Member Since: 08 May 2006
Location: Bristol
Posts: 16390
Weird Tow electrics - help
ive been messing aroundd with this all day and its driving me mad !!!!
I have wanted to add a tow electric socket to the back of the Sankey trailer so i can carry the mountain bikes - easy you may think.... not so
so this is what ive done.
Ive wired in an extension cable direct into the 7-pin plug on the sankey (sankey lights etc all work fine) and plugged this into the car.
at the other end is a 7 way fuse box which is then connected to a 7-pin socket which i'll attach to the tow bar on the back of the sankey.
to test the system ive got a trailer board.
So, if i plug the trailer board directly into the D4 electrics it works correctly. however, if i then plug the trailer board into the 7-pin socket on the back of the sankey, every time i press the brake pedal with the indicator on the lights flash as does the fog light. almost as if there is a dodgy earth.
ive tested the wires at all the connection points and they are connected properly and not touching each other.
ive tesed each wire to and from the 7-way fuse box and they are ok
ive checked and double checked the wiring into the 7-pin plug going into the D4
ive checked the wiring of the 7-pin socket on the back of the sankey and thats ok
ive checked the wiring on the trailer board 7-pin plug and thats ok
and ive checked the wiring inside the trailer board and thats ok
now the wierd bit. if i connect D3 up to the sankey and plug in the trailer board to the sankey IT WORKS FINE. if I plug into the D4 IT DOESNT WORK FINE.
why does it work with the D3 and not the D4.
Also, the sankey electrics, caravan electrics and trailer board all work fine when plugged directly into the D4.
i am now cold , wet (cos is peeing down) and really p d off
anyone got any idea why it doesnt work with the D4.
also, forgot to mention - neither the sankey or the trailer board have LED lights - just normal bulbs
Duncan
-----------------------------------------------------
If I'd known I was going to be so thirsty this morning I'd have drunk more beer last night.
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17th Mar 2012 4:00 pm
SHARKYSHARKS
Member Since: 20 Dec 2008
Location: Saddleworth Oldham
Posts: 1954
Earth fault somewhere i'd start with your fuse box !
And i know this is a daft question but you havent wired up your socket or plug with ie a mirror image so when the diagram says pin 1 it has gone to pin 1 and not another pin have seen this on hgv trailers and it can throw up all sorts of strange faults !
Sit down have a cuppa gather yourself and restart. Always works for me if in doubt brew up !!MY18 D5 HSE LUX😎
MY12 Freelander SD4 HSE
44 Tonne 12 Litre 6x2 Scania T cab (Current)
Freelander 1 (Wrote off 😫)
Ex D1
Ex D2 GS
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Ex D3 S
Ex D4 GS
Club skip ya lockers !!!
Club BAS remote heater !!
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17th Mar 2012 4:15 pm
SHARKYSHARKS
Member Since: 20 Dec 2008
Location: Saddleworth Oldham
Posts: 1954
Dunc check you haven't got pins 3 and 6 reversed on the plug or socket ?MY18 D5 HSE LUX😎
MY12 Freelander SD4 HSE
44 Tonne 12 Litre 6x2 Scania T cab (Current)
Freelander 1 (Wrote off 😫)
Ex D1
Ex D2 GS
Ex V8 D2 GS
Ex D3 S
Ex D4 GS
Club skip ya lockers !!!
Club BAS remote heater !!
Club Duratrac
Club Phillips DRL
Club Prospeed Rack Mk 1
Club Prospeed Rack Mk 2
Club Sankey
Club RLD spare wheel protector
17th Mar 2012 4:20 pm
DiscoDunc
Member Since: 08 May 2006
Location: Bristol
Posts: 16390
ive checked and checked and .....
if that was the case, wouldnt it be faulty when connected to the D3 - works fine on the D3..
i'll check it all again but its still chucking it down as the moment..Duncan
-----------------------------------------------------
If I'd known I was going to be so thirsty this morning I'd have drunk more beer last night.
