Parking sensor issue with Westfalia detachable hitch

[VinylArchie]

After paying near £600 for PF Jones to fit my tow hitch I found out that my pride and joy is now without a functioning parking sensor. After hours trying even to get through to them on the phone I finally got them to have a look at it today and they have been completely unable to diagnose the fault.
Basically when you start the engine the sensors work for five seconds then it says parking assist (or whatever its called) is not available. The fitters say they have uninstalled the wiring and still there is a fault. They have tried re-coding it and still the fault persists. basically they say that they don't have the ability to diagnose further and have never come across this fault before.. I have Carista but have yet to delve into it, do you think that may help diagnose of do I ned to take to a VW specialist?

 

[Robert]

Find someone local and get complete VCDS Autoscan. There are a lot of members here with own VCDS.
By the way I have retrofited detachable Westafalia towbar and no issues at all so your problem is fixable 100% guaranteed.

 

[JOG]

Good advice from @Robert there - this sounds like it is very “fixable”! The Westfalia detachable is what VW themselves use. There are lots of people on here who can help diagnose. PFJones fitted mine (albeit on a van with towing prep) with no issues.

 

[VinylArchie]

Find someone local and get complete VCDS Autoscan. There are a lot of members here with own VCDS.
By the way I have retrofited detachable Westafalia towbar and no issues at all so your problem is fixable 100% guaranteed.

I figured that's what I'm going to have to do unfortunately at more cost and more importantly time (I have none) to myself! Have to say I though the attitude at PF Jones was quite off. They haven't even offered me a partial refund for the coding. I could have fitted a tow bar and beggared up the parking sensors myself lol.

 

[mmi]

I have Carista but have yet to delve into it, do you think that may help diagnose of do I ned to take to a VW specialist?

Share Carista "Detailed ECU info" (under Service menu)?

 

[Ayjay]

FWIW, the bloke that fitted mine (on my drive) used a little briefcase test rig after the installation - basically, it simulated all the lights and he just plugged it into the 13 pin socket and tried them all. Also when I put it in reverse with the bike rack plugged in, the ICE screen shows a picture of the trailer and, obviously, the reversing sensors don't work/are disabled. Without a rack plugged in, you wouldn't know that the tower had been fitted unless you looked. I didn't go through PF Jones but they do contract out their at home fitting service to him (amongst others, I guess). My van did NOT have tower prep.

The more that I hear about PF Jones along with my own fruitless efforts to contact them just tells me that they are a bunch of cowboys best avoided. My advice to you would be to keep hammering at them until they sort your van out - I suspect they are just fobbing you off in the hope that you go away and get it sorted elsewhere.

 

[Randolph]

FWIW, the bloke that fitted mine (on my drive) used a little briefcase test rig after the installation - basically, it simulated all the lights and he just plugged it into the 13 pin socket and tried them all. Also when I put it in reverse with the bike rack plugged in, the ICE screen shows a picture of the trailer and, obviously, the reversing sensors don't work/are disabled. Without a rack plugged in, you wouldn't know that the tower had been fitted unless you looked. I didn't go through PF Jones but they do contract out their at home fitting service to him (amongst others, I guess). My van did NOT have tower prep.

The more that I hear about PF Jones along with my own fruitless efforts to contact them just tells me that they are a bunch of cowboys best avoided. My advice to you would be to keep hammering at them until they sort your van out - I suspect they are just fobbing you off in the hope that you go away and get it sorted elsewhere.

It may be worth disconnecting the tow bar wiring plugs in the rear quarter and disconnecting your negative battery terminal and reconnecting battery and see if it works before plugging the wiring back into the sockets

 

[VinylArchie]

Share Carista "Detailed ECU info" (under Service menu)?

Will try and get that done today

 

[VinylArchie]

It may be worth disconnecting the tow bar wiring plugs in the rear quarter and disconnecting your negative battery terminal and reconnecting battery and see if it works before plugging the wiring back into the sockets

I think they have tried this. As my van didn't have trailer prep I don't think there is anything in the rear quarter

 

[rover220]

I think they have tried this. As my van didn't have trailer prep I don't think there is anything in the rear quarter

Yes, there won't be any plugs there.

 

[VinylArchie]

Share Carista "Detailed ECU info" (under Service menu)?

 

[VinylArchie]

Share Carista "Detailed ECU info" (under Service menu)?

 

[VinylArchie]

Share Carista "Detailed ECU info" (under Service menu)?

Thanks for the help with this, thought that Googling these faults would be simple enough but apparently not!

 

[mmi]

Thanks for the help with this, thought that Googling these faults would be simple enough but apparently not!

Thanks.

The coding of the parking assistant is ok - you don't have rear view camera?

The faults 107xxxx are listed even in our forum here --> https://www.t6forum.com/threads/vcds-and-carista-fault-codes.14143/post-231838
So looks like there is a disconnect between parking assist module and all rear sensors. Most likely wiring problem - the rear sensors share power and signal ground lines. Pinched wiring loom?
This alone causes the parking assist failure.

The fault 13632256 indicates that parking assistant can not communicate with trailer module, respectively 01517 tells that CAN gateway can not communicate with trailer module. So either the trailer module is not coded into CAN Gateway, or another wiring problem, or trailer module not powered (fuse)....
Similar issues here --> https://www.t6forum.com/threads/battery-short-and-vcds-scans.20680/

Do you see Trailer module in Carista's "Detailed ECU View"?
PS. You can send full Carista report to yourself e.g. by email using the share button

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01517 - Control Module for Trailer/Towing Sensor (J345)
004 - No Signal/Communication

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13632256 - Function Restricted due to Missing Message(s)
[Steuergerät für Anhängererkennung-J345 - kein Signal/keine Kommunikation]

---

 

[VinylArchie]

Thanks.

The coding of the parking assistant is ok - you don't have rear view camera?

The faults 107xxxx are listed even in our forum here --> VCDS And Carista Fault Codes
So looks like there is a disconnect between parking assist module and all rear sensors. Most likely wiring problem - the rear sensors share power and signal ground lines. Pinched wiring loom?
This alone causes the parking assist failure.

The fault 13632256 indicates that parking assistant can not communicate with trailer module, respectively 01517 tells that CAN gateway can not communicate with trailer module. So either the trailer module is not coded into CAN Gateway, or another wiring problem, or trailer module not powered (fuse)....
Similar issues here --> battery short and vcds scans

Do you see Trailer module in Carista's "Detailed ECU View"?
PS. You can send full Carista report to yourself e.g. by email using the share button View attachment 122829

---

01517 - Control Module for Trailer/Towing Sensor (J345)
004 - No Signal/Communication

---

13632256 - Function Restricted due to Missing Message(s)
[Steuergerät für Anhängererkennung-J345 - kein Signal/keine Kommunikation]

---

Thanks a lot for this reply. I hit the road for the Outer Hebrides so I haven’t been able to sort this any further. Back to PF Jones with these codes to see if they can make any sense of it.