Bulb warning when using towing socket

**dave b** · 23rd February 2008, 18:10

I have just fitted a Towsure towbar & single 12N electrics to my Vectra, these are the plug & play type that just plug in near the rear fuse box. Everything works as it should, except the small bulb warning in the tacho is on constantly when a trailer is connected, but goes out when disconnected. The main centre display which normally tells you which bulb is out shows no fault. I have tried a caravan, two trailers and a lighting board, none of which had any faulty bulbs, all with the same result. Also,is the tell-tale light (towbar symbol) in the dash normally acivated with this system ? Mine doesn't, is there abulb alread in ?

**Gsi3.2** · 23rd February 2008, 18:13

did you fit the extra relay pack as well when you plugged in the 12N electrics?..if not that will cause your problems..

anything i tow doesn't activate the towbar signal when you turn...and thats with a VX wiring kit with the relay and TECH2 activation..so i'd say that part of it's normal

**dave b** · 23rd February 2008, 18:28

Originally Posted by Gsi3.2

did you fit the extra relay pack as well when you plugged in the 12N electrics?..if not that will cause your problems..

anything i tow doesn't activate the towbar signal when you turn...and thats with a VX wiring kit with the relay and TECH2 activation..so i'd say that part of it's normal

Yes there is a relay that plugs in at the rear fuse box as well as the multiplug that feeds the 12N socket. To comply with the law these kits should have a trailer indicator bulb warning. When I fitted a towbar to my Omega, the dash light worked straight away.

**Gsi3.2** · 23rd February 2008, 18:31

all i can tell you is that my VX kit doesn't have the additional turn signal on the dash...the kit was genuine VX and it was fully activated on tech2 to enable the relay module in the rear electrical centre..

did you have your rear electrical centre programmed?..

**dave b** · 23rd February 2008, 18:44

Originally Posted by Gsi3.2

all i can tell you is that my VX kit doesn't have the additional turn signal on the dash...the kit was genuine VX and it was fully activated on tech2 to enable the relay module in the rear electrical centre..

did you have your rear electrical centre programmed?..

No, its not been Tech 2'd, the fitting destructions say this is only necessary if you want to disable the towing vehicle rear foglight whilst towing.

**Gsi3.2** · 23rd February 2008, 18:54

the VX destructions say it has to be enabled in all eventuallity..

..

best hook it up to tech2 and see what the rear electrical centre has to say about it..

**RoyF** · 12th March 2008, 09:55

I fitted the double socket Vauxhall Electrics kit to my Vectra C Estate, didn't get it Tech 2'd as everything appears to work fine.

When trailer connected up, the car rear fog lamp is disabled (to prevent reflection back from front of trailer) and the rear park sensors are disabled. The clever bit is regarding the indicators.

The law states that you need to know if the trailer indicators are working. This always used to be by a warning light in the dash, or a buzzer in the boot area.

With the VX kit everything works as normal, but when a trailer indicator bulb is out, then the indicators flash and the relay clicks in double quick time in the same way as if you had a bulb go on the car when driving solo.

Try plugging in a trailer and removing the indicator bulb and see what you get with your TowSure kit.