C350e estate... tow bar coding

[TTTim]

Hi all, I’m new to Mercedes ownership having recently purchased a ‘16 plate c350e.

I have sourced a removable Westfalia towbar and dedicated electrics in anticipation.

Here starts my worries. The car isn’t plated for towing. This I didn’t know until after purchase.

I believe that MB have to code the tow electrics. But am I going to have a problem asking for them to do this as the car was never homologated to tow? Will they refuse to do it?

I’ll never tow anything of weight, certainly not a caravan but will be used to tow my sons dinghy, which weighs almost nothing.

I’m loathed to use a work-around relay to fool the canbus system.

Has anyone any experience or comment to make?

thanks

Tim

 

[Deleted member 126969]

Sadly, it's pretty simple isn't it? No rating for towing - you can't have a towbar. It isn't ever anything that affected me so I didn't pay much attention, but I think that if it had the glass roof it couldn't have the tow package due to weight.

I have seen a saloon with the tow bar and ISTR there was someone here who had an estate with one too, but it wasn't the PP model so had the lighter steel roof.

I could be utterly wrong though, so apologies if I am.

There is some hope if you contact DVSA maybe - they've been known to give you an authorisation letter if you can show that the car is the same as one that IS approved, but you'd never get the V5 altered and it might cause issues with insurance etc too, as they do tend to be super-conservative.

 

[BTB 500]

It's actually illegal to fit a towbar to a car that's not type-approved (whether you tow anything with it or not). So I doubt a dealer would help with the coding, but you could always ask. It could possibly be a problem with insurance too (fitting a towbar is a 'modification' that should be declared).

 

[CaptainChaos]

As Chris says, you could factory option a towbar, but it was in conjuction with deleting the glass roof and maybe (can't remember) having the 18" wheels.

 

[CaptainChaos]

I've just looked at my plate, and I think this suggests mine can tow.
Is anyone able to confirm that's what it means please?

 

[Deleted member 126969]

Yep, that second figure is the ‘train weight’ - loaded trailer plus tow vehicle. 1st is Gross Vehicle Weight, so max towable is 2nd - 1st = 1660kg

(just put a kit through IVA so those numbers are burned into me given I got them wrong and it failed!)

 

[easyonthegas]

Agree with Chris-S re tow limit. Make sure you know what the dingy and trailer combined weights, as it must be less than 1660kg

Tow bar fitter can code your MB, and they are about 50% of the price of the main dealer. Personally I use the main dealer for all software related changes, but that may be me being over cautious