Trailer lights wiring socket

[JayBoRover]

Searching on here I found some threads on trailer wiring that referred to a hidden socket in the drivers side rear quarter panel. Having just picked up my D90 towbar from Southern Land Rover in Perth, I would like to get it wired up so went looking for the said socket. I think I found it, by removing a plastic "plate" in under the wheel arch at the back.

Looking up and towards the rear cross member. The big hose is the fuel hose from the filler nozzle at the top of the photo to the fuel tank off the right of the photo.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/823.jpg

Close-up of the socket, unclipped from the panel it was mounted on and pulled down to get better access for the phone/camera.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/824.jpg

The factory towbar kit came with a length of cable and the 7-pin flat trailer socket to mount on the towbar bracket (even though the mount holes don't actually match and some minor "tweaking" will be required), but not a plug to attach to the end of the vehicle end of the cable to suit the hidden socket. Does anyone know what the plug required is exactly and where to get one from? Or is the idea to cut out the hidden socket and splice in the cable supplied with the towbar kit directly? Is there any circuitry in the socket or could I replace it with a Deutsch plug and socket arrangement?

[Defender Mike]

Pop over and have a sticky at mine it was fitted by Southern. I am on site but the missus will be around.:)

[gazk]

PM sent

[Quigley]

Hi.
I made the following notes in relation to my 2009 Puma & trailer wirings. Please note that I do not have electric trailer brakes in any of my trailers & have not looked at the wiring for them. Hope these notes help.


Trailer electrics

Harry had nine wires going to a grey covered orange centred connector mounted on the rear panel under the car and to the rear of the fuel filler area. The section had a screwed on plastic cover.

The colour coding of the wires going into the connector and the function of those colour codes from the International wiring code table are as under:

Table 1
1 Green/red LH indicator
2 Green/brown Reversing
3 Black Earth
4 Green/white RH indicator
5 Purple Electric trailer brakes
6 Green/purple Stop
7 Red/black Rear and number plate lamps
8 Red/yellow Fog lamp switch to fuse
9 Red/orange Fog lamp fuse to fog lamp

The colour codes of the wiring for Australian standard trailer connections are:

Table 2
1 Yellow LH turn
2 Black Reversing
3 White Earth
4 Green RH turn
5 Blue Service brakes
6 Red Stop lamps
7 Brown Rear lamps, clearance and side marker lamps

I have removed the original Land Rover Grey/Orange connector as I could not get a compatible male plug. I replaced it with an 8 location connector and wired the female side with the Land Rover wires in the sequence and locations of table 1 above except that I have left location 8 vacant, and I have taped back and not taken into the connector wires 8 and 9 of table 1.
I have wired the male side of the connector with Australian coded wires in the sequence and locations of table 2 except for location 8 which I have left vacant; and taken them to the trailer socket on the towbar of the car except that I have taped back the blue trailer brakes wire at the trailer socket and not wired it in.

[JayBoRover]

Ya gotta love this site:twobeers:
I rang Southern Land Rover and they were great with advice. Basically they normally just solder in wires or use the "skotch lock" blades connectors and tap into the tail-light wiring loom. They explained that the standard socket hidden in the rear panel is for the European market where they have fog lamps allowed for on the trailers.


Pop over and have a sticky at mine it was fitted by Southern. I am on site but the missus will be around.
I haven't looked at yours, but a dollar says it's either soldered or 'skotch lock' spliced into the wiring loom. I don't want to go down that path as, in my experience with a few vehicles, in years to come these things always seem to cause issues.


I have removed the original Land Rover Grey/Orange connector as I could not get a compatible male plug. I replaced it with an 8 location connector and wired the female side with the Land Rover wires in the sequence and locations of table 1 above except that I have left location 8 vacant, and I have taped back and not taken into the connector wires 8 and 9 of table 1.
I have wired the male side of the connector with Australian coded wires in the sequence and locations of table 2 except for location 8 which I have left vacant; and taken them to the trailer socket on the towbar of the car except that I have taped back the blue trailer brakes wire at the trailer socket and not wired it in.
This is exactly what I think I'll do using Deutsch connectors (dust and water proof and used by me several times in harsh rally racing conditions) unless I sort out a plug to match the existing (reply to your PM on it's way gazk). I will, however, include the electric trailer brake wire though. Thanks so much for the detailed breakdown of the wire cores for the hidden connector:arms:.

[sniegy]

Another option is to find a wrecked Discovery 2 with the factory trailer wiring & take the wiring harness from it as the connector is the same.

Cheers.

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

[JayBoRover]

Another option is to find a wrecked Discovery 2 with the factory trailer wiring & take the wiring harness from it as the connector is the same.

Cheers.

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner
and hence the reply to gazk's PM;):

This is exactly what I think I'll do using Deutsch connectors (dust and water proof and used by me several times in harsh rally racing conditions) unless I sort out a plug to match the existing (reply to your PM on it's way gazk). I will, however, include the electric trailer brake wire though. Thanks so much for the detailed breakdown of the wire cores for the hidden connector:arms:.
Gaz kindly offered to sell me a spare D2 one he had lying around:).