Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Cookie Monster on 16 May 2009, 17:21:54
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Hi.. i have just bought a caravan and need to fit a tow bar with twin electrics to my mig. I have picked up a york tow bar with electrics cheaply and now need to fit it. I thought i knew a mechanic who would fit it for me but he tells me there could be a problem with the electrics and it could have something to do with the cambus ?
Anyway i have been reading all i can find on tow bars and fitting to a mig but nowhere does it say there could be a problem.
I wonder if the guy just doesn`t wanna fit it after all.
Could someone please tell me if what he says is cosher and if so what do i have to look out for.
If not though i`ll have a go at it myself if someone can gimme guidelines as to how to do it.
Cheers
Adam
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I fitted my own but only single electrics, lights etc, i just scotched locked into existing wires in the boot it is very easy, if you need double electrics, charging etc it is a bit more involved, someone may come along soon and advise on doubles
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You can fit the towbar and use a 7 way bypass relay or you can hook into the existing electrics properly.
You can't just connect directly because the Omega bulb failure sensing electronics wouldn't be happy.
There's no can bus though.
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My towbar fitting notes (2.5V6 2000 facelift estate).
Part 1
General info
The round socket that you have in the boot area will supply all you need to wire up your 12N socket including a large red wire that's intended to supply 12 volts to your caravan for lighting, charging & fridge (the 12S socket). On the estate the plug is hidden up behind the jack.
The rear fog circuit is looped through the towing connector via 2 pins that short when the plug is removed. The idea is that the towing connector switches out the vehicle's fog light when the trailer plug is inserted.
No need for bypass relay kit.
There’s a big grommet in the boot floor to drill and feed the wires through.
The dash Trailer turn signal is the picture of a tow hook just below the 0 on the rev counter. The symbol indicator flashes in time with turn signal lamps when towing. It does not flash if a turn signal lamp on the towing vehicle or trailer fails.
Towballs – if towing a modern caravan it’s likely have an Alko stabliser. Standard tow balls aren’t suitable, you just need to spend a tiny bit more and get one that’s suitable. Not A50-1, must be EC94/20 A50-X or Swan neck.
http://www.al-ko.co.uk/automotive-towballs.htm
http://www.al-ko.co.uk/edit/files/support/Towballguide.pdf
Towbar fitting tips:
1) If you have to remove the tar-like insulation / sound deadening material from the boot floor, heat it up with a hot air paint stripper to soften it and then scrape it away with a decorator's chisel. Only remove the areas that the towbar will sit on. It's easy to remove when hot and impossible when cold.
2) When drilling the holes in the floorpan (you'll find these pre-drilled and covered with a thinner metal skin) use a smaller drill bit than specified at first and work your way up. You probably won't need as big a hole as specified in the instructions because they seem to be catering for a certain amount of ham-fistedness in locating them!
3) De-burr and paint all holes in bodywork / floorpan with Hammerite. A spray of Waxoyl on these areas once dry won't hurt either. A touch up pot is ideal.
4) Any securing bolt that passes through a chassis box section (just behind the diff on a saloon, for example) MUST have a spacer fitted to prevent it crushing the box section.
5) Check all fastenings are at the correct torque after first use.
6) If you buy a Witter towbar one spacer is specified as M12 x 40 x 4 this is what you need. In the kit is a M12 x 40 x 2. If you fit this it will rattle really badly. Contact Witter and ask for the right part. They sent me another wrong part! But put them together and you should be fine.
To do
• Fit fuse for 12V 12S feed.
On some cars it’s fuse No29, in the panel under steering wheel.
On the 2.6V6 and 3.2V6 it’s fuse 5 (30A) for the tow bar constant feed.
On my facelift 2.5V6 it’s fuse 5.
Fit Trailer Brake Bulb Failure Sensor (looks like a relay) that lives behind the glove box (on Facelift). It's on a metal bracket to the left hand side of the glove compartment up under the passenger side of the dash. Difficult to access, you will have to remove the heater vent and glove compartment to find it. It’s then hidden above two other relays (red and grey).
Without it you have no brake light feed on the trailer connector. You can just link this across: then you get brake lights but without bulb monitoring. It's a 4 pin base (P39 on wiring diagram) of which 2 pins need bridging (pins 2 and 6 - make up a 2" length of wire with a spade connector on each end and it'll do the job). The colour coding of the two wires that need bridging are the same as the colour coding of the brake light signal at the towing connector (black and yellow) (and the two wires are the same colour code) so they're easy to spot. The other two wires on the socket are not coded the same and should be left unconnected.
Part number for correct part: 90463123. Costs £15.55 + VAT retail from Vauxhall. Part not used for anything else, only trailer bulb warning sensor. It’s used in Astra-G, Zafira and Vecta B and Omega B. It’s a special order from Germany and will take 7-10 days to arrive.
• Indicator relay. Swap your 3 pin relay for a 4 pin one rated for 6 indicator bulbs with bulb failure sensing. It’s the central one in the cabin relay box under the steering wheel.
