L322 to Cape York

[uteman]

If this note belongs somewhere else I will listen.
Our TD6 L322 has been on the Tanami, Oodnadatta Track, Birdsville, Cape Levique, Fink rail line and recently on Fraser Island. Now we want to plan a trip to Cape York with a small camper trailer attached.
As the car is configured currently if I want "Off-Road" height with the trailer attched I have to unplug the trailer wiring connector. Has anyone worked out how to bypass this?
I am also very keen to hear from anyone who has done Cape York in their L322.
When you read comments in books and listen to many folks then comments such as the suspension will not handle it etc. are heard.
I have 2 spare front air springs and would carry a spare compressor piston ring kit.
Input from persons experienced in this trip will be received with gratitude.

[Laurie]

Uteman
I don't know about the height question maybe Harlie or Bacicat would be your best bet !

As far as won't do it! BS just prepare it well; keep essential spares and you are no different to any other vehicle, EXCEPT you will do it in Comfort :D

Link to a UK to South Africa Trip

fullfatrr.com - View topic - **Just driven my L322 the length of Africa!** (http://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic2515.html?highlight=london+south+africa)

Just remember the 6 x P's

Proper Preparation Prevents **** Poor Performance


Laurie

[peter g]

Hi Uteman
We have been to all the places you mention plus Cobourg Peninsula, no problems with suspension, although just about to replace all bushes on the front as we did push fairly hard across the Tanami earlier this year. Still the 02 Td6 now has 155K so I guess that's not too bad. Still on original front air springs, although I have just imported a new set to keep on hand.
Like you I will go to the Cape in the next couple of years, and I will not hesitate to take the L322. It is just so comfortable compared to anything else.
The Tanami trip mentioned above was cut short sadly, as despite full prep and check of the (original) auto, it cooked itself just out of Kunanurra with no warning at all ! I heartily recommend Total Care, not sure how far up the Cape road they will go but probably OK if you stay off the CREB track.
Like you I would love to hear of a solution to the height adjustment with the trailer hooked up.

[Graeme]

Like you I would love to hear of a solution to the height adjustment with the trailer hooked up.Does fitting LED globes/lights to the trailer do the trick?

[peter g]

Hi Graeme,
No, all that does is make the lights flash ! You then have to install a shunt to make the car think you have regular globes.
Peter

[Graeme]

A hard-wired Llams kit would allow off-road height in normal mode but even though it costs less than the plug-in kit for MY07 onwards, it still seems an overkill. I assume there is not an option to select/deselect using an appropriate diag tool.

[uteman]

I have a Faultmate MSV2 and can find no option to deslect the ride height lock when in off-road mode. The dealer tells me that the later models (when owned by Ford) do have a deselect option through programming.

[Laurie]

Could you raise the car to offroad height; then use the Electronic Bypass Module (EBM) Arnott's make for their coil conversion, so the system doesn't react to speed ?

Just a thought !

Laurie

[Graeme]

Pulling the 15A air suspension fuse (#57?) will stop it lowering but perhaps nasty messages or actions by other ecus (eg BCU) may make this intolerable.

[Graeme]

A switch in the BCU wake-up wire to the suspension ecu that can be switched off after selecting off-road height but before connecting the trailer might be worth trying. This could initially be tested by switching the engine off at off-road height and waiting 15 seconds after the last door is closed before connecting the trailer to see if the vehicle lowers. The manual states "when the wake-up signal is removed by the bcu, the air suspension ecu powers down" so may not request/respond to canbus messages regarding a trailer.

Edit: BCU wake-up signal wire is pin 38 (red with yellow stripe) of the large suspension ecu connector and likely either 5V or 12V analogue.

[uteman]

A switch in the BCU wake-up wire to the suspension ecu that can be switched off after selecting off-road height but before connecting the trailer might be worth trying. This could initially be tested by switching the engine off at off-road height and waiting 15 seconds after the last door is closed before connecting the trailer to see if the vehicle lowers. The manual states "when the wake-up signal is removed by the bcu, the air suspension ecu powers down" so may not request/respond to canbus messages regarding a trailer.

Edit: BCU wake-up signal wire is pin 38 (red with yellow stripe) of the large suspension ecu connector and likely either 5V or 12V analogue.

Next time that I have a trailer handy I will give that a try

[uteman]

A hard-wired Llams kit would allow off-road height in normal mode but even though it costs less than the plug-in kit for MY07 onwards, it still seems an overkill. I assume there is not an option to select/deselect using an appropriate diag tool.

Uteman asks what is a Llams kit?

[Graeme]

Llams modifies the 4 height sensor signals to provide off-road height plus a few variations depending on switch settings whilst the suspension ecu thinks the vehicle is at normal height, mostly used to overcome the 50 kph off-road height automatic lowering in D3/D4/RRS vehicles. Its available as a plug-in kit to any LR with the Terrain Response version of air suspension but due to lack of suitable connectors has to be hard-wired to earlier L322s.

[33chinacars]

Have a look at an IIDTool from GAP Diagnostic.

Home - GAP Diagnostic (http://www.gap-diagnostic.com/)

You can reset all heights to new heights. Just raise std height to new level. Can restore after.

Good luck with the trip.

Gary

[flyboy]

Uteman I got the Gap IIdtool exactly for this purpose initially and it did the trick. It's since paid for itself many times over with the reading/resetting....

[uteman]

Uteman I got the Gap IIdtool exactly for this purpose initially and it did the trick. It's since paid for itself many times over with the reading/resetting....

It seems that you have probably done some off-roading with a trailer as we now want to. I am getting a little old to be sleeping on a 1" thick matress so looking for more comfort so will be towing a camp trailer in future.

