New F2 Towing Caravan LED lights

[Paulaus]

Hi
I am new to the forum so apologies if going over old posts. About to pick up new F2 2013 model and unsure if the Land Rover fitted towing electrics will work with Caravan LED lights or will a load simulator be required.

[mikehzz]

My 08 model needed one but I don't know about the new models. I bought the Ford Ranger adapter for $35 from a Ford dealer and it works fine except that I now have to have 2 adapters joined together because of the bodgie LR connector. The dealer should know.

[Paulaus]

just to update where i have got to so far. Pick up car and connected electrics all lights etc work but rear park assist sensor does not deactivate and no trailer light on instrument panel -now back with dealers scratching heads as to why they are sugesting maybe some thing wrong in set up. such fun!

[Meken]

Not sure why dealer scratching head - its the same issue everyone has - the led lights don't put enough resistance on the circuit so the car doesn't detect a trailer connected even though the lights do work - we have exactly the same on our 08 hse. Do your led lights "flicker" all the time?

[Paulaus]

The lights are working normally which is the anomaly between the known issue of LED lights not detected. the dealer is using a LED panel for diagnostics as well so I am hoping that it is to do with the configuration set up not the long standing issue.

[Meken]

When austral tested our plug with their led test light box setup it worked exactly correctly - rear park assist turned off & no flicker in the lights and the trailer symbol illuminated showing the car knew a trailer was connected. Got the car home plugged in the van (with LEDs) & not detected so rear park assist stays on & no trailer symbol - LEDs flicker just a little with the pulse width modulation the car uses to detect blown Lamps. The actual operation of the lights works correctly eg the indicators "blink" when the car indicators activated, brake lights work....)

[Paulaus]

After the failure to recognise attached caravan etc the PCU failed during a software update to fix problem and the car was dead. The dealer service team still unable to get car going and complete a software upgrade and get back to fixing the original problem. There are three days left before supposed to be on boat with van for a months holiday. I traded a perfectly good VW Tiguan for this Land Rover experience - what have I done!

[Paulaus]

After the pcu failure it appears no compatible replacement part were in Aus. so the dealer /Land Rover Aust provided a very nice red RR Evoque to use for our holiday around Vic as the part would not be here by the time we left ( big tick for this )- This included fitting a tow bar and electric van brakes so no complaints about the service support at the eleventh hour. Interesting the Evoque did not detect the van attached as well but you could turn of the park sensors. Have now picked up our F2 a month later and stayed very calm when told that it was all now working but I would need to get a LED load resistor as the model will not detect LED lights!!!! I did try to tell them at the beginning- I really did! and surely this is something they should know . the dealer says that there are so many configurations that it is hard to know what modules are in what models and so on....oh well a month in the Evoque was pretty good given everything. Have now ordered the LED adaptor and hopefully that will be the end of my LED Caravan lights story.

[Petesfree2]

After the pcu failure it appears no compatible replacement part were in Aus. so the dealer /Land Rover Aust provided a very nice red RR Evoque to use for our holiday around Vic as the part would not be here by the time we left ( big tick for this )- This included fitting a tow bar and electric van brakes so no complaints about the service support at the eleventh hour. Interesting the Evoque did not detect the van attached as well but you could turn of the park sensors. Have now picked up our F2 a month later and stayed very calm when told that it was all now working but I would need to get a LED load resistor as the model will not detect LED lights!!!! I did try to tell them at the beginning- I really did! and surely this is something they should know . the dealer says that there are so many configurations that it is hard to know what modules are in what models and so on....oh well a month in the Evoque was pretty good given everything. Have now ordered the LED adaptor and hopefully that will be the end of my LED Caravan lights story.

I'm having the same problem with a new box trailer I've just bought. Could tell me the module you bought, the cost and where from please? Regards Peter

[Rextheute]

I will not guarantee my advice ........however try this .

Go to Ford dealer , ask for a Ranger led adaptor part #ab3915436bf , this should solve the problem .It is an adaptor with the resistors built in .
It should be less than $38.00 retail .

