Tow bar wiring

Hi All,

As mentioned in previous post i have just bought a 1997 HSE with a tow bar. When i went to use the towbar i noticed the trailer lights were not working so i started to investigate. I followed the wiring back from the socket up through the bumper to the off side rear light cluster. there the cable just stopped. there was a connector coming off the cars loom to the rear lights. Is this a connector built in for tow bar wiring. I cant understand why the previos owner never had it connected. Can i buy some sort of adapter to pllug in. Or does any one know what i need to wire to where. I have never wired a towbar.

thanks for you help

The OE towbar kit has the lead from the 12N plug ready fitted to plug straight into the socket you refer to. You could always "Hard wire" your socket t these leads after cutting the plug off. Make sure you make sound connections-preferably soldered and joits covered with heat shrink tubing.

Sorry to hijack this thread but I have recently bought a caravan - now, I have the trailer socket wired up properly with the plug in behind the o/s rear lights but was wondering if anyone knew how to wire up the other socket - you know, the one that charges the caravan battery as you drive along ?
Thanks (from a caravan newby )

I wired my 4.6HSE up a few years ago and ran a 4mm.sq. single cable from the battery + via. a 25amp fuse to a relay mounted in the rear n/s light compartment together with a .75mm. sq signal wire which is live with the Ignition on to energise the relay coil. From memory, I think I picked it up from the cig. lighter. The cables were run behind the sill trims to the rear of the car. I used a 12VDC 30amp, double pole heavy duty relay from RS Components which has two pairs of contacts (Part no. 376-880).

The 12S (White cap) socket wiring is as follows:
Pin 1-Yellow wire-Reversing lights
" 2-Blue " -Caravan battery charge (Ignition control via. relay)
" 3-White " -Return (Neg.) for pins 2 & 4
" 4-Green " -Interior lights,water pump etc.
" 5-Brown " -Not used
" 6-Red " -Fridge (Ignition control via relay)
" 7-Black " -Return (Neg.) for pin 6

You will need a couple of metres of 7 core, 2.5mm.sq, grey cable from your local caravan dealer. I wired pins 2 and 6 to separate contacts on the relay and picked pin 4 up via a piggy back lucar spade from the feed from the car battery at the relay. The reason that pins 2 & 6 are via a relay is that the fridge which pulls around 8amp and the caravan battery could flatten the car battery if you were parked up with the ignition off and they were wired direct.
Be sure to fit a grommet at the rear of the 12S socket and where the cable enters the car. If you want a sketch of the wiring-drop me a PM.

Just remembered, there is a spare socket on the loom in the n/s tail lamp compartment which has a 12V + feed from the ignition circuit and I used this for the feed to the relay coil. I drilled a
5mm. hole in the strut and used a screw/nut for the negative feed.