BMW factory fitted towball wiring issue
Wiring issue with a 2012 BMW 520 With a factory fitted tow hitch.
Since picking up our 2016 Lunar Clubman, the fridge alarm has been activated when switched to car battery. Caravan check to be okay, have now checked the car socket and discovered that BMW have omitted pins 10 and 11, fridge +ve and -ve, hence why the fridge
doesn't work, never had with the previous caravan.
Also noted that pin 9, permanent live, is only active when the engine is running.
Anyone else have this?
Comments
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I was told by I think brink, can't remember just who made the dedicated loom for my ford ranger, when I enquired about lack of full wiring that the one they supply to ford has only light wiring, and the retail one has full 13 pin, my had full wiring from
socket to into cab so just needed wiring up with a relay then joining in, he did say it was to suit the German continental market?0 -
Car manufacturers and dealers normally only fit standard trailer wiring. If you want the full caravan compatible wiring you have to specify it at the time of fitting. In most cases the additional wiring can be fitted by a good towbar fitter as a retro-
fit but not in all cases.K
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It seems that it's a common problem .... manufacturers fit the minimum of wiring to ensure that lighting works.
Not all German car manufacturers are cheapskates. Mercedes factory-fit towbar sockets are fully wired as standard.
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This is quite normal because what they have done is a standard trailer wiring. You have to specify the extra wires and not every dealer is aware of this.
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My 2012X5 hadexctly the same problem when supplied new, despite several conversations with the dealer regarding this problem prior to delivery. Dealer appeared unable to solve it. I had the wiring sorted at local towbar installer, and claimed the cost
from the BMW dealer. They paid.More recently, I ordered a new Porsche Cayenne and was very specific with the dealer about the wiring. The car was delivered to me 2 days before a trip to Provence. The dealer tried to sell me a "7 to 13" converter despite the plug already being a 13 pin
plug. He said this was to make all 13 pins work! I could see that only 7 pins had metal sleeves in them indicating electrical connections, but the dealer wouldn't listen. I had to take the car home and connect it to the van to prove the point. Needless to
say, neither the fridge nor the battery charger worked. Took it straight back to Porsche. They had to get a local towbar specialist to rewire it,and tried to charge me. I of course refused to pay.One thing to note is that when you have a factory fitted towball and electrics, the system automaticaly disables the stop-start function when the van is plugged in.
Paul
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Common thread from owners with BMW`s VW also used to wire only for trailer lighting on earlier Tiguans. Our current Merc with factory fit bar was fully wired (I did insist in writing this would be the case!) If you search you will find references to this
problem, a good towbar fitter should be able wire in fridge etc but choose one carefully its not a job for cowboys!0 -
My 2012X5 hadexctly the same problem when supplied new, despite several conversations with the dealer regarding this problem prior to delivery. Dealer appeared unable to solve it. I had the wiring sorted at local towbar installer, and claimed the cost
from the BMW dealer. They paid.More recently, I ordered a new Porsche Cayenne and was very specific with the dealer about the wiring. The car was delivered to me 2 days before a trip to Provence. The dealer tried to sell me a "7 to 13" converter despite the plug already being a 13 pin
plug. He said this was to make all 13 pins work! I could see that only 7 pins had metal sleeves in them indicating electrical connections, but the dealer wouldn't listen. I had to take the car home and connect it to the van to prove the point. Needless to
say, neither the fridge nor the battery charger worked. Took it straight back to Porsche. They had to get a local towbar specialist to rewire it,and tried to charge me. I of course refused to pay.One thing to note is that when you have a factory fitted towball and electrics, the system automaticaly disables the stop-start function when the van is plugged in.
Paul
The Stop/Start isn't altered by plugging in a tralier or caravan on my Mercedes W221 S Klasse. The correct wiring is standard with the tow bar. The air suspension establishes the correct attitude for the Inteligent Lighting System and the speed sign recognition
through the same camera as well.
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Wiring issue with a 2012 BMW 520 With a factory fitted tow hitch.
