Aftermarket Tow Bar on Signum

Just had this fitter (Witter) by towbar specialist with split relay and
also bypass relay (rear foglight) and was hoping for some info on ECU
updates. I read here somewhere that a code update needs to be done by
local dealer. Local dealer states this is only for Vauxhall fitted
towbar, as far as they know, and they have never done one for an
aftermarket towbar. The local dealer is a rural one (very rural) and so
may not have come across this before.

Any ideas whether this is required (they are quoting that it will be
charged at an hourly rate and that it may cause problems!) ?

 

Ian

I fitted my own towar but had problems with the wirring so I contacted
Vauxhall and they supplied a short loom that connected to the fusebox and a
black plug hidden away in the rear storage box at the back of my estate I
then was able to wire it up without problems or a relay

I had it checked by my local dealer with tech 2 just in case but it all
passed ok.(cost £20)

I think as you used a bypass system maybe the ECU is unaffected but as I am
NOT an auto electrician perhaps another reader can give better advice

for info my car is a Vectra 2.2 TDi estate 04 plate

Paul

 

I would normally advise buying £40 worth of Vauxhall towing electrics
which plug straight into the loom with no updates required.

I wouldn't have thought Tech 2 would be much use if they did not use
Vauxhall wiring. It will also be likely to confuse the computer system
that controls the lights.

Alan

 

Hi,

I have read a few posts about people towing with new shape Vectra's and
Signum's.

We have an 04 Vectra 1.9 CDTI (120) Design 5door Hatch . We had a witter
tow bar fitted, and on the second attempt the company that fitted the tow
bar got the electrics right

We tow a medium sized caravan well within the published weights that
Vauxhall advertise in there sales brochure/web site and also specified in
the vehicles manual. However we have had real problems towing with our
Vectra.

Towing when the car had done 1900 miles, one of the drive shafts snapped! -
not a good start.

Also approx every 200 miles, the steering will dangerously start wobbling
from left to right with so much force the steering wheel will jump out of
the drivers hands. Vauxhalls have admitted there is a fault, however are
refusing to replace the car. After a long battle with Vauxhalls they are
now admitting that the 1.9CDTI (120) can not tow the weight of our caravan
(yet they still to this day advertise that it can) and they are still
refusing to do anything about our problem.

I was just wondering if you guys are towing trailers or caravans, and if you
are towing caravans what size, and weight. And also if you have had any
problems in doing so, or towing anything with your Vectra's and Signum's.

Our good old 1.7 TD Cavalier which had done 190,000 miles towed our caravan
fine! We just can not believe that the new Vectra just can not handle to
job!

Thanks in advance.

Rich

 

I have to say my Vectra 2.2 TDi (04) pulls my caravan like I had nothing on
the towbar and the van is a 16 footer and it has 18,000 mls on the clock

 

Hi

Thanks for the reply. Our Vectra has plenty of power and is great 95% of
the time, it's just that we are scared to go too fast and use the power of
the car, because when this problem kicks off you can not keep hold of the
steering wheel. It's a shame as the car is brilliant when there is no
caravan attached, it just when towing. We have had various problems, such
as a drive shaft failing, wobbles in the steering wheel when towing, and
also total front windscreen wiper failure, it just looks like we have an
extremely bad one, and Vauxhalls are not playing ball, they are not
interested in looking at the problem nor replacing the car! When two
engineers from Lookers (our local Vauxhall dealer) where in the car towing
the caravan, the steering wheel started to shake and they both Sh!t
themselves, and yet they are still not doing anything about it!

I must stress the power of the engine is not the problem it has plenty of
power, we have been towing caravans for 30 years doing 1000's of miles each
year travelling to the south of France, and never had any problems, however
you have got to see this to believe it, the car is extremely dangerous.

Olliebears is yours a Hatch/Saloon or Estate?

Rich

 

your steering problem sounds to me what bikers call "tank slap"
one cause is going fast with too much weight over the back wheel
have you tried shifting a bit of the weight in the van to the back or
unloading the boot ?
also have you tried a stabaliser bar ?

dB

 

Hi

We have tried various things, we very rarely have anything in the boot. We
have the recommended nose weight of 75kg (yes we have tried more and less,
but we consider any less to little!). This happens when the van is full or
empty.

When the steering problem starts, sometimes we have a slight wobble which
carries on for a mile or so, and it then stops. However when it does it
severely you actually have to physically stop the car, just as you get to
1mph the steering wheel will give one big wobble and then when you start
again everything's OK. Before the wobbles start you feel the whole front of
the car rumbling, your feet & bum start to shake and then the steering wheel
just takes off! As I say you have to see it to believe it!

Its a fairly new caravan the hitch has a built in stableriser so no need for
a stabaliser bar. As I said our old Cavalier 1.7td which is a lot lighter
had no issues towing the caravan at all!

Rich

 

Have you had all your wheels balanced and tyre pressure checked. (including
Caravans.)?

 

We have put the correct PSI in all tyres as per both manufactures handbooks.
The Vauxhall manual says to put a very high PSI in both the front and rear
tyres, we have also tried lower PSI's etc no matter what we do we end up
with the same result.

Vauxhalls have not even been bothered to take/check any types/wheels on the
car. If it was balancing would you not have thought we would get some sort
of feeling through the steering wheel doing 70mph down the motorway with no
caravan? Plus if it was something as simple as wheel balancing, would you
not have thought it would be doing the wobbling all time when pulling the
caravan?

Rich

 

it's an Estate

 

Based on what I've read of this thread, I would take a close look at your
rear tyres. could be you might have one going bad (maybe the steel inside
one has shifted). not always easy to spot unless you get lucky and park with
the wheel in just the right spot. the extra load induced by towing at
certain speeds can cause things to start oscillating, with results like you
describe.

Mike

BTW, I would rule out front tyres because you would feel it in the steering.
something you can try is drive the car slowly (@ 5mph) and see if the car
feels like it is wagging its arse.