Corroded Towbar electric socket.

Hi,

I wonder if anyone has had this problem and could give me some advice.

I have a 4 year old Jimny which had a Towbar fitted from new. I believe it is genuine Suzuki one, the towing ball is a detachable one and until very recently the vehicle had never been used to tow anything. I have discovered that a couple of the 13 connectors within the socket on the vehicle have corroded and do not now make a good contact with the plug on a trailer I have just acquired. My trailer has a 7 pin plug so I have to use an adaptor. Is it possible for me to replace the 13 pin socket with a 7 pin one, without removing loads of wiring loom? 

Yes it's a simple job of removing the socket, disconnecting the wires and then connecting them up to a new 7 pin socket. The new socket should come with a diagram showing which colour wires go where. You may have one or two spare wires that aren't used in a 7 pin socket. Just tape up the ends.

Hi Busta,

Thanks for your reply. Will I find that the wires in my 13 pin socket are attached by screws or will they be moulded in. I appreciate that I can cut them but it will be much simpler if they are screwed not moulded in.

Mert1.

l wouldn't scrap the 13 pin socket, because while it's easy to connect a trailer with a 7 pin socket to a 13 pin one on the vehicle, it's not so easy the other way round.
You can do it, but if you ever tow a caravan (unlikely l realise) or a camping pod, trailer tent etc you may well wish you still had that 13 pin socket.
Because the 7 pin only does trailer lights, where a 13 pin will charge the trailer battery and operate the fridge etc while you are towing.

They will be little screw terminals, easy to remove in a non destructive manner!

Lightning, you are assuming they have wired up the existing 13 pin socket with that functionality which is very unlikely. Typically only the standard lighting pins will be populated.

My advice is to change the trailer to a 13 pin. Spray the plug and socket once a year with a protective oil or grease like copper grease or similar. Also the inside. Do not use wd40 for long term protection, dries up too fast.
Have changed all connectors on my cars and trailers to 13pin, and have much less corrotion now. Also changed them all on the red cross 3 cars and 4 trailers, much less trouble.

My detachable tow bar usually won’t go in the socket after I have been down a lane, it fills up with mud. I use it fairly regularly through the summer months to tow my boat out of the water and into the boat park.

I don’t use the power socket very often, but was full of mud more than once and needed washing out then a few good coats of WD40.

If it was me I wouldn’t joint the cables at the socket, if you want a 7 pin, I would joint the cables in the back of the car, it will last longer.

The last few 7 pin sockets I looked in all had screw terminals, but 13 pin might be different.

Robin

Thanks you to everyone who has replied.
I only use the Jimny as a shopping trolly and to go to the tip. The trailer is one I picked up recently and I have rewired it with a 7 pin socket. I think this trailer is the only thing the Jimny will ever pull, (to the tip and back.)
It seems to me that the pins on the 7 pin system are more robust than the 13 pin ones. I suppose I could change the 13 socket if that was straight forward.
I have an adapter.
I am still not sure that disconnecting the socket, at the tow bar is easily possible. I don't want to damage the socket and wires at the connections and then find I will need a new wiring loom.
Thanks again for replying.
Mert1.

There's no reason you should require a new loom. Even when the terminals are too corroded to undo, you can cut the wires flush and lose less than 10mm of total length.

The socket will be held to the towbar by 2 or 3 screws. Remove these and it will then easily come apart to access the terminals.

However if you're not confident doing it, find a local independent towbar fitter or mechanic. They will be able to do it for you in a few minutes for beer money.