[flyboy]

I still prefer the 'freedom' feeling of not towing a trailer....but I now have two kids on the back seat, 2 big dogs in the back and can't jam everything onto the roof.
I'm looking forward to one day getting back to 'Bear Grylls' style with just a flint and a swag!.....and a Range Rover

[harlie]

A switch in the BCU wake-up wire to the suspension ecu that can be switched off after selecting off-road height but before connecting the trailer might be worth trying. This could initially be tested by switching the engine off at off-road height and waiting 15 seconds after the last door is closed before connecting the trailer to see if the vehicle lowers. The manual states "when the wake-up signal is removed by the bcu, the air suspension ecu powers down" so may not request/respond to canbus messages regarding a trailer.

Edit: BCU wake-up signal wire is pin 38 (red with yellow stripe) of the large suspension ecu connector and likely either 5V or 12V analogue.

I noticed that If I connect a trailer when the car is at off road height, the car will stay there. But the 50km limit applies and once it goes to std height it locks in.

Graeme, what about a switch on the iBus wire from the trailer ecu? If the trailer ECU is off the iBus then the rest of the car won't know about the trailer.
* I don't know if the trailer lights will still work - If there is no Bus does the trailer light module shut down?. I'm pretty sure the trailer ECU gets light signals from the LCM on different lines.
* It would need to be a good quality switch

I've spliced a USB port into the iBus wire at the trailer module for navCoder ect, so I know it is easy to find.

Personally I use IID, have different setting saved. IID is not as convienent as LLams for this purpose.

[Graeme]

I only have the wiring schematic for the suspension ecu, with no information on the rest of the vehicle.

[harlie]

According to RAVE there are 7 wires to the trailer ECU
Battery - from rear fuse box
Earth
iBus (UNY - blue/brown/yellow) data lines are always 3 colour in BMW
Tail RH – from LCM
Tail LH – from LCM
Brake – from LCM
Ind LH – from LCM
Ind RH – from LCM

Light Check Module (LCM)
The LCM provides signal inputs to the trailer ECU as follows:
Rear Fog Lamp
The rear fog lamp function of the trailer ECU is controlled via a bi-directional data line
between the LCM (C2040) and the trailer ECU (C0380) on a UNY wire. When the trailer ECU
receives a rear fog lamp signal, it provides a feed to the trailer socket (C0499) on a YR wire.
Reverse Lamp
The reverse lamp function of the trailer ECU is controlled via a bi-directional data line
between the LCM (C2040) and the trailer ECU (C0380) on a UNY wire. When the trailer ECU
receives a reverse lamp signal, it provides a feed to the trailer socket (C0499) on a YU wire.

RH Tail Lamp
When the LCM (C0937) detects that side or headlamps have been selected, it provides a
feed to the trailer ECU (C0380) on an SP wire. The trailer ECU (C0380) will now provide a
feed to the trailer socket (C0499) on an SR wire.
LH Tail Lamp
When the LCM (C2040) detects that side or headlamps have been selected, it provides a
feed to the trailer ECU (C0380) on an SW wire. The trailer ECU (C0380) will now provide a
feed to the trailer socket (C0499) on an SB wire.
RH Direction Indicator Lamp
When the LCM (C2039) detects that a right turn has been selected, it provides a feed to the
trailer ECU (C0380) on a UN wire. The trailer ECU (C0380) will now provide a feed to the
trailer socket (C0499) on a UY wire.
LH Direction Indicator Lamp
When the LCM (C0937) detects that a left turn has been selected, it provides a feed to the
trailer ECU (C0380) on a UG wire. The trailer ECU (C0380) will now provide a feed to the
trailer socket (C0499) on a UR wire.
Brake Lamps
When the LCM (C0937) detects that the brake pedal has been pressed, it provides a feed
to the trailer ECU (C0380) on a BU wire. The trailer ECU (C0380) will now provide a feed to
the trailer socket (C0499) on a BW wire.

From what I read, the iBus provides reverse and fog light input to the trailer ECU, and relays bulb out messages (which is displayed as “CHECK TRAILER LIGHT”) and trailer connected messages from the trailer ECU.

I just don’t know if it trailer lights will still work without iBus – tipping they will.

Also would be very easy to make a box to replace the trailer ECU, you would loose the bulb checking functions, which can't handle LEDs anyway, so you would no longer need a shunt box for LEDs and you would enable height changes with a trailer on.

What happens if the iBus connection to the trailer ECU is switched off? What could possibly go wrong, might give it a try on the weekend.

[Graeme]

If the trailer ecu is detecting the blown/LED trailer lights then likely its also advising the LCU so switching off or cutting the data line would seem to prevent the LCU and the rest of the vehicle from knowing about the trailer. Loss of connection of the data line might trigger an unacceptable fault but that's easily tested. Can you just unplug the trailer ecu as a first test before proceding to instead cut the data wire?

[eddy]

Just do Cape York,don't worry about trailer lights.Cheap camp behind the pub at Coen on the way up,camp on the beach south of Punsand bay.Take your time all, will go ok.Have a great trip!

[harlie]

If the trailer ecu is detecting the blown/LED trailer lights then likely its also advising the LCU so switching off or cutting the data line would seem to prevent the LCU and the rest of the vehicle from knowing about the trailer. Loss of connection of the data line might trigger an unacceptable fault but that's easily tested. Can you just unplug the trailer ecu as a first test before proceding to instead cut the data wire?

I will tonight. IMO the car will just operate as if the trailer ECU was not installed. Big question is whether the LCM activates the lines carring tail/brake/ind signals to the trailer ECU if the trailer ECU is not present on the iBus. I'm tipping it will, my brake controller is getting its brake light feed from the wire between the LCM and trailer ECU, and it is active whether a trailer is there or not.

will advise.