Re: Tow bar wiring help please

I know there a guide on here but either it's wrong, my car is different or I'm colour blind

I've got everything working except the indicators. I've got one of those relay/buzzer that I had in my last car between the indicator wires and the trailer socket, it's earthed

All afternoon I've tried wiring in into the supposedly left and right indicators but no matter what I try it doesn't buzz and the trailer indicators remain off

Ggggrrrrrrrrrr

Any actual knowledge would be appreciated

Thanks

I've managed with considerable fiddling to get somewhere today.

Getting the wiring inside the car is a pain, the grommit isn't really wide enough for the extra wire. The multiplug needs to be undone to get the bumper off but then can't get back through the grommit hole with the toward wire as well. The wiring code here isn't as you'd expect, red/green could be red with a green trace or green with a red trace or neither.

Still the guide is some help and much appreciated as a place to start

I wouldn't fancy wiring in below the bumper as the area is very exposed and connections likely to fail. You will also need an audible relay that needs fitting inside the car if it's to be heard. Most of my actual problems related to this as mine was duff! New one ordered from eBay

kirkynut wrote: What's the audible relay lark about??? Forgive my ignorance!

If the connections are soldered and heat shrunk and perhaps wrapped in elecrical tape they should be ok getting covered in crap.

Kirkynut

used to be the law that if there was a trailer attached then a buzzer had to bleep intime with the indicators to prove the trailer lights are working
Don't think it is now as neither my audi or cherokee with factory fitted towbar buzz (although the audi driver information used to tell me if a light was out on the trailer and which one)

darthloachie wrote:

kirkynut wrote: What's the audible relay lark about??? Forgive my ignorance!

If the connections are soldered and heat shrunk and perhaps wrapped in elecrical tape they should be ok getting covered in crap.

Kirkynut

used to be the law that if there was a trailer attached then a buzzer had to bleep intime with the indicators to prove the trailer lights are working
Don't think it is now as neither my audi or cherokee with factory fitted towbar buzz (although the audi driver information used to tell me if a light was out on the trailer and which one)

There must still be a system in place to let you know if a indicator light is out, either fast flash or buzzer.
The Electric socket will be part of the MOT next year.

I went at mine a bit gung-ho and took the shortest route ie behind the bumper! A few months later i found the guide for correct fitting on here.

Anyway, i soldered all the joints etc.. and so far have only had user related problems. The relay wasn't working so i took it out, it then took a fortnight of odd hours fiddling before it dawned on me that the removal was the reason i had light issues! I put a new relay in thats inside the car and it doesn't work still but i have all the lighting working on my trailer. When i get chance in between other stuff i'll put a new one in.

Other than melting some of the wiring on the exhaust i've not had problems with the wiring itself, i only have problems with the plug. I give it a good spray with wd40 to stop it corroding and it works a treat.

New relay arrived today, I'm sure it's a legal requirement and will be tested at the mot next year. I have an mot due on another car early next year so I'll ask my tame tester then

Resurrecting old thread but . . .

I've installed a towbar to my Gen3 Jimny and the cables run down through a hole in the boot floor where the jack sits. The problem is that's right above the exhaust silencer box and I can't see a great way to secure it away from the hot exhaust. While the rear bumper was off the best option seemed to be going forward to a chasis tube then to the left to a frame rail and down to the towbar so that's what I did.
I'm wondering now if I should have gone to the rear more away from the exhaust, but I couldn't really see anything to cable-tie to that way.
Any suggestions/photos appreciated.
I plan to have another look at it this weekend - see if I can find a better route away from the exhaust.
Cheers

My Gen3 didn’t have a hole in to the boot, so I ran the cable along the tow bar to the near side (left as looked at from the back) where there is a rubber grommet in to the body close to the rear light cluster. There is a strange rubber flap as well, it looks like it is designed to let water out and stop mud/water from getting in.

All of the wiring you need is here and there is plenty of space behind the panel to make your connections and mount the relay/buzzer.

You need to take the bumper and rear light units off, but that is a quick job when you locate all of the screws.

Robin

l fitted the factory tow bar to my Gen 4 but haven't done the electrics yet.
l was going to use the Jimny to tow our caravan but despite it being well under the 1300kg maximum towing capacity of the Jimny, l've been advised that it wouldn't be a good combination.