Technical Panda Cross towbar information

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Technical Panda Cross towbar information

distantcamera

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Hi folks, thought I'd tell you about my towbar installation just in case the information comes in handy for someone else.

I bought this Bosal towbar:
http://www.pfjones.co.uk/fiat-panda-hatchback-2004-2011-bosal-swan-neck-towbar.html

Cheapest I could find and the instructions suggested that the crash bar didn't need to be removed, unlike all the other towbars. BTW - if you remove the crash bar you then have no towing eye.

The instructions were in fact slighty b*ll*cks, as they say not to remove the crash bar, but later they say not to put it back on again! In fact the towbar and the crash bar can both be fitted, but you have to take the crash bar off, put the towbar inside it and then re-fit the two at the same time, remembering to re-seal round the crash bar.

Anyways, the rest of the mechanical fitting process was dead easy. There is a gromit below the vent thing at the back that you can run your electrical cable into the car through. The only other issue was that the plastic cover over the vent no longer fits. You have to cut the bottom off if you want to put that back on again.

For electronics I bough the bypass relay kit from the same place. It comes with the silly scotch-clips that you need, and a fuse holder and fuse. You need some extra cabling.

I ran a 15A rated cable from the front of the car to the back, hiding it under the window trim at the top, as that was easier than messing with the carpets and the plastic trims at the bottom. The cable is invisible now. This connects at the front to the large red +12v wire that runs from the battery to the internal fuse box. Its a PITA as its very tight and FIAT riveted a metal plate across the front. Be aware that plate is earthed so best to disconnect the battery before attacking with the stanley knife and soldering iron!

At the back, the wire connects to the fuse holder and then the relays +12V line. For the relay earth I fitted an earth to the right hand seat mounting point. Most of the input connections for the relay come from the right hand light cluster and the cables on the relay are long enough for that. LH indicator, LH tail light and Reverse light come from the other side so I had to lengthen the relay cable. The output wiring is standard coloured and the instructions supplied tell you which is which.

Once wired up and tested the relay and the extra wiring fit easily behind the carpet trim behind the rear light cluster and so are invisible also.
 
I really hope you used the smaller red Scotchlocks. My Bypassrelay included the blue ones and they are too big for the wiring in the Panda (and ev ery other modern car you'd need the relay for:rolleyes:).

The rest is like you say pretty much plug and play. I had to drill three holes for my Westfalia and reinstall the heatshield.

gr J
 
The ones that came with the kit were blue but absolutely tiny. Much smaller than the blue ones that I used on the Jimny, anyway.
 
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