Tow Bar Electrics

[Jonathan Gleeson]

Please can anyone advise me on my tow bar electrics.
I recently had a detachable tow bar fitted by lancashire VW on my new T6.
On every other vehicle I have owned when you operate the indicators a green light flashes on the dash, telling you that the indicator lights on the trailer are working.
Lancs VW tell me that the transporters don't have that facility.
Thank you regards Big J

 

[T6 dork]

You need the proper loom I've fitted my own towbar and loom from PF Jones

it aint easy

Towbar Electrics For Volkswagen T6 Transporter 2015 On 7 Pin Wiring Kit

 

[Pauly]

I dont think that you necessarily have a problem, there isnt much to show you that a trailer is connected but does come up on stereo screen when you select reverse (instead of reverse sensors) but AFAIK the lamp monitoring extends to trailers lights also

 

[DaveyB]

I have a Westfalia detachable towbar fitted by a reputable company, however I have no indicator acknowledgement lights on the dash. I only get the picture of a trailer on the back of the van on the radio screen, when I select reverse. Therefore I don't know if there are the trailer indicator lights on the dash (if there are I'd love to know how to activate them). I know the towbar is fully wired into the vehicle and traction control systems etc, equally the installers went in with VCDS to turn off the reversing sensors when towing, so it don't screech at you the whole time (still leaves the reversing camera on though which is great).
At the weekend whilst towing, I did get an orange warning bulb icon come up on the dash to tell me a bulb was not working. This turned out to be one of the indicators on the trailer, quick tap on the lens got it working again. Turned ignition off and back on - and warning light was cleared.
I may have to have a good luck in the owners handbook as to exactly what lights are on the dash, that might demonstrate whether trailer indicator acknowledgement exists in there.

 

[rod_vw]

You need the proper loom I've fitted my own towbar and loom from PF Jones

it aint easy

Towbar Electrics For Volkswagen T6 Transporter 2015 On 7 Pin Wiring Kit

You are dead right, getting at the BCM connectors with enough length of loom to connect to the 'Convenience Bus' etc. is difficult to say the least!

My towbar control unit remains under the left front seat and I've run the cable to the BCM along with the existing looms under the floor mat to the dash area. I did it this way as I am wiring my split charge the same way that VW do on the Cali thus needed a wire to the BCM for that. As I yet don't have a 12v feed from the engine battery I haven't tested the new wiring yet.
Whilst I had the dash apart I have connected the wiring to the radio for my rear speakers.

Rod

 

[Jonathan Gleeson]

I have a Westfalia detachable towbar fitted by a reputable company, however I have no indicator acknowledgement lights on the dash. I only get the picture of a trailer on the back of the van on the radio screen, when I select reverse. Therefore I don't know if there are the trailer indicator lights on the dash (if there are I'd love to know how to activate them). I know the towbar is fully wired into the vehicle and traction control systems etc, equally the installers went in with VCDS to turn off the reversing sensors when towing, so it don't screech at you the whole time (still leaves the reversing camera on though which is great).
At the weekend whilst towing, I did get an orange warning bulb icon come up on the dash to tell me a bulb was not working. This turned out to be one of the indicators on the trailer, quick tap on the lens got it working again. Turned ignition off and back on - and warning light was cleared.
I may have to have a good luck in the owners handbook as to exactly what lights are on the dash, that might demonstrate whether trailer indicator acknowledgement exists in there.

Thats fantastic thank you. On many vehicles there is the flashing "green" tow bar symbol which flashes on the dash. I spoke to VW uk today who inform me that the T6 doesn't have this option, drr but will show an orange warning light if they aren't working, so at least I'm a little wiser.

Thanks again for the info,

Regards Jonathan.

 

[DaveyB]

Good update Jonathon, that'll save me the time of searching through the manual trying to find it.

 

[Owain]

Hi,

I am trying to fit pfones vehicle specific loom to my 2018 T6.

Have fitted towbar ok, but loom looks like a nightmare. I have removed ply linings and dash covers on drivers side.

I am now struggling to follow instructions and work out cable routing/connections. Don't know if difficulty is due to my dumbness or pictures just don't seem to match instructions exactly. I assume engine compartment layout changes depending on engine?

Instructions seem to want cables routed under vehicle, but i see all other looms routed under roof. But measuring i don't think the loom is long enough to follow that path.

I can see one grommet/blanking plate on passenger side to get to engine compartment.

Looking at the two large black and white connectors where you are meant to t off wires on the back . I can just about see th at a distance, and doesn't look as of any play in cables entering.

This is a nightmare of a job.

I would love to hear advice on cable routing options and how to get at those d@m connectors, or alternative places to pick off those signals.

If i new how difficult/awkward this job would be i would have chosen a different path.

