[Bilster1]

Hi all, new to site wonder if anyone can help with the following please?

My local dealership have quoted me circa £1500 to retro fit a tow bar and electrics. They said I could get one cheaper elsewhere but they would probably have to cut the bumper as it wouldnt be custom built tow bar and in any event I would have to take it back to them to be coded for the trailer stability assist and would probably work out close to the same price!

Has anyone experienced this or know any different?

Cheers

Billy

 

[Mark67]

Hi Bilster1, welcome to the site. There is another thread that discussed this earlier in the year that might help you. Looks like around £600 fitted and no cutting.http://www.q3ownersclub.co.uk/forum/tow-bar_topic139.htmlRegardsMark

 

[Bilster1]

Hi Mark, many thanks. I've just found the thread which is exactly what I was hoping for. I'm already finding this forum to be more helpful than I expected. Happy New Year!

Billy

 

[audidriver4ever]

I noticed the pricing of the factory mounted towbars in other forums to. All are complaining about the insane prices Audi wants their customers to pay.
Good solution is (as you already noticed) retro fitting it. The only advice I read is to order with your Q3 the pre-set (wiring etc.), costs less and you only need the retro towbar afterwords.

 

[Trapper]

Hi Bilster1 Had my detachable towbar fitted in Horndean. Fully compatable to Q3. Hole already in bumper so no cutting required. All in price around £360. Only takes a couple of hours to fit aswell.

 

[Bilster1]

Thanks for the help and advice guys, Trapper, would appreciate details as Horndean isn't a million miles away if I can't find anywhere nearer..

Cheers

 

[audidriver4ever]

IMHO:with the OEM towbar you get also a different (stronger) cooling-system too. But for Bicycle transport you do not need this.

 

[Trapper]

Hi. The after market towbar uses the same in car equipment as the OEM. That is the extra cooling, all the trailer indications on the binical, including trailer lamp failure. It also disables the rear parking sensors.It also (as I found) sets the car alarm off if you unplug the trailer with the car locked. Happy New Year to you all.

Trapper.

 

[MrAudi]

Hi,
i wanted the genuine Audi retractable tow hitch fitter retro on my 2014 RSQ3, so off i went to my local stealer....response i got was " we don't do retro fits here we sent them to a outside company "
So i contact said company who are not Audi dealers BUT.......have a dealer number & all the same equipment, the quote was £1200 all in fitted, so goes in tuesday

 

[grumpycamel]

Must be nice for the dealer to turn away work....

 

[IanCropper]

£1,200 - insanity.

 

[spike]

List price for the genuine towbar and control module is over £1300 so £1200 fitted is not bad.Forus 'oily fingernail' types, a search on ebay or ebay.de for 8U0803880B and 7N0907383will usually find the parts for less than half price. Add another £40 or sofor the bracket and pull handle bitsFollowing the guides on our Forum should see them fitted in an afternoon then it's an appointment with Audi for the coding.

Cheers Spike

 

[MrAudi]

yes i could of fitted it myself, i found all the parts for £750 BUT........ the said third party company will only fit parts that they supply & if I fitted it the new parts they wouldn't be covered under the warranty

 

[MrAudi]

Fitted today, all seems to be working correctly, don't know if this is RS specific or its all Q3 models but i have to remove a small panel in my rear diffuser for the tow ball assembly to pop up, then replace when folded away

 

[spike]

Ref attached post, there is an optional cover......and I understand it costs around £150http://www.q3ownersclub.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2808&PID=35244&title=towbar-cover#35244There is no cover on my SE so maybe they only fit it when a towbar is installed, possibly to keep road grime off the electrics.

Cheers Spike