Rover 75 CDTi towing socket question - electrics.
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From: Harry Bloomfield on 29 May 2010 18:24 I'm just in the process of fitting the two sockets for towing. I bought the full CAN-bus driven N socket and its S socket partner, as recommended on Towsure's web site. Everything is going fine with the N socket, but I was a little surprised to find the recommended S socket was nothing more than a standard S socket kit with old style relay switched contacts - requiring connection to the ignition light to trigger the relays to close. WHAT? Where on a modern car such as this do you connect it to? I feel a bit cheated having paid �38 for the S socket which I thought was specific to the car, to find it was nothing of the sort and gave no clue how to connect this essential wire. The S socket even lacked the reversing light feed wire and I had to botch the extra wire into the loom. -- Regards, Harry (M1BYT) (L) http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk
From: Ret. on 30 May 2010 05:57 Harry Bloomfield wrote: > I'm just in the process of fitting the two sockets for towing. I > bought the full CAN-bus driven N socket and its S socket partner, as > recommended on Towsure's web site. > > Everything is going fine with the N socket, but I was a little > surprised to find the recommended S socket was nothing more than a > standard S socket kit with old style relay switched contacts - > requiring connection to the ignition light to trigger the relays to > close. WHAT? > > Where on a modern car such as this do you connect it to? > > I feel a bit cheated having paid �38 for the S socket which I thought > was specific to the car, to find it was nothing of the sort and gave > no clue how to connect this essential wire. The S socket even lacked > the reversing light feed wire and I had to botch the extra wire into > the loom. Although I DIY fitted a tow-bar and electrics to my first tow-car (a Cavalier 1.8 auto), I chickened-out with my 75 because of the advanced electrics on this newer car. I didn't want to risk screwing things up, so I had it fitted professionally. You may find better advice on this on the uk.rec.caravanning group Harry. I haven't posted on that group for quite some time - but there always seemed to be professionals contributing to that site who were willing to give DIY advice. -- Kev
From: Harry Bloomfield on 30 May 2010 11:21 Ret. brought next idea : > Harry Bloomfield wrote: >> I'm just in the process of fitting the two sockets for towing. I >> bought the full CAN-bus driven N socket and its S socket partner, as >> recommended on Towsure's web site. >> >> Everything is going fine with the N socket, but I was a little >> surprised to find the recommended S socket was nothing more than a >> standard S socket kit with old style relay switched contacts - >> requiring connection to the ignition light to trigger the relays to >> close. WHAT? >> >> Where on a modern car such as this do you connect it to? >> >> I feel a bit cheated having paid �38 for the S socket which I thought >> was specific to the car, to find it was nothing of the sort and gave >> no clue how to connect this essential wire. The S socket even lacked >> the reversing light feed wire and I had to botch the extra wire into >> the loom. > > Although I DIY fitted a tow-bar and electrics to my first tow-car (a Cavalier > 1.8 auto), I chickened-out with my 75 because of the advanced electrics on > this newer car. I didn't want to risk screwing things up, so I had it fitted > professionally. That was a good choice :-) It has been something of a marathon job here - two of us, both technically savy and it took a full shift to get this far. The tow bar was one of the easiest to fit that I have come across, but installing this CAMbus electrics was very involved and needed a lot of trim removed front to back then around the dash. I thought that paying the extra for the CAMbus unit it might just be a matter of plugging it in in the boot area. > > You may find better advice on this on the uk.rec.caravanning group Harry. I > haven't posted on that group for quite some time - but there always seemed to > be professionals contributing to that site who were willing to give DIY > advice. Thanks Kev, but after a lot of frustration trying to sort it out - I decided to scrap the Towsure 12S and start again with another 12S and voltage sensing system, and that is on and working fine. The Towsure unit was a botch up. It wasn't wired for reversing lights, lacked the permanent live feed and on top of that seemed to be designed for a 1970's car. I now have it all on and working and it is quite brilliant. It tests the lights on the car and caravan, without your even turning them on and reports any faults in the 75's display. I don't know why yet, but the reversing sensors are not working. They are supposed to be inhibited when the caravan is plugged in, but they do not now work even when the caravan is not plugged in - hope it is something simple. -- Regards, Harry (M1BYT) (L) http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk
From: Ret. on 30 May 2010 12:57 Harry Bloomfield wrote: > Ret. brought next idea : >> Harry Bloomfield wrote: >>> I'm just in the process of fitting the two sockets for towing. I >>> bought the full CAN-bus driven N socket and its S socket partner, as >>> recommended on Towsure's web site. >>> >>> Everything is going fine with the N socket, but I was a little >>> surprised to find the recommended S socket was nothing more than a >>> standard S socket kit with old style relay switched contacts - >>> requiring connection to the ignition light to trigger the relays to >>> close. WHAT? >>> >>> Where on a modern car such as this do you connect it to? >>> >>> I feel a bit cheated having paid �38 for the S socket which I >>> thought was specific to the car, to find it was nothing of the sort >>> and gave no clue how to connect this essential wire. The S socket >>> even lacked the reversing light feed wire and I had to botch the >>> extra wire into the loom. >> >> Although I DIY fitted a tow-bar and electrics to my first tow-car (a >> Cavalier 1.8 auto), I chickened-out with my 75 because of the advanced >> electrics on this newer car. I didn't want to risk screwing things >> up, so I had it fitted professionally. > > That was a good choice :-) > > It has been something of a marathon job here - two of us, both > technically savy and it took a full shift to get this far. > > The tow bar was one of the easiest to fit that I have come across, but > installing this CAMbus electrics was very involved and needed a lot of > trim removed front to back then around the dash. I thought that paying > the extra for the CAMbus unit it might just be a matter of plugging it > in in the boot area. > > >> >> You may find better advice on this on the uk.rec.caravanning group >> Harry. I haven't posted on that group for quite some time - but >> there always seemed to be professionals contributing to that site >> who were willing to give DIY advice. > > Thanks Kev, but after a lot of frustration trying to sort it out - I > decided to scrap the Towsure 12S and start again with another 12S and > voltage sensing system, and that is on and working fine. The Towsure > unit was a botch up. It wasn't wired for reversing lights, lacked the > permanent live feed and on top of that seemed to be designed for a > 1970's car. > > I now have it all on and working and it is quite brilliant. It tests > the lights on the car and caravan, without your even turning them on > and reports any faults in the 75's display. > > I don't know why yet, but the reversing sensors are not working. They > are supposed to be inhibited when the caravan is plugged in, but they > do not now work even when the caravan is not plugged in - hope it is > something simple. Glad it all seems to be working out Harry. Let me know how you get on with the reversing sensors. I think I prefer my set-up - constantly sounding when reversing the caravan - but working normally when not!! -- Kev
From: Harry Bloomfield on 31 May 2010 03:55
Harry Bloomfield explained on 30/05/2010 : > I don't know why yet, but the reversing sensors are not working. They are > supposed to be inhibited when the caravan is plugged in, but they do not now > work even when the caravan is not plugged in - hope it is something simple. Last night I had the bright idea to just check the rear fog lights still worked, as in not both fog and reverse sensor inhibited with caravan not plugged in - and the fogs were working fine. This morning I notice the reverse sensors are working properly again. -- Regards, Harry (M1BYT) (L) http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk |