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Omega Help Area => Omega Electrical and Audio Help => Topic started by: sexydaz on 11 November 2009, 19:03:49

Title: towbar electrics
Post by: sexydaz on 11 November 2009, 19:03:49
hi is it somat ive heard wrong or is there a pre wired plug for the 12n fitted in the loom somewhere,im fitting my towbar soon on a 2.2 estate 2001
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: Andy B on 11 November 2009, 19:15:54
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hi is it somat ive heard wrong or is there a pre wired plug for the 12n fitted in the loom somewhere,im fitting my towbar soon on a 2.2 estate 2001

It's under the black plastic cover at the rear most edge of your boot. Yours will be a round plug. If available andyc at drive in Bury St Edmaunds will be your best bet.  ;)
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: sexydaz on 11 November 2009, 19:22:42
cheers mr b do you mean boot floor or the sides behind light clusters
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: Andy B on 11 November 2009, 19:30:59
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cheers mr b do you mean boot floor or the sides behind light clusters

The boot floor, right at the back.
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: sexydaz on 11 November 2009, 19:38:14
thankyou
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: Andy B on 11 November 2009, 19:43:17
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thankyou

Be aware though, that if you use this socket, either with an OE plug or not, that the balck/yellow for the brakes won't feed the trailer brake lights without another 'relay'  that lives under/behind your glove box, about £16 when I bought one. (There are numerous threads about this if you look  ;)  ;))

 Also, the blue/black for the rear fogs is designed for an 8 pin socket that will switch off the car's fog lights when you plug the 12N plug in, so make sure you get the feed & not the return.  :y  :y
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: sexydaz on 11 November 2009, 19:54:22
so would it be easier to just wire it into lights and ignore this plug or will the old fash way affect the cars display panel
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: Andy B on 11 November 2009, 19:59:34
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so would it be easier to just wire it into lights and ignore this plug or will the old fash way affect the cars display panel

The socket isn't far removed from wiring straight to the lights. The advantage of using the extra brake light check relay is that it extends the brake check of your car to your trailer/caravan. It won't affect the dash where ever you wire it from, but the socket would be neater and easier as all the neccessary wires are all together there.  :y
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: sexydaz on 11 November 2009, 20:02:43
lovely il ave a play at weekend  cheers
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: Andy B on 11 November 2009, 20:03:46
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lovely il ave a play at weekend  cheers

 :y  :y  :y  :y
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: deltaman on 12 November 2009, 12:50:07
How about the other socket when you tow a caravan is thier an easy way to wire this up, I have the socket for the lights etc but need to put one on for the fridge and charger.
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: Andy B on 12 November 2009, 15:22:37
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How about the other socket when you tow a caravan is thier an easy way to wire this up, I have the socket for the lights etc but need to put one on for the fridge and charger.

There's no specific wiring for the 12S apart from a dedicated 12v supply that can be found in the same socket as all the 12N wiring. It'll need a fuse putting in in the fuse box under the steering column. You can use a voltage sensitive Smartcom relay clicky (http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/displayProduct.jsp?sku=CP03533&CMP=e-2072-00001000) which makes wiring easy & simple.
12S wiring diag (http://www.western-towing.co.uk/acatalog/Caravan_12S_wiring_diagram.html)
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: sexydaz on 12 November 2009, 16:54:18
that said i might do the 12s aswell,the fuse under steering column if im right is a 30 amp is the wire feed to the plug ample as the fridges can pull 8 amps
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: Kevin Wood on 12 November 2009, 17:01:45
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that said i might do the 12s aswell,the fuse under steering column if im right is a 30 amp is the wire feed to the plug ample as the fridges can pull 8 amps

Can't remember the size of the wire but I would not trust it with 30 amps. It was originally to power the trailer lights through a relay box, IIRC.

I would fit a generously rated wire from the battery with a suitable fuse and charging relay. Firstly, you will know the wire's adequately rated and secondly, you can size it not only to handle the load safely but to provide minimal voltage drop so that batteries in the 'van can be charged if required.