Owain

 

[Mooncat]

If it's the RC (Right Connections) harness then that runs underneath. The underside of the van has loads of plastic covers so you need to take those off to run the harness and it then reappears behind the battery. The tricky bit is when you splice into the canbus (those black and white connectors you mention) - treble check you are going to the correct pair of wires. I disconnected the connection to get some more play in the cables but it is still really tight and involves lots of swearing. The grommet in the engine bay is somewhat hidden and needed a heat shield bending out of the way so you can see it.

Is yours left hand drive?

 

[Owain]

Its right hand drive. What is RC? Do you just means runs down right or is that a make?

 

[Westy78]

I’ve fitted the same kit. It took half a day by the time I had removed all the shields under the van and routed as far away from the exhaust as possible.
On mine I had to join the cables under the passenger seat as they had nothing to connect to. I still joined them inside the van in case I needed access later and to negate exposure to the elements.
I ended up poking a zip tie from the cabin into the engine bay to locate the grommet in the engine bay.
As mooncat said really tight to connect into the canbus loom

 

[rod_vw]

I've run mine down the underside of the left side of the van, fitted the trailer control module under the left front seat and fed the wires that go to the BCM under the front rubber mat with the other wiring looms. That does entail taking at least the left front seat and seat box out, best with both front seats and seat boxes out so that you can lift the mat. I know that the instructions say that you can wire into the engine bay and back out to the BCM but whilst I was running other wires etc. it seemed more logical to run the trailer loom with other existing cables.

As said above on a T6 accessing the connections to the BCM wiring is some what of a contortionist's job.

You will need someone with VCDS (Vagcom) or similar to code in the trailer module.

 

[Owain]

Thanks for all the advice. I will hold off doing till i get wiring for battery-battery so i can do in one go.

I like the idea of controller under seat. Why pfjones don't mention as an option? Am hoping to procure other parts this week to have another go at weekend.

What b2b controller did you all use. The ablemail? And did you manage to squeeze battery under front passenger seat? I have singles on swivels so don't think there is enough space/height.

 

[Mooncat]

Sorry for late reply, been travelling with work for the best part of two weeks. PF Jones used to do a couple of harness options, the RC version (Right Connections) and Westfalia. Looking at their website now and your attachment they are just selling the Right Connections kit as their own banded version.

You don't need anything else, just fit the harness you have which means you have the tow bar module next to the battery. As mentioned above, you will have three wires under the passenger seat and you need to join them up according to your van (mine needed two connecting together).

I think Rod_VW is referring to the Westfalia harness which has the module under the passenger seat and requires a second harness to provide power to it.

 

[Owain]

Most of dash faschia is out. Linings out. Passenger seat is out.

Been driving it round like that for last week.

As i have wiring ready to pass through bulkhead for leisure battery I think rather than pass the jones harness through to engine bay i will place controller under passenger seat. I can then use leisure battery feed and route canbus wires directly with existing vag loom under dash to connect to bus.

I better do this at weekend before i i forget how to refit fascias

 

[Alanmh]

As i have wiring ready to pass through bulkhead for leisure battery I think rather than pass the jones harness through to engine bay i will place controller under passenger seat. I can then use leisure battery feed and route canbus wires directly with existing vag loom under dash to connect to bus.

If its the same as my wiring kit from PF Jones you also need to connect to the main battery - just check that you have enough cable to do that. I went up through the engine bay to the battery box - not too difficult.

Also - look out for the brake light connection - this is the red/black wire that splices into a wire behind the main light swicth it goes to the black with red trace wire (mine also had yellow dots on), not the red with black trace wire (courtesy lights). Apart from that the hardest part was bumper removal for the actual towbar.

Good luck

 

[Deaky]

If its the same as my wiring kit from PF Jones you also need to connect to the main battery - just check that you have enough cable to do that. I went up through the engine bay to the battery box - not too difficult.

Also - look out for the brake light connection - this is the red/black wire that splices into a wire behind the main light swicth it goes to the black with red trace wire (mine also had yellow dots on), not the red with black trace wire (courtesy lights). Apart from that the hardest part was bumper removal for the actual towbar.

Good luck

No need to go to the starter battery if you have a leisure battery installed

 

[Lukavell]

Also - look out for the brake light connection - this is the red/black wire that splices into a wire behind the main light swicth it goes to the black with red trace wire (mine also had yellow dots on), not the red with black trace wire (courtesy lights).

Old thread but I'm intrigued by the part quoted @Alanmh. I've not tested mine yet and don't have a trailer board to test it on yet. Anyway, a picture paints a thousand words...

 

[Littleblackflash]

There is a red/black wire and a black/red wire on the BCM connector. Get it wrong and your brake lights will be on 100% time. At least it's an easy fix.

 

[Alanmh]

A bit of a while ago, but that looks right from my description