I have found this works with euro , land rover and any of the 'dodgy' led set ups .

And yes I do have euro trash cars !

[Meken]

Google linear electronic design - http://www.linearelectronicdesign.com/ guaranteed to work

[Petesfree2]

I will not guarantee my advice ........however try this .

Go to Ford dealer , ask for a Ranger led adaptor part #ab3915436bf , this should solve the problem .It is an adaptor with the resistors built in .
It should be less than $38.00 retail .

I have found this works with euro , land rover and any of the 'dodgy' led set ups .

And yes I do have euro trash cars !

Thanks for the reply. Just one last question, will this connector switch off the rear parking assist noise and illuminate the trailer light on the dash when the blinkers are engaged?

[Petesfree2]

Google linear electronic design - Linear Electronic Design | Home (http://www.linearelectronicdesign.com/) guaranteed to work

Thanks for the heads up Meken but I think for that price I could replace the LED fittings with stop and tail globe assemblies and solve the problem. Peter

[Meken]

Thanks for the heads up Meken but I think for that price I could replace the LED fittings with stop and tail globe assemblies and solve the problem. Peter


Sure but then you lose the "advantage" of the LEDs. If the ranger box provides enough resistance and the car sees a trailer attached then yes it will disable rear parking sensors & the trailer symbol will flash with indicators showing that it has recognised a trailer. That is if you have the landrover trailer wiring rather than aftermarket (Hayman Reece or the like) as the aftermarket wiring does not interface with the bcu/ecu to disable the sensors etc

It's pretty simple to make a 'box' for yourself. There are 2 functions it needs.
1- provide resistance that the car recognises. This is achieved with those narva 21w load resistors tapped onto each indicator circuit and to earth (parallel).
2 - prevent the pulse width modulation making the LEDs 'twinkle' all the time. This is achieved by adding a 12v relay into the circuit so the pwm pulses don't make it to the led bulbs but the 12v does. There are some circuit diagrammes on here somewhere if you search for them. Obviously the load resistor needs to be before the relay.
It all needs to go into a metal box with some airspace as apparently those load resistors get hot

[Rextheute]

Thanks for the reply. Just one last question, will this connector switch off the rear parking assist noise and illuminate the trailer light on the dash when the blinkers are engaged?


I wouldn't think so , the land rovers / vw / audi and volvo
s i have done at work - the lights work fine , as in correctly flashing etc . But from memory ( i worked in car dealerships service /parts for many many years ) is that the pcm or control modlue needs to 'told ' to do certain functions when a trailer plug is fitted .

There is a fella in Greensborough whe sells his version of what meken is describing , but they are not cheap ....neither is the land rover version tho !
I've seen them on e-thingy for approx $160 ? I used one on a D3 ...it didnt work as the dealer had to "programme it " but the lamps on the trailer worked with the plug .


Another answer is to replace the lamps on the trailer with normal bulbs - will work straight up !

enjoy !!

[Meken]

I wouldn't think so , the land rovers / vw / audi and volvo
s i have done at work - the lights work fine , as in correctly flashing etc . But from memory ( i worked in car dealerships service /parts for many many years ) is that the pcm or control modlue needs to 'told ' to do certain functions when a trailer plug is fitted .

There is a fella in Greensborough whe sells his version of what meken is describing , but they are not cheap ....neither is the land rover version tho !
I've seen them on e-thingy for approx $160 ? I used one on a D3 ...it didnt work as the dealer had to "programme it " but the lamps on the trailer worked with the plug .


Another answer is to replace the lamps on the trailer with normal bulbs - will work straight up !

enjoy !!



With the linear electronic design module the dealer doesn't have to do anything. If the car has the LR trailer wiring (ecu etc) installed & programmed by dealer / specialist and the car recognises a trailer with normal lamps then all you have to do is plug in the led module - I can state this for fact as it is what I have done.
Oh and yes the rear sensors deactivate etc
Linear electronic design sell for $285

[Petesfree2]

Thank you to everyone for their help in this matter, but I've swapped over the LED's for the incandescent globe fittings and everything works fine. Regards Peter:p