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2021 M3P OEM Tow Bar retrofit
- Thread starter majeric
- Start date
How heavy is the caravan?
For others: what is heaviest thing you've towed with a standard rear frame (unmodified car)
hey!
did you get this all sorted then? been away for a while.
I bought all the parts and had a fitter install it - i couldn't be bothered to faff around with removing the bumper.
The part numbers and quantities are listed early in the thread.
Since having it installed, i had a ranger turn on 'tow hitch' in toolbox.
I was getting a module mismatch, but that was only in the service menu. didn't impact the tow electrics or anything.
Just asked at a Tesla SC about fitting a tow bar to my M3, they said'no'!
They said most afermarket fits would affect the tesla warranty negatively??
They also said that if there was a shunt where someone bumped into you from behind - Tesla might write the car off because of the proximity of the tow hitch to the battery tray???
To play safe they said it should be fitted and sold at production level under a Tesla approved process.
And yet there seems to be quite a thriving aftermarket business out there?
They said most afermarket fits would affect the tesla warranty negatively??
They also said that if there was a shunt where someone bumped into you from behind - Tesla might write the car off because of the proximity of the tow hitch to the battery tray???
To play safe they said it should be fitted and sold at production level under a Tesla approved process.
And yet there seems to be quite a thriving aftermarket business out there?
If you’re planning to tow, you can’t as its rated towing capacity will be zero if it didn’t come from the factory. That’s what they should have told you. It’s a legal issue as much as anything else.
If you get a 3rd party bar, it will be for bike racks only.
Tesla can’t write off your car if you are in a collision, that’s the instance company. They can void your warranty on anything related to the tow bar which could include the electrical system as you’ll need to cut into the wiring looms for the lights as the OEM wiring probably will not be there.
To note the above isn’t the case on the Model Y which can be retrofitted by Tesla.
If you get a 3rd party bar, it will be for bike racks only.
Tesla can’t write off your car if you are in a collision, that’s the instance company. They can void your warranty on anything related to the tow bar which could include the electrical system as you’ll need to cut into the wiring looms for the lights as the OEM wiring probably will not be there.
To note the above isn’t the case on the Model Y which can be retrofitted by Tesla.
Not true for all Model 3’s. My car didn’t have the tow bar specced but I retrofitted it with all OEM parts; most of them directly from Tesla. The wiring loom was there and unused so I just plugged straight in, but this would only work for OEM parts and not aftermarket kits.
That doesn’t change the tow rating of the car though. Pre-highland Model 3’s can’t be rated for towing once they leave the factory. So no matter what you fit you can’t tow anything with its own axle. That’s not the case for Model Y’s and it looks like it’s the case for Highland Model 3’s by what I’m interpreting from the online configurator.
Cardo
Active Member
It would be nice if the M3 is changed so it can accept retrofits, as the current situation is simply daft. However, I can’t see anything on the Highland config page that this may have changed?
Cardo
Active Member
Interesting. The new wording reflects that of the Y. I do hope they have changed it so it can be retrofitted. I was lucky and specced the towbar JIC, but I’ve known people with non-towbar M3s who have ordered trailers then been disappointed to find out they would never be able to tow with their brand new car.
The easy way to well would be to ask someone in the highland thread who has one not specced with one and ask them to look at what rating plate says.
There will be 4 weights listed. The first number is the maximum weight of the car including payload, below it will be the total train weight including any trailer. If the two numbers are the same it can’t tow.
There will be 2 more numbers designated with a 1 and 2, these are the front and rear axle weights.
Which is why I specifically said it’s probably not there. Meaning it may be there but don’t count on it, it’s definitely not there on many cars.
There will be 4 weights listed. The first number is the maximum weight of the car including payload, below it will be the total train weight including any trailer. If the two numbers are the same it can’t tow.
There will be 2 more numbers designated with a 1 and 2, these are the front and rear axle weights.
Which is why I specifically said it’s probably not there. Meaning it may be there but don’t count on it, it’s definitely not there on many cars.
Was thinking of fitting an aftermarket tow hitch to my M3 for my bike.
Spoke to Tesla direct and this is what they said:
"...
The Model 3 does have the ability to have a tow hitch but this is if it is originally ordered with one. I see you already have a Model 3 so we would not be able to retrofit a tow hitch on this vehicle as it has none of the towing software installed. A tow hitch can only be ordered if the Moel 3 is ordered with the 'towing package' from new. ..."
Kind Regards.
Jack
Tesla Support, EMEA
Spoke to Tesla direct and this is what they said:
"...
The Model 3 does have the ability to have a tow hitch but this is if it is originally ordered with one. I see you already have a Model 3 so we would not be able to retrofit a tow hitch on this vehicle as it has none of the towing software installed. A tow hitch can only be ordered if the Moel 3 is ordered with the 'towing package' from new. ..."
Kind Regards.
Jack
Tesla Support, EMEA
Cardo
Active Member
As usual, the response is nonsense. The “towing software” is installed on every car, it just needs enabling. A user on this forum was able to get Tesla to switch it on after they installed the hardware themselves. The issue is not software, but homologation of the vehicle. Tesla do not give the M3 a tow rating unless it is specced with a tow bar from the factory. Technically and legally, it is possible to retrofit a tow bar to use a bike carrier, but Tesla obviously don’t recommend this.
In addition, when I went into the SC, they said 'not' to fit it as it might jeopardise the car's warranty because electrical looming would have to be broken into to fit it and this would not be approved by Tesla.
They also stated that if there was a bump from behind, the hitch could impact the battery tray - so again the warranty would be affected.
Yet the manual describes all about the installation of a tow hitch???
They also stated that if there was a bump from behind, the hitch could impact the battery tray - so again the warranty would be affected.
Yet the manual describes all about the installation of a tow hitch???
I think the manual serves a global audience, and in America, fitting aftermarket hitches is permitted.
However even in America splicing through wiring would invalidate warranty. Nothing unusual (in Tesla world anyway), about their stance on this.
Hi there,
I'm in the US and does anyone know whether the Model X tow receiver insert works with the EU towbar?
I see the EU kit below wiht the swan neck tow ball, but what I need is to use this bar and insert the Model X tow reeciover hitch shown at bottom.
It looks very similar, but I can't make out whether it would mate up and even if it does, is it the right depth/drop-down to fit properly out of the removable panel at the rear.
Thanks in advance for any info on this.
I'm in the US and does anyone know whether the Model X tow receiver insert works with the EU towbar?
I see the EU kit below wiht the swan neck tow ball, but what I need is to use this bar and insert the Model X tow reeciover hitch shown at bottom.
It looks very similar, but I can't make out whether it would mate up and even if it does, is it the right depth/drop-down to fit properly out of the removable panel at the rear.
Thanks in advance for any info on this.
MrBadger
Badger out
Does your hitch have any manufacturer stamping on it? Locking mechanism is very similar to our Model 3 one so not out of the question.
I don’t know about Model X, but original Model 3 was made by Westfalia (that may now be branded blink) so may be worth checking on their website. In early days of ownership I did ask them a Tesla related question but iirc they weren’t very helpful as it was a Tesla fitting so not their responsibility- I kind of got that but it was almost as if they even denied that the Tesla fitting was even theirs. But their web site may at least give an idea if it’s a universal fit for other vehicles which may give some hope.