Since picking up our 2016 Lunar Clubman, the fridge alarm has been activated when switched to car battery. Caravan check to be okay, have now checked the car socket and discovered that BMW have omitted pins 10 and 11, fridge +ve and -ve, hence why the fridge
doesn't work, never had with the previous caravan.Also noted that pin 9, permanent live, is only active when the engine is running.
Anyone else have this?
Have I missed something here, you state"hence why the fridge doesn't work, never had with the previous caravan",if pins 9&10 were not wired, how did it work on your previous van.
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Wiring issue with a 2012 BMW 520 With a factory fitted tow hitch.
Since picking up our 2016 Lunar Clubman, the fridge alarm has been activated when switched to car battery. Caravan check to be okay, have now checked the car socket and discovered that BMW have omitted pins 10 and 11, fridge +ve and -ve, hence why the fridge
doesn't work, never had with the previous caravan.Also noted that pin 9, permanent live, is only active when the engine is running.
Anyone else have this?
Have I missed something here, you state"hence why the fridge doesn't work, never had with the previous caravan",if pins 9&10 were not wired, how did it work on your previous van.
There was no alarm on the fridge of the previous caravan, so wasn't aware the fridge was not working whilst towing.
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When i bought my X3 with factory fitted t/ bar i specified that i required the fridge and battery charger to be wired, the salesman knew all about this and all worked ok. Depends on the sales/ dealer experience i guess. BTW in the sales brochure it does
mention the need for supplementary wiring ( or it did when i bought mine).0 -
This seems to be common to all makers. They fit the minimum spec unless you ask for more as this is enough for many users. You may also find it has insufficient clearance for the ALKO hitch.
It would help if the manufacturers listed the additional wiring as an option and the ALKO compatible hitch so purchasers could ask for it and sales staff who are not caravan savy could deal with the requests correctly. The current situation means customers
are being left unhappy when a simple addition to their literature and options list that would increase their income a bit and improve customer relations is being ignored by I think all the manufacturers.I did have the same problem with a Mazda which I ordered with a tow bar fitted but now know better and had the next car's fitted by a local firm who knew what they were doing.
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Not a problem with my shogun or the outlander l have been told Mitisbushi wiring looms come with towing in mind part of their dealership pack. A little pricey to have the factory fitted one fitted, l think my shogun 8 years ago was 450 quid
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Another post on here was complaining about being quoted £400 to fit tow bar and electrics and thought it was a lot. In my experience, you tend to get what you pay for and sometimes the cheaper option ends up with not everything working as it should. The
towbar and electrics on my new Touareg cost over £1200 for a dealer retro-fit which I thought was extortionate but I didn't have much option for fear of invalidating the warranty on a new vehicle. That said, everything works, total integration with the van
and 'infotainment' system, parking sensors disabled when towing, VW stabilisation integrated with the van etc etc.Nothing frustrates me more than when you pay for something only to find out that the job has only been half-done and you then have the hassle of getting it put right. Although I still think the VW price was ridiculously high, I have to say I am well pleased
with the result.0 -
My 2012X5 hadexctly the same problem when supplied new, despite several conversations with the dealer regarding this problem prior to delivery. Dealer appeared unable to solve it. I had the wiring sorted at local towbar installer, and claimed the cost
from the BMW dealer. They paid.More recently, I ordered a new Porsche Cayenne and was very specific with the dealer about the wiring. The car was delivered to me 2 days before a trip to Provence. The dealer tried to sell me a "7 to 13" converter despite the plug already being a 13 pin
plug. He said this was to make all 13 pins work! I could see that only 7 pins had metal sleeves in them indicating electrical connections, but the dealer wouldn't listen. I had to take the car home and connect it to the van to prove the point. Needless to
say, neither the fridge nor the battery charger worked. Took it straight back to Porsche. They had to get a local towbar specialist to rewire it,and tried to charge me. I of course refused to pay.One thing to note is that when you have a factory fitted towball and electrics, the system automaticaly disables the stop-start function when the van is plugged in.
