour time they give me is 3 hours.Send me a private message with your vehicle details and ill find the cost for you for thursday.There is a trailer control unit included in the kit and the wiring loom is wired into convience can network hence the new control unit needs to be coded into gateway so the other control units no when your towing.The old days of cutting into the rear lights have gone but there are triler centres fitting them as i have helped are local centre with the fiiting locations but they dont code the car up but they still work.

[happy as larry]

with your car being a 2006 model it will have CAN wiring and i might be wrong (someone with more technical knowlege on here might correct me) but i belive that when the towbar is fitted it requires a CAN wiring loom and has to be coded into the car - i remember reading somewhere that the towbar was about £130 and the electrics were £250 then there is fitting and coding but wouldnt have thought it came to £2k. i think there might be some misunderstanding somewhere

i have just found a quote from autobytel - as an option on a new a6 avant the towbar is £630 and i think u will find that the towbar is fitted at the dealer before delivery rather than at the factory - therefore u would assume that the price for retrofitting the towbar would be around the same price

[a8 tech]

£600 for patrs plus 3 hours labour

[Roley140]

I would have a look on the web at the German company Westfalia who claim to supply 'original equipment' towbars for Audi/Bmw etc. You can get all the bits you need from one of their dealers (including the electrics). There are also several people selling these on EBAY, and they are nowhere neer some of the costs talked about.

[dave2007]

A8 tech, are the towbars you fit the same spec as the factory fitted ones, ie do they rotate behind the bumper? many thanks

[type21f]

I have no idea of the complexity of the cars or the electrics but I was thinking of buying an s6, have seen a nice example, looked though the documents and spoke to the previous owner who said the only reason she was selling was that she could not get a tow bar fitted!

I then checked on the bar makers and have found witters do not have a homolugated design?

Does any one know if the same complexity of electrics applys to the S6 4litre V8 model?

Can i even wire one up if I do fit one? Anyone know if this can be done on any of the V8 models Plated as a '02 2002 year?

Body type unknown registered in March 2002...

Sorry to ask into your thread?

[a8 tech]

I fit the detachable audi kits with twin electrics and trailer control

[type21f]

So I know it can be done!
do you have to cut the bumper?
how are the electrics concealed?
removable ball+arm?
to fit how much?
how long does it take?
Where are you?

at weekend?

does it interfere with exhaust?

make of bar?
tow load?

Thanks!

[a8 tech]

No bumper cut ,all wiring behind the drivers side luggage compartment,removable ball arm (sorry i cant accept £) it takes about 4 hours and i am near manchester last two questions i would have to look up.