Kevin
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: Andy B on 12 November 2009, 17:02:21
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that said i might do the 12s aswell,the fuse under steering column if im right is a 30 amp is the wire feed to the plug ample as the fridges can pull 8 amps

It's bigger than the rest!  :-/  :-/ I think it's 2.5mm2 which is what the associated wire in the cable is. It's something I keep meaning to check on my caravan, whether the fridge is actually pulling anything while on the move. It never seems to be that cold when we get to where we're going, despite being cold when we set off.
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: Andy B on 12 November 2009, 17:06:50
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.....
It was originally to power the trailer lights through a relay box, IIRC. .....

The wiring is there for the 12N so why would you need to use a relay box?  :-/
The red wire in the socket in the boot is fed from fuseway 29 which according to the handbook is 'Terminal 30: constant current for caravan/trailer' .... and it's only 20 amps  :y  :y
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: Kevin Wood on 12 November 2009, 17:08:44
2.5mm thinwall is a bit marginal at 30 amps IMHO, especially as it's a run as long as the car and you want minimum voltage drop because you're going to continue through the caravan. 

Then again, are you actually going to pull that much, and is battery charging an issue?

Kevin
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: Andy B on 12 November 2009, 17:10:05
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2.5mm thinwall is a bit marginal at 30 amps IMHO, especially as it's a run as long as the car and you want minimum voltage drop because you're going to continue through the caravan. 

Then again, are you actually going to pull that much, and is battery charging an issue?

Kevin

The fuse should be 20A! :y :y :y
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: Kevin Wood on 12 November 2009, 17:11:08
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The wiring is there for the 12N so why would you need to use a relay box?  Undecided
The red wire in the socket in the boot is fed from fuseway 29 which according to the handbook is 'Terminal 30: constant current for caravan/trailer' .... and it's only 20 amps  Thumbs Up!  Thumbs Up!

I remember reading somewhere that the Vauxhall loom contained relays. :-/ Maybe that was rubbish. Must have been, thinking about it, because the brake lights and indicators clearly have to be directly driven to make the bulb failure devices work.

Kevin
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: Kevin Wood on 12 November 2009, 17:12:37
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Quote
2.5mm thinwall is a bit marginal at 30 amps IMHO, especially as it's a run as long as the car and you want minimum voltage drop because you're going to continue through the caravan. 

Then again, are you actually going to pull that much, and is battery charging an issue?

Kevin

The fuse should be 20A! :y :y :y

That's more like it. I was going on the figure mentioned by hercules. :y

Kevin
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: sexydaz on 12 November 2009, 17:14:26
i didnt get a handbook with the car but ive seen on here the fuse layout and it said 30 amp to feed trailer im assuming that is the fuse to put power down to the plug,but as said before if the wire in that loom is puny i wouldnt want to power my fridge with it
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: Andy B on 12 November 2009, 17:33:14
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i didnt get a handbook with the car but ive seen on here the fuse layout and it said 30 amp to feed trailer im assuming that is the fuse to put power down to the plug,but as said before if the wire in that loom is puny i wouldnt want to power my fridge with it

clicky (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.reynolds983/Manuals/Omega2002Manual.pdf) Page 187 ..... infact this 'book' says 10 Amps  :-/
The only mention of 30 is the terminal number.  :y
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: sexydaz on 12 November 2009, 17:36:29
its the terminal 30 yes not 30 amps silly me
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: deltaman on 12 November 2009, 19:03:53
Thanks to all, we use the fridge on the move as we load it up before we set off, the battery charging is good as the van is in store and if it is left for awhile it drops a little, we take it off in the winter.

I will set about getting the bits this weekend. Once again many thanks.
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: Ken T on 18 November 2009, 12:45:59
is it possible to get just the plug from somewhere ?. My local vauxhall want to sell me the whole wiring set for £50.  :-X

Ken
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: Andy B on 18 November 2009, 17:11:44
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is it possible to get just the plug from somewhere ?. My local vauxhall want to sell me the whole wiring set for £50.  :-X

Ken


If you went to a scrap yard armed with a set of snips, you'll find a similar plug & socket in the passenger side rear pillar of an Astra G estate - above the light unit  ::) I'm sure you could make yourself a plug & loom  :y  :y
Title: Re: towbar electrics
Post by: Ken T on 18 November 2009, 22:40:41
Thanks Andy, I will have a look next time I find a decent scrapyard.

Ken