Fitting towbar to 2000 E46 318i

[WillemT]

I wonder if anyone can give me some advice. I want to fit a towbar to a 2000 318i auto.
I can possibly get hold of a factory towbar which has the removable tow hitch.

The questions are the following:
- The tow bar comes from a facelift E46, I guess it will still fit the pre-facelift?

- For the wiring, I think it has a control box for the towbar wiring that I hope to get with the towbar. Will this box be able to link up directly to the pre facelift and will I need to enable something on the car's computer or should it pick it up automatically?

- If the above don't work, can I tap straight into the rear lights to run the trailer lights or will I confuse the computer?

All advice appreciated in advance!!

 

[Solo Man]

I have done the swop but from a pre facelift (1999) to my son's 2002 facelift and there was no problem, also no difficulties with the wiring as you tap directly into the park/brake/indicator light wiring at the rear lights of the car. I remember that the bumper on the facelift is slightly bulkier at the bottom and i think iirc that i had to slightly cut out the bumber at the bottom to accommodate the tow bar. It was a Bosal iirc, standard aftermarket type non removable. You have to remove the bumper brackets on the one car and put it back on the other car as with the tow bar the bumper bolts on to the tow bar. On the car where the tow bar is removed you have to put the brackets removed from the other car back on to hold the bumper. The control box is there to tell the car there is a trailer coupled so that when you reverse the pdc does not beep all the time. My conversion did not have that box, just the wiring. If your car does not have pdc i would just tap into the lights and bypass the box thing.

 

[WillemT]

Solo Man

Thanks for the reply. I'll try to get the control box with the towbar since it's a factory fitted bar. But it's good to know that I can just tap aswell if I need to.
The car is being stripped for spares so I'll try to keep the normal bumper brackets if I can.

The factory fitted removable towbars are very scarce and go quickly so I hope I can still get hold of this one.

Will try to put a nice write up on when I get to it eventually...

 

[WillemT]

Ok so I've got the towbar. It's the factory fitted Westfalia removable towbar. Unfortunately there was no keys with the towbar but is unlocked. This might be a problem in the light that someone can steal the tow hitch if it's left on the car.

I paid R1500 for the towbar in total which I think was a great price, seeing that you can't even buy a normal aftermarket towbar for that and the Westfalia bars seems quite scarce and difficult to get hold of.

I got a piece of the harness with the towbar, including the electronics box, but due to not having time to remove the whole harness up to the front I had to cut it where it goes out of the boot.
I can probably ask the guy if he can keep the rest of the harness for me when he's stripping the car completely but not sure that I want to go into all the effort to link up the electronics box with the wiring as it looks like quite a job to do.

Didn't take much photos but will post a link to a youtube video once I'm done.
The bumper on the pre facelift needed quite a bit of cutting done to be able to fit the tow hitch and get to the trailer plug but you can only see very little when the hitch is removed. Still looks way better than a aftermarket bar.

Has anyone wired a trailer electronics box into the E46's?

I'm also looking for a service/workshop manual for the E46 to get the wiring diagrams. Anyone able to help?

 

[WillemT]

So I have found wiring diagrams at last.
And also discovered that I need brackets to fit inside of the car to which the towbar attach to. Picket up the brackets from the same guy I bought the towbar from...

Will install brackets and get the wiring done some time. Not looking forward to remove all the trim from the boot to the glove box...

 

[lion]

So I have found wiring diagrams at last.
And also discovered that I need brackets to fit inside of the car to which the towbar attach to. Picket up the brackets from the same guy I bought the towbar from...

Will install brackets and get the wiring done some time. Not looking forward to remove all the trim from the boot to the glove box...

Hi William, I am new to this forum.
Q: how far did you get with the wiring for your e46 towbar. I have the same car 318i 2001, e46. Bought a towbar and thot fitting it would be as normal. Went to a few towbar fitment centre.

They start talking R3800 but could round it off to R3500. All I need is connect the wires from the existing lights, stop and indicators to my own-fitted towbar. Saying I will destroy my existing electrical system. They talk about a relay.

Asking where it can be purchased is like asking where you find diamonds. It's the great secret.

Help, anyone. I have a 7 pin round pole

thanks

Lion

---

So I have found wiring diagrams at last.
And also discovered that I need brackets to fit inside of the car to which the towbar attach to. Picket up the brackets from the same guy I bought the towbar from...

Will install brackets and get the wiring done some time. Not looking forward to remove all the trim from the boot to the glove box...

Hi William, I am new to this forum.
Q: how far did you get with the wiring for your e46 towbar. I have the same car 318i 2001, e46. Bought a towbar and thot fitting it would be as normal. Went to a few towbar fitment centre.

They start talking R3800 but could round it off to R3500. All I need is connect the wires from the existing lights, stop and indicators to my own-fitted towbar. Saying I will destroy my existing electrical system. They talk about a relay.

Asking where it can be purchased is like asking where you find diamonds. It's the great secret.

Help, anyone. I have a 7 pin round pole

thanks

Lion

 

[WillemT]

Lion

I've sold the car about 9 months ago and replaced it with a 4motion amarok...

I did finish the towbar wiring before I sold it. My mission was to get the correct wires located because the control box that I had was a genuine BMW box that also linked to the computer and could show you if a trailer light was out.

It turned out to be rather easy since all the wire are already made accessible in the boot.

With your situation there's two options. I have heard of people connecting to the cars lights directly and apparently it doesn't do anything to the computer.
The safest option would be to install a relay box but R3500 is ridiculously expensive.
I went to BMW in Cape Town and got a number from them of a guy that they used to install aftermarker towbar on the BMWs. He would have harged me just over a R1000 for the relay box.

So I'm not going to be the one telling you to hook it straight up although it might be possible...

See if you can get this shipped here or try and source it here...
https://www.thetoolbox.uk.com/7-Way-Electronic-Bypass-Relay-for-12V-Towing-Electrics

Other wise phone Auto atlantic BMW, ask them for the number of the guy that does there installations and purchase a little box from him...

 

[lion]

Thank you william for taking the time and effort to respond

will follow up with your suggestion. Am a bit afraid of connecting direct esp with all electronics

Lionel