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Subject Topic: Towbar electrics testing
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Personhitched
27/6/2009 at 12:39am
 Location: North Wales
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Hi all,

Well we finally pick up our first caravan early next week.

The question I have is:

How do I test the electrics on my tow bar? (I have a multimeter)

Is there anywhere I can take my car to have them tested in the North Wales (Flintshire) area?

I would hate to hook it up only to find the brake lights telling the people behind me I am turning left in reverse17

Thanks in advance.

 



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Don't worry, just panic


PersonGrampian91
27/6/2009 at 12:55am
 Location: Midlands
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Any towbar fitter will have a module or board you plug into.

Youo can buy them at towsure & probably most camping shops.


Personhitched
27/6/2009 at 1:02am
 Location: North Wales
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Thanks for that,

I'm a total novice at this,

Roll on next weekend, I will probably learn more in two days towing than the 2 months gathering tips on here! 17

17



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PersonOpensauce
27/6/2009 at 7:17am
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You can test it yourself with your multimeter & a wiring diagram for the sockets(just google '12n/12s wiring') On 12n socket touch neg. probe of meter onto socket earth pole the check each pole for power at the appropriate point ie brake lights & indicators on/off & rear lights on all the time. Thats enough to make your lights work.

If you test 12s socket remember pole 2 live all times, pole 6 live engine running only.


Personhitched
27/6/2009 at 9:23am
 Location: North Wales
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Thanks kabbes,

Thats great advice.

Looks like my job for the weekend is sorted 17



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Don't worry, just panic


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Persontykey
27/6/2009 at 10:29am
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Is there a friend/neighbour who has a caravan?

Just back up and plug theirs in and try it.


Personnands
27/6/2009 at 2:15pm
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I'm sure that Chester Towbar centre down on Sealand Road in Chester would hook it up to a test board for you. They are very helpful in there.


PersonLegsDownKettleOn
27/6/2009 at 8:49pm
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Ideally you want to check it on your own van, for two reasons. Firstly you can check your van lights are working properly. Secondly, if you have a second hand van, you may encounter the same problem I had with a second hand trailer.
I bought the trailer and the seller told me that it had all been rewired. As I didn't have a towbar, the seller kindly delivered it for me. I watched him reverse it onto my drive and in doing confirmed the lights were all working.
When I got my tow bar fitted and checked, I got home and hitched up to the trailer. Oh dear. Everything was connected up backwards. Brake lights coming on instead of indicators, everything was wrong. Turned out the clown who had rewired it must have also wired the previous owners towbar as he was obviously either colourblind or retarded. Not one wire had been connected correctly at any of the lights, despite all being in the correct place in the plug.


Personsolar-hippies
28/6/2009 at 10:00am
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iam ofton told that the lights are working on the van , they are until you add a diffrent tow car

one point , on the s grey plug , you want to load test the fridge circuit , most testers only show the fridge circuit is working , sometimes some cars (newer ones ) strugle to cope with the load a fridge puts on the relays and fuses


Persontykey
28/6/2009 at 12:07pm
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Quote: Originally posted by LegsDownKettleOn on 27/6/2009
Ideally you want to check it on your own van,


Quite right , but the poster asked how to test the electrics on his towbar BEFORE he went to pick the van up

Of course recheck it on the van it's available.



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