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[feeutfo]

Had a play this evening, checked the tow bar electrics with trailer, all works ok, although I was expecting to see the tow bar symbol show signs of life, but no, nothing, probably not got the bulb in?
The stock reversing sensors don't work, guessing disabled ? Looked on the fuse diag in FAQ, but no mention... :-/

And most surprisingly, the indicators bleep from the same area as the revering sensors with trailer attached.  :-?

[hotel21]

Got an estate and the reverse sensors work fine.  Just a pity the fuel guage goes tits up when something is plugged into the black plug!

Really must get someone clever with electrickery to look it over sometime......   

[mrjimbo]

If the towbar symbol doesn't light up check the flasher unit first, the previous owner probably hasn't changed the flasher unit from the original 3 pin unit to the 4 pin unit.

Mine was the same, the towbar symbol didn't light up, changed to a 4 pin flasher unit and jobs a good un 

[Kevin Wood]

Has it got factory towbar wiring or has it been added afterwards? The factory towbar kit contains a provision to disable the reversing sensors when a trailer is detected. Mayde this has gone awry?

Does the fog light work OK? Does the fog light on the car go out when the trailer is plugged in?

Beeping is a current sensing buzzer in the indicator circuit. Added instead of the light in the dashboard, most likely.

Kevin

[feeutfo]

Don't think it's factory wiring, but how would I know? I guess it will use the purple plug on the loom behind the slam panel?
Fog lights work, but car fog lights do not go out when turned on with trailer plugged in.  so guessing it's a bit of a bodge job?

Is the relay available from the dealers? And where's best place to look for the parking sensor fault? Does it even have a fuse. 

[Entwood]

Don't think it's factory wiring, but how would I know? I guess it will use the purple plug on the loom behind the slam panel?
Fog lights work, but car fog lights do not go out when turned on with trailer plugged in.  so guessing it's a bit of a bodge job?

Is the relay available from the dealers? And where's best place to look for the parking sensor fault? Does it even have a fuse. 

This is actually "controlled" by the socket itself !! There is a small microswitch inside a "decent" socket that breaks the feed to the car fog lights as the plug is inserted ... (if it has been wired correctly)

Older/cheaper sockets simply don't have the microswitch inside.

[Andy H]

IIRC the trailer indicator relay is an industry standard one that you should be able to get from any motor factors.

It is the lamp test relay for the brake/tail lights that is dealer only (not sure if it monitors tail & brake or just one set of filaments :-/).

[feeutfo]

Don't think it's factory wiring, but how would I know? I guess it will use the purple plug on the loom behind the slam panel?
Fog lights work, but car fog lights do not go out when turned on with trailer plugged in.  so guessing it's a bit of a bodge job?

Is the relay available from the dealers? And where's best place to look for the parking sensor fault? Does it even have a fuse. 

This is actually "controlled" by the socket itself !! There is a small microswitch inside a "decent" socket that breaks the feed to the car fog lights as the plug is inserted ... (if it has been wired correctly)

Older/cheaper sockets simply don't have the microswitch inside.

Think I know what you mean, in that the purple plug on the car loom cussed a fault with the fog lights. I had a similar thing in that plugging the male half in forced the contacts apart, the fault was the contacts would not seat correctly on their own, so no fog lights anyway.

But I would be happy just to get the reversing sensors working for now tbh...?

[Kevin Wood]

Think I know what you mean, in that the purple plug on the car loom cussed a fault with the fog lights. I had a similar thing in that plugging the male half in forced the contacts apart, the fault was the contacts would not seat correctly on their own, so no fog lights anyway.

But I would be happy just to get the reversing sensors working for now tbh...?

The park pilot senses voltage drop across the fog light loop down to the towbar plug, and hence can tell if a trailer is plugged in, hence my asking if the fog light works.

I wouldn't worry about the switch in the towbar socket. You're better off without it connected because they are so crude in most cases that they will cause the fog lights to fail.