FFRR Autobiography 4.4 SDV8 MY17
D4 HSE MY13 SOLD
FFRR 3.6 Vogue TDV8 SOLD
D4 HSE MY10 SOLD
D4 SE TECH MY15 SOLD
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D3 HSE MY06 - Re-Cycled Worldwide
17th Mar 2012 4:26 pm
SHARKYSHARKS
Member Since: 20 Dec 2008
Location: Saddleworth Oldham
Posts: 1954
Sometimes Dunc it can be staring you in the face
It will be something and Nowt or the D4 is that tempremental and doesn't like the extra resistance you will have imposed on the circuit by adding all the extra connections.MY18 D5 HSE LUX😎
MY12 Freelander SD4 HSE
44 Tonne 12 Litre 6x2 Scania T cab (Current)
Freelander 1 (Wrote off 😫)
Ex D1
Ex D2 GS
Ex V8 D2 GS
Ex D3 S
Ex D4 GS
Club skip ya lockers !!!
Club BAS remote heater !!
Club Duratrac
Club Phillips DRL
Club Prospeed Rack Mk 1
Club Prospeed Rack Mk 2
Club Sankey
Club RLD spare wheel protector
17th Mar 2012 4:36 pm
DiscoDunc
Member Since: 08 May 2006
Location: Bristol
Posts: 16390
do you think it could be the fuse box - when i plugged the trailer board into an extension cable it worked fine. i then used the cable from the extension cable to connect to the fuse box and 7-pin plug.... its just weird !!
ive test the fuse box and its ok as in not shorts etc..
perhaps ill try it without the fuse box and join the socket and cable from the plug togetherDuncan
-----------------------------------------------------
If I'd known I was going to be so thirsty this morning I'd have drunk more beer last night.
FFRR Autobiography 4.4 SDV8 MY17
D4 HSE MY13 SOLD
FFRR 3.6 Vogue TDV8 SOLD
D4 HSE MY10 SOLD
D4 SE TECH MY15 SOLD
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17th Mar 2012 4:47 pm
wiggs
Member Since: 03 Sep 2006
Location: Manchester
Posts: 14372
Duncan
Dont know if it makes any difference but the d4 has a pin that has to be configured for different uses
do both the sanky and board have identical lights ? ....or does one have fogs and the other has reversing lights
heres the options on a D4 ...on a D3 there is no option
G4 Gone ...but not forgotten
17th Mar 2012 4:55 pm
SHARKYSHARKS
Member Since: 20 Dec 2008
Location: Saddleworth Oldham
Posts: 1954
Just a thought dunc but could it be that you are doubling the current draw by running two lots of trailer lights and the D4 can read the extra.
And if this is the case a solution would be to use
One set of lights at a time or fit
LEDs and fit ballast resistors.
But i would remove the fuse box out of the equation just to see if it is the problem MY18 D5 HSE LUX😎
MY12 Freelander SD4 HSE
44 Tonne 12 Litre 6x2 Scania T cab (Current)
Freelander 1 (Wrote off 😫)
Ex D1
Ex D2 GS
Ex V8 D2 GS
Ex D3 S
Ex D4 GS
Club skip ya lockers !!!
Club BAS remote heater !!
Club Duratrac
Club Phillips DRL
Club Prospeed Rack Mk 1
Club Prospeed Rack Mk 2
Club Sankey
Club RLD spare wheel protector
17th Mar 2012 4:57 pm
DiscoDunc
Member Since: 08 May 2006
Location: Bristol
Posts: 16390
Wiggs, both sankey and board have Fogs lights.
i'll try disconnecting the sankey lights from the plug and see what that does but will get rid of fuse box anyway. just wanted a bit of extra protection...Duncan
-----------------------------------------------------
If I'd known I was going to be so thirsty this morning I'd have drunk more beer last night.
FFRR Autobiography 4.4 SDV8 MY17
D4 HSE MY13 SOLD
FFRR 3.6 Vogue TDV8 SOLD
D4 HSE MY10 SOLD
D4 SE TECH MY15 SOLD
D4 XS MY12 SOLD
D4 HSE MY10 SOLD
D3 HSE MY06 - Re-Cycled Worldwide
17th Mar 2012 5:00 pm
DiscoDunc
Member Since: 08 May 2006
Location: Bristol
Posts: 16390
if i put LED bulbs in the sankey, would that help matters - or cause more problems ??Duncan
-----------------------------------------------------
If I'd known I was going to be so thirsty this morning I'd have drunk more beer last night.
