Hi,
I have a 2010 A3 8PA and i retrofitted a tow bar a while back. The job was quite straight forward, even for a novice hobby mechanic as me. However, preparation was key, so i did ALOT of forum reading before i startet to loosening the bumper etc. Also looming the wires from the rear to the front of the car was a pain in the a... As for tools you should manage with some basic tools ( Torx and philips screw drivers++)
I bought three parts:
1. 210⬠Westfalia detachable tow bar kit - The one i got was similar to this one:
Audi A3 Sportback 2004-2013 Westfalia Detachable Tow Bar
2. 100⬠electrics kit/Wiring - i bought a set from erich jaeger with a controller - It was plug and play, but as i mention below, the looming from back to front was not fun at all. Mine was similar to this:
AC Elektrosatz 13-polig Audi A3 Sportback Bj. 07.2008 - 02.2013 | Bertelshofer
3. 110⬠Spoiler inclusive cover - 8P0 807 434 A 01C (one exhaust version of the spoiler), i guess you would need the part number for the double exhaust is different.
I did not want to cut in the one i allready had, and also i retrofitted an detachable tow bar, so i would like to cover it up when not in use - i bought mine from a german web-site (same goes for the other parts)
In short you have to remove the bumper to be able to attach your new tow-bar:
http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/a3-s3-sportback-8p-chassis/119531-a3-sportback-rear-bumper-removal.html
VW AUDI Forum - VWAF
And you will need to remove boot trim, and rear seats for the electrics. This part was quite cumbersome. I had to widen a hole (see photo D on page 15 in the pdf) with a dremmel for the wiring to fit through and reach under the car to be able to have proper electric outlet.
http://www.vaglinks.com/Docs/Audi/A3/A3.BlogSpot.com_Audi_A3_US_Trailer-Wiring_Install_DIY.pdf - great instructions for wiring!
The looming to the front was done by cramming the wires under the plastic part near the footwell all the way to the fusebox in near the dash.
Here are some additional resources i used:
VWVortex.com - 2009 A3 with Westfalia Hitch
Euro Hitch/Westfailia on 2012 A3 completed! - TDIClub Forums
VW AUDI Forum - VWAF - How to remove boot trim for the electrics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0j-zPdKlbs
For me, everuthyng now works properly without any coding by vagcom. And to my knowledge, no coding is needed. But i am not 100% sure about this part. Maybe someone else would care to comment on this?
I also got a quote from a local dealership (non-audi), they wanted about 1200⬠for the job. And i believe the audi dealership want even more.
Good luck and best regards
