13 pin plug misaligned
We bought a 15 plate Sorento and had a Kia towbar fitted by/organised by dealer.
Went to collect van after service only ti find plug misaligned. Guy there used green alignment tool worked ok. Took van home to set of next day then found the plug was again misaligned Spent 2 hours trying to sort it out and tried out green 'plu' to no avail
then went to local dealer bought new plug and changed shroud.Finally it worked.
When we arrived I put the green plug on hoepfully all will be ok as we are to leave tomorrow to trvael home.
Any ideas how it got so misaligned?
Comments
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Usually caused by not rotating it sufficently anti-clockwise when removing from the car. I have to rotate mine until I hear/feel a click before pulling out. If I dont, I have the problem.
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I must have connected and disconnected mine a hundred times in the last 4.5 years and no problem. However a few years ago a chap was having problems. I have a green keeper in the tool box and sorted him out. I connected it a dozen or more times for him to
show how easy it was. Every time he tried it ended up missaligned. Strange0 -
Only had the problem once and it wasn't my fault, problem occurred immediately after my last service.
Thankfully i did have the gadget along with a spare plug i carry, so problem sorted in seconds. Only discovered the problem just after i coupled the caravan on the car ready to go on tour.
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I also had this problem 6 years ago when changed caravan so purchased the green alignment cap which I put on everytime I disconnect and leave it on until connecting up again. Keeps the contacts clean and bug free and works a treat, think it cost about £3,
worth every penny.0 -
There seem to be loads of threads here re 13 pin plug/socket & re-aligning problems ..... I have to agree with EasyT and say I really can't see what the problem is with either. Is it possible to spend 2 hours trying to plug your caravan into your car?
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Sorry, I can't understand why so many have difficulty with this issue, its just the case of turning the plugs outer casing up to 90° in order to realign the plug fitting. My apologies for being a bit blunt, but this is not rocket science. Easy enough to do without a green cap.
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Indeed it is fairly simple. In my case however my sight is poor in the one eye that works and if I have my distance glasses on to drive I could not focus at the distance. Also with arthritis in my hand much easier to use the plug. Having said that I got
mine free but have never had to use it myself.Some folk are not mechanically minded it would seem judging how the chap that I helped was struggling.
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Indeed it is fairly simple. In my case however my sight is poor in the one eye that works and if I have my distance glasses on to drive I could not focus at the distance. Also with arthritis in my hand much easier to use the plug. Having said that I got
mine free but have never had to use it myself.Some folk are not mechanically minded it would seem judging how the chap that I helped was struggling.
Yes, I have noted your points, I've not thought about older people who maybe not so well sighted without close-up glasses & who may not be so mechanically minded.
I apologize and takeback what I said!
Colin
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Colin this was the first time I encountered this problem as I am only 60 active and fit I do not need your apologies nor your condescention that as because you cannot understand something then it cannot be happening.
Both I and a neighbour who has been caravanning for over 30 years could not understand why the plug would not realign.
It was finally accomplished using the green alignment tool.
Colin as it is 'not rocket science' perhaps you could take a look at this site and contact the author as to why he wrote the artical and to the numerous people who have experienced this problem.
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Ok Trini;
Fair coment, I'm in the wrong! I sincerely apologize if I have offended anyone. As said previously, I take back what I said.
Kind regards
colin
its happened to us a couple of times couldn't understand why until I found a video on YouTube that showed me how to realign without the green plug,the green plug looks easier and quicker so I might have to get one if this is a reoccurring problem
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Sorry, I can't understand why so many have difficulty with this issue, its just the case of turning the plugs outer casing up to 90° in order to realign the plug fitting. My apologies for being a bit blunt, but this is not rocket science. Easy enough to do without a green cap.
Write your comments here...I'm a retired sparks and i struggle to work out how it misaligns but it does, and has.
Even after wiring a few up i'm still no wiser. Yet the green cap sorts it in seconds.
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IMO, the problem may have to do with the quality of the socket and plug.
We have been using the system for just over 9 years now, having ordered our car with a 13 pin socket. The fitting on the car seems good quality, it's a Brink/Volvo fitted one.
I then converted our old van using an unbranded plug bought from our dealer, being extra careful to seal it properly where the cables entered the plug. After a year using it (without any problem) I converted the van back to 7 pin plugs as we were selling it. I noticed that the internals of the plug were already starting to deteriorate.
For the new van I therefore bought a more expensive, branded plug and this has been in use with not a single problem for over 8 years now.
It came with the green cap, which I use as a cover cap when necessary.
I think many manufacturers are most likely using a lower quality plug on their vans to save a few £s. And the same is likely true for towbar fitters too.
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This misalignment has only happened once with us (70 miles from home) since we'd bought the van in 2009 and it was incredibly frustrating trying to connect up. It got sorted somehow and later we went back to towbar fitter. He said most common reason for
this happening is not rotating the full 1/4 turn before pulling plug out. Not had a problem since but the green alignment tool sits in the car boot!0 -
As someone previously mentioned, the green cap also protects the plug from the whether elements. What I've done, as I have converted my caravan to the said euro plug, it does not fit into either of the 12n/12s retaining holders on the caravans' draw-bar; I have mounted a green cap on my braw-bar next to the old 12n/12s retaining holders. Have also mounted one on my trailers' draw-bar too. When fitting, I drilled a small 2mm drain hole in the base of the cap (as it is mounted face-up) to allow any water to drain out if needed.
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This misalignment has only happened once with us (70 miles from home) since we'd bought the van in 2009 and it was incredibly frustrating trying to connect up. It got sorted somehow and later we went back to towbar fitter. He said most common reason for this happening is not rotating the full 1/4 turn before pulling plug out. Not had a problem since but the green alignment tool sits in the car boot!
Write your comments here...I don't see how you can actually pull it out until its lined up to extract?
I've read the same, but i've never had the issue until the mobile fitter serviced my caravan, in my use its not yet occurred.
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I may of come up with an explanation of how the euro-plug maybe come misaligned;
When removing the plug, it's outer case is turned 90° anticlockwise and then exstracted (pulled out). Having undertaken said task, your hand is still placed around the plugs outer case, you then place the exstracted plug into it's retaining holder, which could involve slightly twisting the cable while undertaking the task. Due to the 13 core eurocable (or 12n/12s cables, if you have fitted a dual inlet plug to existing cables) being so thick and stiff this could allow the inner part of the plug to twist around with the cable up to 90°, as your hand is still holding the plugs outer case, this stops it twisting with it, which in turn allows it to become misaligned. Then causing problems the next time you try to insert the plug.
Colin
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How do you actually use the green cap to realign it?
Write your comments here...Have a look at this
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) and tried
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534AbREa-9w