Genuine Towbars – Are They Worth It?
Volkswagen Genuine Parts® are designed and engineered by the vehicle manufacturer, they are what your Volkswagen was built with on the production line, and as such are the only way to ensure that your Volkswagen performs and protects you as designed.
The non-Genuine Parts® are known as aftermarket parts – these parts are not the same as our Genuine Parts®. Genuine Parts® are produced under Volkswagen AG’s Formula Q quality assurance program. Any parts manufacturer producing parts used in the production of your Volkswagen must be manufactured according to Formula Q’s stringent quality guidelines, these manufacturers can and do produce pattern or similar parts for your Volkswagen, but as they are not Genuine Parts® and do not carry our logos, you cannot be assured that they are of the same quality and will perform the same as Genuine Parts®
Volkswagen Genuine Parts® are the factory originals – so you can be confident that your purchase of Genuine Parts® is the best thing for your vehicle.
- Genuine Parts® provide the perfect fit and meet Formula Q quality standards
- Since they fit so precisely, installation times are reduced to a minimum
- They’re designed to provide optimal safety, performance, and fuel economy
- Quality parts need to be replaced less often, saving you money over the lifetime of your vehicle
Plus, all of our parts come with the assurance of expert advice, full manufacturer warranty and support, and competitive pricing, with most items able to be sourced and delivered overnight through our extensive nationwide parts network.
You can view a selection of these here, or speak to our team about further options.
But why do I need to use a genuine towbar, specifically?
Technology features in newer vehicles are in place to give you piece of mind, and help ensure your vehicle is the safest it can be for your driving scenario. The lights and sounds associated with these features notify you of a possible issue, and work as you would expect under normal driving conditions. However, systems like manoeuvre assist (that brake automatically at slow reversing speeds) will need to ‘know’ when there’s – for example – a trailer behind it.
A genuine Volkswagen or ŠKODA towbar complete with an E-Kit, communicates information to the vehicle so it knows that something’s attached to it. Assistant features like the manoeuvre assist and the rear parking sensors are automatically deactivated. With an aftermarket tow bar, these systems will need to be manually deactivated, and then manually reactivated once the trailer has been removed. On some vehicles, a genuine tow bar can also work with the vehicle’s security system to help prevent theft of a trailer when the car is turned off and locked.
E-Kits
An E-kit is an integrated electrical unit dedicated to controlling trailer lights and interacting with the other
on-board vehicle control units, such as:
- Providing a trailer anti-theft feature, which engages when the vehicle is alarmed.
- Turning reversing sensors on and off when the trailer is attached.
- Compensating for additional loads on vehicles that have mapped cooling systems, to give additional engine cooling.
- Interacting with your vehicle’s Electric Stability Program (ESP), which includes an Automatic Anti-sway Mitigation feature, which compensates for the trailer in the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS).
The towbar is specifically designed for the vehicle, in conjunction with the manufacturer’s recommendations, and is a perfect fit built to suit the impact zones and airbag characteristics of the vehicle.
Note: In some vehicles a folding tow bar must be installed at the factory at the time of the vehicle’s manufacturer. It is not available as an accessory that can be retrofitted to the vehicle. Speak to our team about options to suit your own vehicle, including other forms of tow bar.
If you have any questions or queries regarding the information within this post, or to order a genuine tow bar for your vehicle, please contact the Miles Continental Parts Department on 03 377 7144 or send us an email.
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