FFRR Autobiography 4.4 SDV8 MY17
D4 HSE MY13 SOLD
FFRR 3.6 Vogue TDV8 SOLD
D4 HSE MY10 SOLD
D4 SE TECH MY15 SOLD
D4 XS MY12 SOLD
D4 HSE MY10 SOLD
D3 HSE MY06 - Re-Cycled Worldwide
17th Mar 2012 6:38 pm
SHARKYSHARKS
Member Since: 20 Dec 2008
Location: Saddleworth Oldham
Posts: 1954
Wouldn't draw as much current which could be where the problem lies ??
Dont know Dunc but you could be our Guinea Pig MY18 D5 HSE LUX😎
MY12 Freelander SD4 HSE
44 Tonne 12 Litre 6x2 Scania T cab (Current)
Freelander 1 (Wrote off 😫)
Ex D1
Ex D2 GS
Ex V8 D2 GS
Ex D3 S
Ex D4 GS
Club skip ya lockers !!!
Club BAS remote heater !!
Club Duratrac
Club Phillips DRL
Club Prospeed Rack Mk 1
Club Prospeed Rack Mk 2
Club Sankey
Club RLD spare wheel protector
17th Mar 2012 7:00 pm
DiscoDunc
Member Since: 08 May 2006
Location: Bristol
Posts: 16390
order a couple of tail/stop leds from Hids so will see what happens.
however, D4 goes back to dealer on monday so wont be able to test until new one arrives in june Duncan
-----------------------------------------------------
If I'd known I was going to be so thirsty this morning I'd have drunk more beer last night.
FFRR Autobiography 4.4 SDV8 MY17
D4 HSE MY13 SOLD
FFRR 3.6 Vogue TDV8 SOLD
D4 HSE MY10 SOLD
D4 SE TECH MY15 SOLD
D4 XS MY12 SOLD
D4 HSE MY10 SOLD
D3 HSE MY06 - Re-Cycled Worldwide
17th Mar 2012 9:52 pm
Russell
Member Since: 23 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
Posts: 10564
Duncan. am I right in saying you want to put bikes on the back of the Sankey and have two lots of lights running from the D4 one the Sankey and the other the light board at the back on the bikes.
I so I think the issue may be to do with the D4 and the load it is seeing. Could you not just put a light board on the bikes and use that as the rear lights for the sankey when the bikes are being carried, leave the Sankey un plugged.MY17 D5 1st Edition Namib Orange
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17th Mar 2012 10:21 pm
DiscoDunc
Member Since: 08 May 2006
Location: Bristol
Posts: 16390
hi Russell,
that may be what i have to do, but the sankey also has some forward facing clear lights that would be lost if I use two circuits
no big problem though as it wont be used like that all the time. alternativy i could put a few relays into the circuit. just seems a bit extreme to keep fit
bike carrier has an intergral light board anyway.
i did notive that the sankey tail light only run off one circuit, the left hand side !!. so i have 3 tail lights running of the RH light (pin 5) - going to puit a jumper from 7 to 5 and see if this helps
if not, then it looks like ill have to go with two plugs..Duncan
-----------------------------------------------------
If I'd known I was going to be so thirsty this morning I'd have drunk more beer last night.
FFRR Autobiography 4.4 SDV8 MY17
D4 HSE MY13 SOLD
FFRR 3.6 Vogue TDV8 SOLD
D4 HSE MY10 SOLD
D4 SE TECH MY15 SOLD
D4 XS MY12 SOLD
D4 HSE MY10 SOLD
D3 HSE MY06 - Re-Cycled Worldwide
18th Mar 2012 8:04 am
DiscoDunc
Member Since: 08 May 2006
Location: Bristol
Posts: 16390
think ive sorted it
the extra fuse box had a fuse for earth. i had only got a 4 amp fuse in there and when all the lights were going : hazards, fog, brake and tail - the earth fuse was blowing. after that, the light did all weird things.
so, repalced the 4 amp with a 7.5 amp - and they seem to be working fine
thanks for all your help Duncan
-----------------------------------------------------
If I'd known I was going to be so thirsty this morning I'd have drunk more beer last night.
FFRR Autobiography 4.4 SDV8 MY17
D4 HSE MY13 SOLD
FFRR 3.6 Vogue TDV8 SOLD
D4 HSE MY10 SOLD
D4 SE TECH MY15 SOLD
D4 XS MY12 SOLD
D4 HSE MY10 SOLD
D3 HSE MY06 - Re-Cycled Worldwide
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