GM part number “Flasher 2/6 x 21W” for trailer 90506697 £30.55 + VAT retail
This £5 “Merit Malta” one promises to do the job but doesn’t quite work correctly (the tow indicator glows a bit when the trailer is not connected). It also has quite a leisurely flash!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Flasher-Unit-12V-4-Pin-126-Watt-Trailer-Towing_W0QQitemZ130232402419QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116
Intermotor catalogue part no: 58940 from my local Motor Factors £13.00 + VAT should be the right part (but I didn’t get it to check)
So bought this one, “12V Nagares Flasher Hazard Relay Unit Caravan Trailer”
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280274707853&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:UK:11
Works fine, cost £13
• Put a lamp in the dash where the towball telltale is. The bulb should be 12V 1.1W (but 1.2W seems fine).
http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1152618876
http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1192573381
http://images.omegaowners.com/images/guides/How_to_Remove_Clocks_Panel/dashremove.html
• Deal with fog lamp deactivation contacts in towbar connector:
a) Leave the socket in place and pins remain shorted so the car fog lights continue to work (as well as the trailer)
b) Or buy a 12N socket with fog light switch built in (Ring do them, RSA495 or RSA490)
In theory the complete wiring kit for a 12N socket is available from Vx (12N socket, flasher relay, dash bulb, bulb sensor unit and cable assembly with mating connector for the one in boot) but it seems demand was low and they’ve discontinued it. Part no was 9193983 but number not recognised.
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Part 2
Towbar cable colours are usually as follows...
Blue ------- Rear Fog Supply
Green ----- RH Flasher
White ------ Earth
Black ------ LH Side Lights
Yellow ----- LH Flasher
Brown ----- RH Side Lights
Red -------- Stop Lights
Purple ----- Rear Fog Lamps
Colours on vehicle harness:
Black / Blue : Fog Light
Black / White : Turn signal, Left
Red : +12v permanent
Grey / Black : Tail Lamp Left
Black / Yellow : Stop Lamp
Grey / Red : Tail Lamp Right
Black / Green : Turn signal, Right
Brown : Chassis / Negative
White / Black : Reversing Lamp
There will be 2 black and blue cables to the X25 connector. The one to pin 11 is the feed from the fog light switch. The one on pin 10 is the feed to the fog lights on the car. There wires are normally bridged together by contacts in X25 itself. When the connector is coupled this is broken and the connection is made in the towing socket. This connection is broken when a trailer is coupled up, disabling the fog lights on the vehicle. The feed to the trailer fog lights must come from pin 11. Pin 10 goes to the switch contact on the towing connector.
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You can fit the towbar and use a 7 way bypass relay or you can hook into the existing electrics properly.
You can't just connect directly because the Omega bulb failure sensing electronics wouldn't be happy.
There's no can bus though.
No probs on a GLS
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Thank u sir... that was what i had picked up on in my searches.
I`ll hope its not too much involved with twin electrics
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You can fit the towbar and use a 7 way bypass relay or you can hook into the existing electrics properly.
You can't just connect directly because the Omega bulb failure sensing electronics wouldn't be happy.
There's no can bus though.
No probs on a GLS
Fine on my CDX ;)
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The socket in the boot has everything you need for twin electrics - you just need to find it.
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Thanks Jason thats really helpful and comprehensive !
How do i know if my car is the facelift model u refer to tho ?
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Thanks Jason thats really helpful and comprehensive !
How do i know if my car is the facelift model u refer to tho ?
Facelift cars are those that have a look of the Astra G, the grille lifts with the bonnet, electric windows are on the front doors & not the centre console. A W reg is likely to be a facelift.
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The socket in the boot has everything you need for twin electrics - you just need to find it.
The socket is predomanantly for the 12N ie road lighting, it does include a permanant live (so long as the relevant fuse under the steering wheel has been put in) for which you'll also need a relay of some sort to charge your caravan battery & power your fridge on the move. Easiest way is to use a voltage senstive relay like this .... http://www.ringautomotive.co.uk/product_detail.asp?prod=1967
Reverse is a separate white/balck wire. :y
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Excellent article. About to shift a towbar from a prefacelift to a facelift and reckon this will be a real help.
Thanks!
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Thanks you for this guide i found it usefull when fitting my towbar.
Just thought i would comment that there are some p/n 9193983 wiring harness kits still out there i did a quick google and found one new from http://www.vauxhallgreenparts.co.uk/index.html
£30 quid delivered it comes with wiring harness and relays etc and obviously the socket for the towbar
i dont know how many they have left but i ordered mine today and will be here tommorow so i know they had some today
Doug
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'dangle berries'!!!
I got my wiring kit pn/ 9193983
the estate one is different to the saloon by the looks of it. anyone need one for there facelift estate?
Doug
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Hi fitted my to my estate no probs asll all the holes you need to drill have dipples in the fllor pan to drill the holes.Only prob i had is that u have to drop the rear exhaust box down so u can do the bolts up
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My 2.6 CDX 2001 facelift has a connector in the boot just behind the facia panel and across from the lock: presumably for the tow bar electrics.
Question: is this a standard socket or vauxhall specific? Ideally I'd like to get the other half and wire my towbar electrics into that then slot the 2 together.
Cheers,
J
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My 2.6 CDX 2001 facelift has a connector in the boot just behind the facia panel and across from the lock: presumably for the tow bar electrics.
Question: is this a standard socket or vauxhall specific? Ideally I'd like to get the other half and wire my towbar electrics into that then slot the 2 together.
Cheers,
J
Vauxhall specific, if you do use it, you'll also need to buy & fit a 'trailer check control' relay. This lives behind your glove box & extends the brake light check of your car to your trailer. You'd need to bridge the terminals of the base if you don't fit it ( less than £20 from Vauxhall) :y
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I have a towbar fitted to my Elite.
Only thing is I don't want it. so if anyone wants it they are welcome to come along and take it FREE OF CHARGE.
James informed me it is a genuine GM Kit.
Pm Me
D.
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Thanks OnHerOwn. Daren't touch yours in case I stuff something up.
Andy B. Starting to sound like too much expense and hassle. May just solder straight into the wiring loom. Or maybe check FleaBay first!