Towing...

[irondoc]

Hi guys

sorry to raise this issue again, but i just want to see if someone else has had this problem.

previously i have towed a trailer with normal bulbs and the trailer system on the Discovery 4 (2.7 2011) has worked fine, rear parking sensors switch off, etc.

I recently got a Kaymar bar installed. Since then, I have towed this same trailer and also a LED trailer and the towing system isn't working. Reverse sensors are on constantly, no dash lights, etc.

I'm wondering wither a LED module will solve this, or whether something else is wrong - any ideas? cheers
lucas

[MC D4]

Funny you should raise the question. I am having a similar issue with our 2013 RRS and our Jayco van. In my case we have upgraded to a caravan with led tail lights and I have not had any issues with the RRS not identifying that we have a trailer hooked untill this weekend (been 6 months and all was well). Only change since the last time we towed was having some warranty work done at the dealer (oil pump leak and ICE software upgrade). Now all of a sudden to have lost the trailer light on dash and reverse sensor goes off:confused:! Any ideas??

Mark

[Redback]

Turn on your headlights when you hitch up the trailer with LEDs, the trailer light on the dash won't work, but the car still recognises the trailer so your trailer stability will still work, as for the reverse sensors, you need the reflectors supplied with the Kaymar bar to stop the sensors from going off, or do what we did and have them turned off;)

There is the option of getting a resister to stop all this, search on here, I can't find the one I'd recommend, I've lost the link, sorry.


Baz.

[bertness]

This will solve all your problems......
Linear Electronic Design | Home (http://www.linearelectronicdesign.com)

[Meken]

This will solve all your problems......

Linear Electronic Design | Home (http://www.linearelectronicdesign.com)


Doesn't iron doc say he has towed a trailer with normal lights (that previously worked okay) since the kaymar bar was installed and the trailer wasn't "sensed" so stuff didn't work correctly.
I personally would be taking the car back to the kaymar installer and walking him through the problem

[LandyAndy]

Im waiting to sort this issue out with my dealer.
Im not even fitting my dual battery system/UHF/trailer brake controler/spotties until the issue is resolved incase they say my accseories are the issue.
I dont believe WE as owners should have to sort it.
At the moment I have to take my D4 back to the dealer for inspection,they want me to bring a trailer up.Its not going to happen,cant take the camper trailer as it requires electric brakes,not taking the boat on a 300km round trip to prove what I have found.And knowing its not reckonising the trailer and dragging one up leaves me wide open!!!!!
They will have to take it to a trailer seller or similar to plug and play.
Andrew

[ADMIRAL]

You should not be having any issues with LED trailers with the later model D4's. Mine is 2010. All I have done is add a Narva resistor to the Rh indicator ( you can pick any one ) circuit on the van. This is solely to ensure the trailer assist is activated. The D4 will sense the resistance in the one indicator circuit at start up, and activate trailer assist. The trailer icon only flashes on the rh side ( for me ) but the assist program is operating.

If you wish to fit a brake controller, you do still have to isolate the second power circuit. Have a good read of Sneigy's instructions, and all is good.

I don't blame LR ( or the other vehicle manufacturers ) for the hiccups in compatibility. The trailer and van manufacturers have done nothing to upgrade their wiring to suit the modern vehicles.

[irondoc]

Hi guys

I took my D4 (2011 2.7) to a trailer place and hooked it up to a variety of trailers. Seems that it is recognising the non-LED trailers (flashing light on dash, reverse sensors don;t go off, etc) but not the LED ones.

Seems like I need a pulse busta or similar

thanks for the replies

cheers
lucas

[Redback]

This will solve all your problems......
Linear Electronic Design | Home (http://www.linearelectronicdesign.com)

The D4 is different to the D3 and doesn't require one of these, it only needs a small resistor.

There is a thread on here about this somewhere for the D4.

OK the above gizmo does work for the D4 also, but if you are handy with electrics have a read of this thread, some other alternatives

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/85396-led-trailer-lights.html

Baz.

[ADMIRAL]

Hi guys

I took my D4 (2011 2.7) to a trailer place and hooked it up to a variety of trailers. Seems that it is recognising the non-LED trailers (flashing light on dash, reverse sensors don;t go off, etc) but not the LED ones.

Seems like I need a pulse busta or similar

thanks for the replies

cheers
lucas

Are the lights on the LED trailers working correctly though ? It should not stop you from using the trailers, there just won't be any trailer assist.

[irondoc]

Thanks admiral - the lights still work so i can use them, but as you said i miss out on the other functionality

cheers
lucas

[Redback]

Are the lights on the LED trailers working correctly though ? It should not stop you from using the trailers, there just won't be any trailer assist.

This is not true, it's designerd to work even when the trailer electrics are not connected to the car.

See video
Land Rover Discovery 4 Trailer Stability Assist Video - YouTube

[jonesy63]

What Baz said.. IIRC, the features missing when the trailer is not detected are: reverse sensors not disabled, trailer symbol on dash when indicating and gearbox shift-points not optimised for towing.

[Eric SDV6SE]

Hi, just had a Tekonsha P3 brake controller fitted to our MY11 SDV6SE, both the boat and camper trailer have LED lights. Hooking them up one after the other and testing all lights (running, brake and indicators) showed no issues at all. Towing them also no problem. Admittedly have not tried any non LED (incandescent or halogen bulb trailer) lights.

[irondoc]

Thanks guys, I didn't know that. It towed really well without the connection.

I did have to keep it in Sports mode otherwise it struggled a bit. Also, I had to stop in a hurry once and felt that maybe the car hadn't done the best job with the ABS, but I'm not sure if the car brakes differently when a trailer is connected.

Cheers
lucas

[ADMIRAL]

Interesting, you learn something new every day.

[Redback]

Just for some info, after I went through the same issue, had to hire a trailer and of coarse the trailer had LED lights, when we connected it, the left indicator on the trailer wouldn't work, the hire place thought it was the connection, so they checked that, all good, checked the LEDs, same all good, I assumed it was our connection, that was all good also, so I thought, buggar it I'll just risk it, so Ness goes in to pay for the trailer, I pull the trailer out and turn in to the street and do as I always do, turn the headlights on as I drive out, when Ness gets into the car she says to me, how did you fix the blinkers, what, they are working now, huh, didn't do anything, then it clicked, the only thing I did was turn the headlights on, so I turn them off, check again, no indicator, turn the them on, we have all indicators, great, so off we go and all is good, no pulsing or anything like what the D3 has, I figure that's what I'll do from now on, no real need for one of those electronic gizmos either, which by the way, wouldn't last 5 minutes on the drawbar of our trailer.

I don't have rear sensors, had them turned off, never had them on any other car and bloody painful if you have wheel carriers or reversing in long grass, so the only thing that doesn't work is the trailer light on the dash, no big deal.

Baz.