W124 estate - remove towbar?

[quenching]

My 94 E220 W124 estate came to me with a towbar complete with electrics outlet. I'm never going to use it and can see it being the cause of broken bumpers etc on other peoples cars - it spends a lot of time on school runs, supermarket car parks etc being driven by my wife with kids in the back to distract her

Is it a simple job to remove or does that depend on a lot of variables?

 

[SilverSaloon]

it will be easy to remove - just a few bolts on the left and right side of the boot. look up from under the car at the corners for the 4 bolts. and some near the diff.

i'd leave it on - i use my towbar as i tow, but its also saved my bumper 3 times from car park dings and people who bump from behind in traffic.

cheers

derek

My 94 E220 W124 estate came to me with a towbar complete with electrics outlet. I'm never going to use it and can see it being the cause of broken bumpers etc on other peoples cars - it spends a lot of time on school runs, supermarket car parks etc being driven by my wife with kids in the back to distract her

Is it a simple job to remove or does that depend on a lot of variables?

 

[renault12ts]

My 94 E220 W124 estate came to me with a towbar complete with electrics outlet. I'm never going to use it and can see it being the cause of broken bumpers etc on other peoples cars - it spends a lot of time on school runs, supermarket car parks etc being driven by my wife with kids in the back to distract her

Is it a simple job to remove or does that depend on a lot of variables?

Yep...it broke the bumper of the young lady who ran into me recently...but my car was totally unscathed.

 

[quenching]

Thanks chaps, the physical connections such as bolts I imagine are quite easy, its more the electrical outlet for trailer lights that I'm concerned about. I presume this breaks into the rear lighting wiring but does it do it in a simple way such as spliced wires that can simple be resoldered or are things more complicated than that?

I agree that its a useful defense against other peoples errors, but its also a fairly effective method of doing proper damage to other cars when the driver is "less spatially aware"!

 

[mattc]

I agree that its a useful defense against other peoples errors, but its also a fairly effective method of doing proper damage to other cars when the driver is "less spatially aware"!

Then the driver (your vehicle or the other) should pay attention rather than parking by feel. If you or someone else cannot do this then should you/they really be driving?

 

[quenching]

Now then Mattc, best not to judge others by our own high standards, have you seen a junior school lately when 100 stressed mothers are collecting 200 tired children, careful parking is not always at the top of their list of things to worry about, they figure thats what bumpers are put there for - bumping! And to some extent they're probably right.

But I can pass you on to my wife to discuss the matter further if you like, maybe while she's maneuvering the car with 5 kids in it on the way to hockey practice that 3 of them don't want to go to 'cause the other 2 "always get their own way" I wouldn't recommend it though

 

[Druk]

The wiring wouldn't be a problem, there's nothing too advanced about a 124. Just find where the cable goes through the floor, cut it inside and strip it back far enough to put connector blocks on all the cables individually. Tape it all up and secure it somewhere it wont get damp. Has it got two sockets (one black and one grey) or one?

 

[quenching]

Just the one black socket Druk. I'll have a rummage around this weekend if I get a chance and see whats what.

 

[Druk]

The majority of wires will come from the left side with a link wire across to the right for the RH indicator/ tail-light and possibly the foglight. You could trace where they go and cut them short there. They may even be on Scotchloks (little blue clips) which open and release the wire. Or if you're very lucky... a factory wiring loom which piggy-backs onto the cars loom and just needs unplugged. Chance would be a fine thing.

 

[bouncer]

Dont forget to seal the holes, unless you want a boot full of water.

sTeVe

 

[verysideways]

If that towbar is going spare i could give it a good home...

 

[Druk]

It's from an estate. iirc a saloon is different fitment.

To elaborate...If it's a standard fitting towbar there are two downbolts each side get-atable from the wells either side of the floor. Once these are out the bar should be loose. Not sure if it will come out though with the tailpipes in the road, the rear silencer may have to be dropped slightly for removal.
These downbolts pass through longitudinal brackets bolted through the chassis. To get at them the 7th seats/lining has to be removed from the rear compartment. If you're not selling the thing there's no need to remove them. In fact could come in quite useful for when the kids are older and you buy that big twin-axle caravan to go to the WestCountry in.

 

[verysideways]

Mine is an estate, hence why i asked...

 

[Druk]

Mine is an estate, hence why i asked...

Ah yes! Hence my complaint on another thread re: the use of this confusing nomenclature that seems to have sprung up of late on this forum.
As far as I'm concerned it's a W124 TE.

As soon as I see an 'S' in front of something I think S Class.

 

[grober]

Remove the tow ball assembly and the electrics store them in a box and leave the rest in situ. No problems of leaks etc and could be a good selling point when you part company with the car. Lots of people want a towbar on an estate.

 

[Rob77]

Ah yes! Hence my complaint on another thread re: the use of this confusing nomenclature that seems to have sprung up of late on this forum.
As far as I'm concerned it's a W124 TE.

As soon as I see an 'S' in front of something I think S Class.

Isn't 'S' the correct designation? I thought it was, hence my use of it too

 

[verysideways]

I was told on another thread that my car is not a W124 E36T but rather an S124 E36 AMG.
All very confusing.

Anyway, mine's a big green '124' bus with more glass than the Eden Project and a boot which is so big that the rear bumper is in a different time zone to the front

 

[renault12ts]

Ah yes! Hence my complaint on another thread re: the use of this confusing nomenclature that seems to have sprung up of late on this forum.
As far as I'm concerned it's a W124 TE.

As soon as I see an 'S' in front of something I think S Class.

You're confused? What's an "E211T 320 CDi estate"? Should that not read " w211 E320T CDI"? Estate is assumed because of the use of T. Or maybe, s211 E320CDI ?

 

[Druk]

You're confused? What's an "E211T 320 CDi estate"? Should that not read " w211 E320T CDI"? Estate is assumed because of the use of T. Or maybe, s211 E320CDI ?

Of course it should. I was just highlighting the sillyness of it all. 7 years I've been on this forum and 9 on the MBOC and never had any of this and all of a sudden everyone has an S something. Daft.

 

[renault12ts]

You started it. The S has been in common use for years. I had my first s210 11 years ago and it was common knowledge then. No wish to start the debate all over again but...And what about the R class and the r129 etc?? The T was used on the older models in the model title, but was a s*** in the model designation. Google Mercedes s210...143,000 references...from all over the world. Do you still think its new?