Gents,
I've finally, found myself a tow car and I collect it this week. It's a 2.2d Espace, with an Auto with a Semi-Auto option too. Full
Electric toys that work in she is in the Elegance spec, glass room, climate etc. What more can you want for £1200 you ask... a tow bar.
Ordered my tow bar from ebay for £97 and it comes with a standard universal wiring loom for the single electrics. I'm OK with the wiring just
more asking for common practices.
Having a tow bar fitting to this type of car won't be uncommon, I'm wondering if there are some taking off points where I can attached the
new loom to or I've got to chop, join, solder and heat shrink into the existing loom.
Once i get the car I can have a good look, just trying to get a head start.
Cheers.
Ash
From experience, most modern cars have a point in the rear loom where you can connect for towbar electrics - cutting and splicing is not a great way
to do it unless you have to.
Given the value of your tow car can we ask what age it is - this may dictate whether or not the loom is prepared for towbar electrics.
A quick Google threw up the Reault forum which appears to cover towbar fitting - might be worth looking to see what others have done.
http://www.renaultforums.co.uk/
Depends how you want to do it, really! As said, some vehicles have a specific loom spur already for towbar take-off; if that's the case, you can cut the plug off and connect to the bare wires with butt crimps, bullet crimps, solder and heat shrink etc.. But if it's not got anything and you have to cut into the loom, my recommendation would be scotch blocks. I bloody hate the things personally, but it does mean you don't have to cut the original loom at all....
Thanks Guys, It's a 2004 MK 4.
I have done some more digging.
There are vehicle specific looms, but they're £120 
As suggested there is a post on the Renault Forums, looks there is a loom spur in the rear corner of the boot.
I did speak with the supplier on Monday before ordering it http://www.pfjones.co.uk/.
Apparently, according to their knowledge base. A universal 7 pin loom is fine, a by pass relay is not not required on this car.
Assuming i can find the spur, I will chop off the plug and wire onto that spur.
you could use a 7 way relay if you dont want to pay £120 there about £15 and they work fine
loads about and on ebay too
quote:
Originally posted by rash12
you could use a 7 way relay if you dont want to pay £120 there about £15 and they work fine
loads about and on ebay too
if the manufacturer say you dont need one then it should be ok without but in my own experience most vehicles of that age and newer do i have fitted
several but i stand corrected im usually wrong ,
Putting a relay in can only protect the vehicle's wiring - good move I'd say.
Some car electronics wont like you wiring straight in to the indicators and lights, they will throw up a blown light fault.
The relay does two things, both massive benefits.
1- prevents any standard car circuitry getting tricked as it completly isolates the trailer loom.
2 - it has a clever sensing circuit that chirps when your trailer indicators work as well as makes sure they flash the correct speed. Both useful and
nice know whats happening at the back end.
As a ex auto electrician and having fitted tow bar electrics to my last 3 cars, i would get a relay.
You guys are right about it protecting the circuits, so even though the manufacturer says a relay is not required I'm going to fit one.
Hopefully, there will be a loom spur in the boot that i can use as the input the relay.
The universal electrics do some come with a warning buzzer, i did check that... but now it wont be required.
Thanks for the heads up and chat guys appreciated.
I rang the supplier this morning to add on the relay to my order. While I was on the phone, i asked if there was a dedicated trailer spur in the boot
of these cars (as i don't have the car yet).
His reply was pretty simple. "no, we you will need to wire from the rear lights".
If that's the way it needs to be done... I will be sure to have a good hunt first. :-)
I'd be surprised if there wasn't a spur in the loom, can't be uncommon to tow with that car.
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
I'd be surprised if there wasn't a spur in the loom, can't be uncommon to tow with that car.
If its anything like my 2004 Audi Est, the tow circuit is added within the CANbus system.
I bought the £120 loom which fitted as a spur into the fusebox & indicator/hazard/lighting circuits at the front of the car & then had to run
the new loom extension to the new boot mounted relay unit through the car (meaning strip sill trim & part of the rear seats). This then fed the
trailer socket. So it wasnt a simple plug in at the rear.
The towbar mechanical took a couple of hours incl bumper removal, etc... The wiring was a PIA & took the rest of the day.
After that a local audi indy enabled the factory tow setup in the ECU to allow for load compensation, ABS/ESD/TCS settings changes, etc.
Have done the boot mounted relay/buzzer in previous conventionally wired 12v cars & these worked just fine.
It was the bugs, glitches & false bulb warnings from CANbus that had me worried on this car.
FYI towing electrics are part of the MOT test nowadays too so might be worth a quick check with a friendly local garage to confirm correct operation as per their requirements to prevent inconvenience at a later date.
quote:
Originally posted by colin99999
FYI towing electrics are part of the MOT test nowadays too so might be worth a quick check with a friendly local garage to confirm correct operation as per their requirements to prevent inconvenience at a later date.
quote:
Originally posted by colin99999
FYI towing electrics are part of the MOT test nowadays too so might be worth a quick check with a friendly local garage to confirm correct operation as per their requirements to prevent inconvenience at a later date.