I got frustrated with trailer lights today: I added a socket and wires directly to the rear light cluster, but upon using an indicator the system craps out and I get no indicator light at all either on the trailer or the car.
Any other cheapskate out there tried the same thing?
Any ideas anyone?
I should add that I have a little box in there to convert the English system on the car of separate indicator and brake light to the American system on the trailer of one bulb for indicator and brake light. This box worked fine on my previous RR2.


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Last edited by AlanM on Wed Feb 28 2007 6:39am. Edited 1 time in total

Spurred into action by the idiot above, I got to looking at the problem more intensively. The twit just mentioned hooked up his trailer lights by splicing into the wires just behind the rear lights. Tut, tut this will not do it. LR have already wired up a nice pair of sockets for trailer wires and all you have to do is find these two sockets, determine which terminals operate which rear lights and plug into them.

Before starting remove the plastic bumper plate from just above the hitch (two wide flat screws), and ensure your vehicle does not already have any trailer sokets showing behind it!

Get a wide flat prybar about 18" long like this: (I kid you not.)


Prise off the lower left bit of carpet beside the tool tray lid. Prise off the rear of the left hand luggage compartment side panel. Move to the left rear door and prise up the rear portion of the left rear doorsill. (You might want to pull off the rubber door seal for a few feet.) Prise off the front of the side panel (the low forward bit is a sod). Remove the 12v plug then the panel can be taken out of the car.



The pre-wired sockets can now be seen attached to a metal bracket just in front of the rear lights. They are the ones with wires running into them but no wires running out of them. Detatch them from the bracket. Press on the release tab and pull off the dummy plugs on the ends (I can't see how to use these unless you have some terminals that will push into them - I didn't bother and discarded them).

LR have already catered for the conversion from English to American indicator/brake lights - just find the right terminals!

Solder a pin to the end of a spare bulb and a wire to the side. Ground the wire on one of the visible ground terminals. Switching on various lights on the car, use the bulb to test which socket holes on both sockets you need for your particular hookup (side lights, indicators, brake lights etc. There is even one that's always live).

Push a bit of coat hanger wire through one of the rubber grommets leading downwards and starting near the hitch thread the wire from your trailer plug the best way you can to avoid the 'big dangly weights' and reach the coat hanger wire, then use it to pull the trailer wire through.

Solder suitable terminals to each trailer wire and push into the socket holes you located above. Tape everything up to insulate it and stop it rattling.

Put everything back!

The dealer wanted $300 plus for the harness plus 1.5 hours labour. (In conversation with him I gleaned where the pre-wired sockets are and that there is no re-programming needed.)

My total cost $3.00 for a small four pin trailer plug.


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Alan - respect is definetely due
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Alan, you're a marvel with these things. Excellent stuff!!

Stickied it.
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Good stuff mate
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Has anyone had problems with "flashing" indicators?

Let me explain.....

I have a properly wired up towbar (factory fit) that works really well with trailers and caravans. However I now have replaced the old rusted out light units on my trailer with proper LED units. When I mean proper I mean E certified LED cluster units, not e-bay specials.

All the lights work fine on demand, sidelights, brake lights and indicators. However, both indicators continually pulse dimly when connected to the vehicle. The "Trailer" light does not come on when the trailer is connected.

I suspect that the pulsing is some sort of electronic sensing pusle to see if the trailer is connected and instead of detecting the low wattage LED units it simply flashes them.

Does this sound likely?

Martin
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Yes there is a problem with LED lamps and the LR wiring system - there is a cure for it over on the D3 forums IIRC.
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