Thread: Towing Electrics - Big Tick

Originally Posted by LandyAndy

Cheers Meken.
Easy check as the camper trailer and D4 live very close in the shed,I bought a converter plug the other week so I can try it out.
Would apperciate advice from those that know as the other thread mentioned different regulation to the gearbox and trailer sway control when the ECU senses a trailer is hitched up
Thanks
Andrew

Not sure if the MY14 needs the module or not, but with the MY13 that I have, as soon as the car knows there is a trailer attached this is what happens:

Trailer symbol flashes on the dash in time with the indicators
Trailer stability assist program is activated
Reverse sensors are disabled
Shift points in the gearbox are fine tuned to compensate for extra load


I built my own box using a couple of resistors, a plug & socket. Works well on every trailer that I have used it with.

Yes I believe the d4 doesn't need the relay as well as the resistors because the canbus pwm was redesigned for the led lights in the car. Prior to LEDs in the car the canbus sent low voltage pulses (3 -4 volts) to detect blown globes. The low voltage wouldn't make the filament globe illuminate but would show resistance to the system so it knew the globes were fine. Bring on LEDs and the voltage of the pulses is enough to illuminate the LEDs so you get the twinkling. The modules incorporate a relay in addition to the resistors - resistor gives the resistance required for the car to recognise "globes" (thus believing a trailer is connected) the relay then serves to stall the low voltage pulses and only close when true 12v comes down the circuit (the low volts pwm won't close the 12v relay) so that stops the twinkling. The D4s only pulse the circuits on drivers door being closed I believe so the relay is not required because there is not the constant pulsing so no twinkling. Hope that clarifies it

Originally Posted by Meken

Yes I believe the d4 doesn't need the relay as well as the resistors because the canbus pwm was redesigned for the led lights in the car. Prior to LEDs in the car the canbus sent low voltage pulses (3 -4 volts) to detect blown globes. The low voltage wouldn't make the filament globe illuminate but would show resistance to the system so it knew the globes were fine. Bring on LEDs and the voltage of the pulses is enough to illuminate the LEDs so you get the twinkling. The modules incorporate a relay in addition to the resistors - resistor gives the resistance required for the car to recognise "globes" (thus believing a trailer is connected) the relay then serves to stall the low voltage pulses and only close when true 12v comes down the circuit (the low volts pwm won't close the 12v relay) so that stops the twinkling. The D4s only pulse the circuits on drivers door being closed I believe so the relay is not required because there is not the constant pulsing so no twinkling. Hope that clarifies it

Yes, and you don't need to put a resistor into both trafficator/indicator circuits. Get yourself an LED resistor ( Narva are about $18.00 at Repco ) Wire it into one side. They get bloody hot. I have mine mounted to the A frame of the caravan . On start up the D4 will detect the resistance, and enable/disable all appropriate circuits & programs. The trailer icon will only show when the indicator with the resistor is activated, but everything else does work fine and when it should

Originally Posted by ADMIRAL

Yes, and you don't need to put a resistor into both trafficator/indicator circuits. Get yourself an LED resistor ( Narva are about $18.00 at Repco ) Wire it into one side. They get bloody hot. I have mine mounted to the A frame of the caravan . On start up the D4 will detect the resistance, and enable/disable all appropriate circuits & programs. The trailer icon will only show when the indicator with the resistor is activated, but everything else does work fine and when it should

I purchased a couple of these resistors and wired one in parallel on two trailers driver side indicator......and to date none have worked. Have checked, and rechecked, left it for a month or so, then tried again....yet still I cannot get the resistor to cause the trailer lights to work.

Pulse buster works fine.

I must be doing something wrong.

And I do all my own wiring on all of my cars, always working well.....but this has got me beat.

Brett.....

Originally Posted by Meken

LR don't wire up the trailer plug to Australian standards. They wire up for left & right tail lights ( uk setup apparently) so use the pin we use for electric trailer brakes for one of the tail light circuits (pin 5 from memory). Hence turn on the lights and bam on go the brakes.

Are you sure? Trailer manufacturer ask me what plug I wanted on my trailer. I said 'large round'. I imagine he wired the trailer plug up to Australian standards. Works fine with my D4.

Originally Posted by Meken

Yes I believe the d4 doesn't need the relay as well as the resistors because the canbus pwm was redesigned for the led lights in the car. Prior to LEDs in the car the canbus sent low voltage pulses (3 -4 volts) to detect blown globes. The low voltage wouldn't make the filament globe illuminate but would show resistance to the system so it knew the globes were fine. Bring on LEDs and the voltage of the pulses is enough to illuminate the LEDs so you get the twinkling. The modules incorporate a relay in addition to the resistors - resistor gives the resistance required for the car to recognise "globes" (thus believing a trailer is connected) the relay then serves to stall the low voltage pulses and only close when true 12v comes down the circuit (the low volts pwm won't close the 12v relay) so that stops the twinkling. The D4s only pulse the circuits on drivers door being closed I believe so the relay is not required because there is not the constant pulsing so no twinkling. Hope that clarifies it

On delivery I was told that LED trailer lights were not an issue with my D4.
Andrew

Have you tried your trAiler yet andrew? Or are you too busy driving the car still?

Originally Posted by discotwinturbo

I purchased a couple of these resistors and wired one in parallel on two trailers driver side indicator......and to date none have worked. Have checked, and rechecked, left it for a month or so, then tried again....yet still I cannot get the resistor to cause the trailer lights to work.

Pulse buster works fine.

I must be doing something wrong.

And I do all my own wiring on all of my cars, always working well.....but this has got me beat.

Brett.....

Might be your problem, right there.

On mine, the leads from the resistor make the only connection for the RHS indicator circuit. So, from the plug, into the box, and then to the socket, that the trailer plug goes into.

Remember, electricity is lazy. It takes the path of least resistance, and so, if you have it in parallel, the resistor isn't doing anything.