Paul
The Stop/Start isn't altered by plugging in a tralier or caravan on my Mercedes W221 S Klasse. The correct wiring is standard with the tow bar. The air suspension establishes the correct attitude for the Inteligent Lighting System and the speed sign recognition
through the same camera as well.the stop start wasn't altered on my 2010 BMW520 or my 2015 Audi A6. Both with factory fitted tow bar and wiring.
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This seems to be common to all makers. They fit the minimum spec unless you ask for more as this is enough for many users. .
No it is not common to all makers, only certain foreign built vehicles. I have never had to specify wiring on any of my Land Rovers, they have always come fully wired as you would expect.Why people insist on buying these vehicles when it has been common
knowledge for years that they are not fit for purpose is beyond me.If you have purchased a vehicle in the UK fitted with a towbar and electrics for towing a caravan it should be fully wired otherwise it is not fit for purpose,stating that certain pins are
not required in the country of origin is a ridiculous excuse, Any vehicle exported to the UK should be equipped for the UK market.0 -
Possibly Land Rover are more aware of towing needs and train their dealers in the needs of people ordering these. As a percentage of sales they probably fit more than any other make.
Certainly for many the wiring for a caravan or the clearance for the ALKO stabiliser hitches are not needed and there is no point in fitting them unless the customer needs them.
Not sure what was covered by the Mitsubishi package but all makes will include the wiring loom as that is neccessary for all towing. It is simply fitting the extra connections that might not happen unless you ask although that will depend on the sales persone
knowledge.0 -
If you think £1200 for a VW is pricey, wait till you get an S Klasse
Fortunatley mine was fratis due to the time to get
it.JLR are one of the few manufacturers who build their vehicles ready loomed to tow, except the Evoque.
JLR replacement fixed tow balls for the change out from the removeables are not ALKO Stabiliser suitable, check as always.
Land Cruisers do not have ALKO suitable tow balls as factory fit.
In the time it took to get my MB tow bar, I had to hire a tow vehicle and found out those limitations along that journey
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Just had a quote from my local BMW dealership to refit the electrics with the fridge connections - over £500! Hopefully they'll provide the gold ingot to go with it. Still discussing with the dealer I bought the car from which is over 40 miles away, they're
a bit slow in responding.Checked with a local retrofit tow bar fitter, they can't touch it.
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My 2012X5 hadexctly the same problem when supplied new, despite several conversations with the dealer regarding this problem prior to delivery. Dealer appeared unable to solve it. I had the wiring sorted at local towbar installer, and claimed the cost
from the BMW dealer. They paid.More recently, I ordered a new Porsche Cayenne and was very specific with the dealer about the wiring. The car was delivered to me 2 days before a trip to Provence. The dealer tried to sell me a "7 to 13" converter despite the plug already being a 13 pin
plug. He said this was to make all 13 pins work! I could see that only 7 pins had metal sleeves in them indicating electrical connections, but the dealer wouldn't listen. I had to take the car home and connect it to the van to prove the point. Needless to
say, neither the fridge nor the battery charger worked. Took it straight back to Porsche. They had to get a local towbar specialist to rewire it,and tried to charge me. I of course refused to pay.One thing to note is that when you have a factory fitted towball and electrics, the system automaticaly disables the stop-start function when the van is plugged in.
Paul
The Stop/Start isn't altered by plugging in a tralier or caravan on my Mercedes W221 S Klasse. The correct wiring is standard with the tow bar. The air suspension establishes the correct attitude for the Inteligent Lighting System and the speed sign recognition
through the same camera as well.Keefysher
The auto stop start should be turned off when a caravan is being towed. A "W" class I would guess doesn't have stop start. My Porker has all the other stuff you refer to, including LED headlights designed to cope with Le Mans at 200mph.
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Update, spoke to the BMW dealership I got the car from - they had the car for 3 days refused to do anything except arrange a professional towbar fitter to do the work at trade price. This was Friday last week, still not heard from him. So with the help of
my local BMW dealer got the 2 required pins and wire and sorted the issue out myself. Was easy in the end and cost nothing.0
