Seeking octavia advice

[Gti Dave]

Its a good deal mate especially considering the free servicing. Best to pay up and get the original skoda towbar especially when electrical connections are involved cause if you ever get any electrical gremlins, they'll blame it on the non factory wiring of the towbar and will end up being very costly as they may not honour any future electrical related warranty claims. Any electrical gremlins are costly and hard to find and fix so best to stick to genuine. That way, the only direction the finger is pointed at is the dealer themselves and Skoda.

[aerohydro]

Yep excellent point. I certainly don't want that sort of problem down the line.

[MarksVRS]

Can anyone comment on the ground clearance issue with a towbar fitted?

You will have the same experience of scraping the safety chain loop on steeper driveways but it is a small price to pay for having the tow bar when you need it. From memory I paid over $2000 to have it fitted new so your price is OK.

Just make sure you have a test trailer handy to ensure the reverse beeper cancel has been programmed! I didn't think of this until the first time I went to reverse a trailer and it has a constant beep!! It will be easier to get it done straight away, as I have asked on two separate occassions for the reprogramming to be done with no success to date.

Just last week I got to test the "blown lamp" warning! The trailer had been sitting for at least 6 months and when I hooked it up and started the car, it must have gone through a diagnosis as it gave me the warning immediately (failed trailer brake lamp).

---------- Post added at 11:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:57 PM ----------

I always find working on new cars pretty pleasant, since the ones I have owned are generally in such a bad state.

I bought a 1 year old 2007 TDI Astra, before the Skoda. I thought installing a tow bar on a new car would be a piece of p*ss although it was no end of trouble! Nothing lined up. Maybe this isn't a problem for someone working on a customer car (just widen the holes!!) although for me it is just annoying. I was warned about the integrated wiring for the trailer and was told to buy an adapter from Holden for couple $ although I piggybacked the tail lights and it worked just fine.