So, on to the park pilot.. Are the reversing lights working? This circuit provides power to the park pilot.

I believe they can be put into a diag. mode where they beep out fault codes. Entwood's yer man there.

I'll be happy to cast an eye over the wiring sometime..

Now, if that 'aint an excuse for a curry....


Kevin

[feeutfo]

Think I know what you mean, in that the purple plug on the car loom cussed a fault with the fog lights. I had a similar thing in that plugging the male half in forced the contacts apart, the fault was the contacts would not seat correctly on their own, so no fog lights anyway.

But I would be happy just to get the reversing sensors working for now tbh...?

The park pilot senses voltage drop across the fog light loop down to the towbar plug, and hence can tell if a trailer is plugged in, hence my asking if the fog light works.

I wouldn't worry about the switch in the towbar socket. You're better off without it connected because they are so crude in most cases that they will cause the fog lights to fail.

So, on to the park pilot.. Are the reversing lights working? This circuit provides power to the park pilot.

I believe they can be put into a diag. mode where they beep out fault codes. Entwood's yer man there.

I'll be happy to cast an eye over the wiring sometime..

Now, if that 'aint an excuse for a curry....


Kevin

Right, curry it is then

[feeutfo]

Think I know what you mean, in that the purple plug on the car loom cussed a fault with the fog lights. I had a similar thing in that plugging the male half in forced the contacts apart, the fault was the contacts would not seat correctly on their own, so no fog lights anyway.

But I would be happy just to get the reversing sensors working for now tbh...?

The park pilot senses voltage drop across the fog light loop down to the towbar plug, and hence can tell if a trailer is plugged in, hence my asking if the fog light works.

I wouldn't worry about the switch in the towbar socket. You're better off without it connected because they are so crude in most cases that they will cause the fog lights to fail.

So, on to the park pilot.. Are the reversing lights working? This circuit provides power to the park pilot.

I believe they can be put into a diag. mode where they beep out fault codes. Entwood's yer man there.

I'll be happy to cast an eye over the wiring sometime..

Now, if that 'aint an excuse for a curry....


Kevin

Right, curry it is then

But yes, all car and trailer lights work. Just not integrated with the cars systems it seems?

[Kevin Wood]

But yes, all car and trailer lights work. Just not integrated with the cars systems it seems?

If it's been fitted by the usual towbar shop gibbons it'll be scotchlocked into the rear light cluster wiring.

You could fit the brake light failure sensor, 4 pin flasher unit and repeater bulb to the dashboard, and then remove the buzzer, I suppose. I've never bothered.

Regarding the foglight, I figure that I've never towed in fog, and if I did I wouldn't have a large white tupperware airbrake-come-bedsit behind me to reflect the fog light output back into the car. I assume that's the same for you?.. Or perhaps not?  :-?

 

Kevin

[feeutfo]

But yes, all car and trailer lights work. Just not integrated with the cars systems it seems?

If it's been fitted by the usual towbar shop gibbons it'll be scotchlocked into the rear light cluster wiring.

You could fit the brake light failure sensor, 4 pin flasher unit and repeater bulb to the dashboard, and then remove the buzzer, I suppose. I've never bothered.

Regarding the foglight, I figure that I've never towed in fog, and if I did I wouldn't have a large white tupperware airbrake-come-bedsit behind me to reflect the fog light output back into the car. I assume that's the same for you?.. Or perhaps not?  :-?

 

Kevin

Oi, only thing towing behind my car us a bike trailer.....with bike obviously  , and I suppose its ready to go if I can put up with the poxy bleeping from the indicators.

But the rest of the time I would like the reversing sensors to work. I suppose the fact the fog lights aren't affected by the trailer plug does not help with diagnosing the sensor fault?  :-/

[feeutfo]

Just seen the diagnostic procedure on Entwoods park pilot thread. Will give that a spin...

[feeutfo]

Not a peep, but then there wouldn't be, I don't even have a constant tone to signify an error.

So either no power to the unit or speaker unplugged, possibly?