Towing 7pin socket

Hi all I got a 55 plate Jim it came with tow bar and electrics fitted put my trailer on indicators ok brake lights ok no normal lights checked the socket it was pretty manky so changed it  lights still no good checked with multi meter only 2.5 volts on the lights don't know what to do or check thanks

Trace the wiring back to see where it is spliced in to. It is usually connected in to wiring behind the panel in the back on the near side. Very often ‘Scotch’ blocks are used that are quick but can give a poor connection.

You might need to remove the bumper to trace the wiring, but it comes off really easily.

Robin

Traced the wires to the joints bared the wire before the joint still no good All the wires end up in a black box on the left hand side still scratching my head 

It will save you time and effort if you just buy a new trailer socket wiring kit and fit it, removing the black box and existing wires.

Possibly the black box is one of those 7 way relay doings that isolate the trailer electrics from the car, and also monitor the indicator load so it beeps when the trailer is indicating. These need an extra 12V power feed as they have relays that switch the lamps from it to avoid any load on the car's lighting circuits. It could be faulty, or a poor connection somewhere.

Or it could just be a monitor/beeper, or it could be a junction box.




 

I bought a new cable kit for my Jimny as it came with no trailer connecations or hitch. First one I got was for the models with the rear lights down in the bumper but mine got those up at the wing corners so had to get another. (This is probably different in different markets )
My kit just got the extra blinker relay. works great. All easy plug and pray hooked up in the rear inner panel and came with everything.

I chose the newer/better 13 pin socket. I help maintain the Red Cross cars for SAR and we changed all the towing sockets from 7 pin to 13 pin and we have so much less hassle now. Lot less work to maintain the 13 pin as the connectors are much better quality. Allways some poor connection on the 7 pin.

13pin are better, but they are tested at MOT, and have to work, although if you fit a 13 to 7 pin adaptor for the MOT, the tester won't remove it and 7 pun sockets are not tested for function, only appearance.

The first time I came across a 13 pin socket was about 12 years ago, it was on a lease company car, a BMW that I had requested with factory tow bar fitted.

I didn't realise it had a 13 pin socket until I went to pick my boat up (35 mile round trip) to go away for the weekend, a quick call to BMW, yes it uses an adpator, no we don't supply them as default, but you can pick up a free adaptor from the dealership and no we don't have one in stock.

I had to ring several BMW dealerships to see if anyone had one, then drive 40 mile round trip to pick it up, it wasn't new, but one from a staff members car, who wasn't using it for a few weeks.

Needless to say when the car was changed after 3 years I kept the adaptor as the new lease car also didn't come with one. When I stopped having a lease car, I left the adaptor in the boot for the next owner.

My Jimny has the good old fashioned 7 pin fitted.