Audi S6 C5 Towbar Wiring Question - Does it need coding?

[ronnie court]

I'm just about to purchase a 2001 C5 S6 Avant and wish to fit a tow bar. Regarding the wiring, i have read alot about the C6's needing 'remaps'/towing ecu's added etc to change the state of various functions of the car, i.e parking sensors, esp, breaking etc, But cannot find anything on this for the C5. Is it worth getting an expensive genuine wiring harness for the towbar electrics? or will it do no more than the universal ones on ebay at a fraction of the price? or can you connect the universal ones to certain place in the car to gain these options? The S6 has rear parking sensors and ESP.

[PFJones]

Hi Ronnie, If fitting a dedicated wiring kit then yes it will need coding, it is a much better way to fit the wiring and it will enable any towing settings the vehicle has for towing as well as disabling the parking sensors when the trailer is connecting. Universal kits only tap into the vehicles rear lamp loom so will only work the basic functions. You couldn't connect a universal kit in a certain way to gain the dedicated functions as the dedicated kit comes with a module that does all the work.
Here is the link for our dedicated kits http://www.pfjones.co.uk/towbar-wiri...ring-kits.html
And here for the universal wiring kits Towbar Universal Wiring Kits

Thanks

Adam

[ronnie court]

Thanks for the info, thats exactly what i needed to know. Its alot of money for the perk of turning the parking sensors off, when i have a button on the dash to do that already.

I'll have a think

[JMR1]

After reading the different posts on the subject of wiring up a socket for a trailer, I am still not sure what is the correct installation for a 2003 Audi A6 1.9 TDI. Is a relay bypass essential , or can the cables be connected direct from the tail lights etc.?

[Cavanmick]

I would use the relay for the sake of the few quid to buy the kit.. better safe than sorry.

[JMR1]

Thats what I was thinking too...but trying to avoid running a live cable direct from the battery back the length of the car. Do you know if there is already a live connection in the boot that I could tap into ?
There is a red block connector feeding into the black box in the compartment which used to house the original Audi sound / radio system. I'm not sure what is the function of this black box is now, since the radio head unit is gone.
But maybe there is another spare live terminal back there?

[Cavanmick]

I'm not sure but is there a 12v socket in the boot, that's normally where I get the love feed from.