[ade]

Anyone point me at a guide for removing the rear bumper? I'm sure when I get there to put the tow bar on it will be obvious, but any guidance will help
Ta

 

[Gromit]

Here you go....

http://www.towbarsdirect.co.uk/images/43056.pdf

http://www.westfalia-loadcarrier.co.uk/eshot/installation/305421.pdf

http://westfalia-automotive.co.uk/news/e-shots/audi-q3-fixed-towbar/201205208/

These are instructions for fitting a specific towbar to a Tiguan or Q3 - there looks to be sufficient information for you.

...isn't Google wonderful?

Edited by: Gromit

 

[ade]

Thanks for that

never considered someone would put up instructions like that, there will be plenty in there to tell me how to get the bumper off.

 

[ade]

Turns out the hardest part was separating the rear arches from the cover, not too easy to see how the fixings work and they are also double side taped on!

 

[darkmatter]

Turns out the hardest part was separating the rear arches from the cover, not too easy to see how the fixings work and they are also double side taped on!

I'll be fitting my tow bar soon. I'd appreciate any further details you can provide on the tricky bits of the job - e.g. can you describe how the fixings work, and did you have to use double sided tape when re-fitting?

Thanks, Andrew.

 

[darkmatter]

I have now fitted my Westfalia tow bar with removable hitch which I bought from PF Jones.

To fit the tow bar requires removal of the rear bumper which, as previously mentioned by 'ade', is made difficult by the need to remove the rear painted wheel arches which are secured by clips and double sided adhesive.

I don't intend to give a full account of the procedure but am just explaining the difficult parts of the procedure and posting some picture as a picture is often worth a thousand words.

The Audi workshop manual (ElsaWin) describes how to do this and the procedure involves using a hot air gun to heat the wheel arch to soften the adhesive of the double side sticky and plastic wedges. I found that some plastic wedges I'd used when fitting laminate flooring did the job.

Once the wheel arches have been released it is necessary to remove a few pieces of trim and some nuts before releasing the bumper. The top edge of the bumper, between the light cluster and wheel arch has to be pulled away from the car to release some plastic tabs. I found this to need quite a lot of force yet care is required as these tabs could break meaning you may end up having to get the bumper repaired or replaced - maybe there is a special method to removed these clips but that was not evident in the ElsaWin manual.

Replacing these parts was quite straightforward and I used number plate adhesive to replace the double sided adhesive which was damaged during removal.

Heating the wheel arch and starting to prise it off...

The arch has been prised off from the three retaining tabs...

That tongue in the middle of the tab had to be levered up with a small screwdriver to release it...

The top of the bumper has some slotted tabs which lock into latches in that black plastic moulding...

Remnants of the double sided sticky, what you can't see are the slotted tabs on the top of the bumper (that photo was out of focus and not useable, sorry)...

This big black piece of metal is discarded and replaced with the tow bar...

The ball and electric socket ready for use...

The tow ball has been detached and the socket folded away...

No bumper cutting was required, the cutout was there from new, possibly because my car had the Audi 'tow bar preparation'.

The total cost was about £415 whereas I'd been quoted about £650 by Audi.

I hope that all helps anyone wanting to fit their own tow bar.


Edited by: Gromit

 

[CocoPops]

The cut out is on all cars.
Quite useful really.

Quite tempted to fit one myself, opens up options for towing my VX220 to trackdays instead of driving it.

 

[desert_trvlr]

darkmatter,

thank you so much for this write up and photos.
I'm thinking of fitting a towbar and my car also has the towbar preparation but I'm weary of removing the bumper and fitting it on back again.
You mention that the big black horizontal bar is removed and replaced with the towbar...how is it removed? can you please elaborate on this?
Thanks

 

[darkmatter]

...You mention that the big black horizontal bar is removed and replaced with the towbar...how is it removed? can you please elaborate on this?
Thanks

desert_trvlr, the black 'bumper' bar is held on by 3 or 4 bolts at each end, just undo the bolts and it comes straight off. The most worrying parts are releasing the wheel arch and the bumper.

 

[Boxbrownie]

My neighbour opposite has a Q3 (which is why I got the itch, no not from my neighbours wife, his car!), when I first went over and had a good look he had it for about a month, its a lovely looker (the car, not his wife, although

)and upon looking in the trunk I noticed something......then looking under the rear (of the CAR) I found the fold away tow hitch, how useful I said to him, "what towbar" he said

Not sure how much it was an option but the Audi foldaway is a great addition, and no need to carry the hook around when not needed.
I guess that accounts for the extra few hundred quid needed for the Audi version.......might rather carry the hook around instead!

Edited by: Boxbrownie

 

[darkmatter]

I guess that accounts for the extra few hundred quid needed for the Audi version.......might rather carry the hook around instead!

I got the impression that the Audi tow bar fitting quote I got was for a removable tow ball (which I have) rather than the folding tow ball (which I would have liked).

 

[Boxbrownie]

I guess that accounts for the extra few hundred quid needed for the Audi version.......might rather carry the hook around instead!

I got the impression that the Audi tow bar fitting quote I got was for a removable tow ball (which I have) rather than the folding tow ball (which I would have liked).

In that case I am not sure, apparently his is the Audi fitted TB......maybe they do two versions?

 

[Boxbrownie]

Looking at the tow bar option on the configerator, the normal £625 bar is the folding version, so they told you a porky!

 

[darkmatter]

Looking at the tow bar option on the configerator, the normal £625 bar is the folding version, so they told you a porky!

I may be confusing matters here, £625 as a factory fitted option on a new car sounds right, but I asked them the cost to retro-fit a tow bar on my two year old Q3. I would have expected the retro-fit costs to be higher due to additional labour time so perhaps the price I was quoted was even higher (Maybe it was £800'ish, I can't find my notes now), I recall that it seemed considerably higher than a diy fitting.

Either way, anyone buying a new Q3 would do well to order the factory fitted item if they think that they may want to tow something.