Towbar And Alarm Q?

[MrTesco]

Just had a Towbar fitted by VW and was just wondering about the van alarm.

I'm sure I read somewhere that the alarm should go off if someone disconnects the trailer / caravan.

I've just connected trailer electrics then locked the van then tried disconnecting them while the van was locked and nothing happened, so can anyone tell me if it should and when...is it when the electrics disconnect or once it lifts from the ball?

many thanks Charlie

 

[Pauly]

When the electric plug is disconnected
Leave it for a couple minutes after arming before unplugging, I’m wondering if it doesn’t register straight away like the internal sensors, they only fire up a bit after locking to allow vehicle to settle

 

[Ed Webb]

Have you had the electrics coded to the van via vcds or similar? And if so was it done properly? When the lights are connected turn on your rear fog, the fog on the van should not light but the fog on the trailer should. If this doesnt happen i doubt your van knows the electrics are connected and therefore cant monitor them for the alarm. Mine alarms straight after I disconnect the socket.

 

[DaveyB]

Like @Pauly and @Ed Webb, mine activates the alarm when you disconnect the trailer electrics plug.

 

[Deaky]

Have you had the electrics coded to the van via vcds or similar? And if so was it done properly? When the lights are connected turn on your rear fog, the fog on the van should not light but the fog on the trailer should. If this doesnt happen i doubt your van knows the electrics are connected and therefore cant monitor them for the alarm. Mine alarms straight after I disconnect the socket.

Mine too.

 

[MrTesco]

Ok I'll give them a try again tomorrow. my trailer tho doesn't have a fog as it's only got the 7 pin electrics at the moment.

VW did have trouble coding it...3 days and tech support from Germany.

when I plugged it I noticed the stereo showed trailer connected and also my dash noticed a bulb out on the trailer.

like I say I will give it another try tomorrow after work. cheers guys

 

[Pauly]

Then sounds like it’s been done properly
Could be because you are using 7 pin maybe, could be because you have a lamp out ?, I looked into this a while back and it uses the circuit the trailer electrics makes to complete a circuit but can’t remember which pins exactly

 

[.50]

Be aware that this could be a slightly bad connection between the trailer lighting plug and the towbar socket.

The bulb failure light on the dash could be an indication of this.

Is your trailer lighting socket new/in good order ?.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Got a T5.1 & a T6. Both with factory towbars/13pin electrics. The T5 alarm goes off if the trailer is unplugged, the T6 doesn't. The handbook for the T5.1 says it will, the handbook for the T6 says it won't.

 

[Ed Webb]

 

[Salty Spuds]

Is that for a T5 or T6?

 

[Ed Webb]

Is that for a T5 or T6?

For a T6

 

[Salty Spuds]

For a T6

I stand corrected. My trailer has LED lights & I’d got it into my head that the alarm wouldn’t work with my trailer (which it won’t) but then got my wires crossed. My bad