Towhitch wiring

[cockroach9999]

Hi All

Having finally found an hour to try and sort out the rear indicator wiring problem I was having, it is a complete mess under there, primarily where they have obviously cut/spliced/respliced/looped wires around in order to wire in the towhitch connection.

Can womeone tell me, is the wiring to the towhitch connection simply a lead off the existing wiring, i.e. they just join an extension off the middle of the existing wire, or are their any special circuits in there?

Am currently strongly considering ripping the additional wiring out and reverting to standard, but want to make sure I don't bugger anything up.

Cheers

Jason

[DOELLOOS]

I know that the tow hitch wiring of the new Range Rover is controlled by the ECU because it has a towing assist function.

So it depends on how your tow hitch assist system works. If it simply by foot and steering wheel, then there is no special circuits. The guys normally just wire the tow hitch into one of the rear lights...

[Marty]

the only towing assist the 2.2 needs is a V8 :)
Mine is just connected to the rear lights. ( Exl the V8 )

[Borntofish]

I have a tow hitch for display on my 2.2

[BenHur]

Don't worry it does not have any special circuits its plain straightforward, T-ed into your existing loom.

[Mud Dog]

Bennie's diagram reflects the international wiring code for trailers. Follow it exactly so that any properly wired trailer will have correctly working lights when plugged in on your vehicle.

[legend35]

Dankie vir die diagram Bennie.Ek moet altyd loop en soek na een waneer ek aan die drade werk en nou het ek hom sommer gesave op die pc

[Family_Dog]

Jason, as far as the older model vehicles go, one can simply "tee in" a wire from the most convenient point in the existing wiring loom to feed the trailer lights, as per Bennie's skeych. You cannot do this for most of the newer vehicles however, becuase their current draw is monitored by the vehicle ECU. In that case, one has to use relays or electronic circuitry which are triggered by the normal wiring loom but have an independent 12v positive from the battery to supply amperage to the auxiliary lights. Kinda complicates things somewhat.

Oh, and never just twist the wires together. Solder them with rosin-cored solder (the solder with a red reel) and NEVER acid core (usually supplied on a green or black reel) and then tape them with a high-quality insulation tape, not the cheap stuff. Better still to use heat-shrink tubing as an insulator. If possible, enclose the wiring in that black ribbed plastic tubing for protection.


-F_D

[DOELLOOS]

Fancy stuff FD...

I AM IMPRESSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is yours done like that?

[Family_Dog]

I have not the faintest idea...

I wondered about that too when I wrote that! :D

All my tow-hitches were purchased with the car when I bought them. I did fix PraDog's towhitch electrics up yesterday though, fitted a new trailer electrical connection because the old one was just hanging from its wiring.

Don't ask such fanciful trick questions, Ewald!


-F_D

[cockroach9999]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

That wiring diagram will come in handy when I get around to re-connecting the towhitch. In the meantime, I managed to rip out 3, yes 3, separate sets of splices for the extra plug. It looks like the original had been replaced over time, but why they all felt it necessary to pull their own wires is beyond me.

Eventually ripped it all out, and built a junction box to join the main, left and right wire sets.

Everything tested ok, including the left hand light cluster (which was the original reason for me getting dirty). Of course, sod's law kicked in, and after hooking it all up, it was still playing up.

Eventually nailed it down to the cluster's fitting connector. Not sure what has happened to it, but basically when disconnected, all tests clear, plug the male into it, and it looks like a christmas tree. I can only imagine that it has something dodgy inside the rubber moulding, and that the male plug exerts pressure on the pins, causing the short.

Ripped the whole lot out, and wired in my own connectors, and they are all working now when I want them to

Cheers

Jason

PS..Never eaten as much dried mud as today,

[Mud Dog]

Not sure what has happened to it, but basically when disconnected, all tests clear, plug the male into it, and it looks like a christmas tree. I can only imagine that it has something dodgy inside the rubber moulding, and that the male plug exerts pressure on the pins, causing the short.

This sounds more like the trailer wiring that's not matching the wiring code of the female plug. Check out the trailer wiring for correctness and poor earthing or shorts.

[cockroach9999]

This sounds more like the trailer wiring that's not matching the wiring code of the female plug.

Na, definitely the Lux's light cluster connecter. Bypassed this (after removing all the trailer wiring splices), and works like a dream. Having thought it was the trailer wiring intiailly, I had removed and tested up to, but not including, that @#$%^ light cluster.

Every day's a school day!!

J

[Mud Dog]

Enjoy School!