towbar electrics

[uoapsdb]

I have been trying to work out the electrical connections for a second hand tow bar which I fitted last weekend,
I'm using the diagram here:

http://www.western-towing.co.uk/acatalo ... agram.html

I worked out what I believe to be the indicators, brakes, rear lights on the right hand side of the car (looking from the back) using the numbers on the cables, not the colours. I don't have a circuit tester, would that help ? I havn't been able to work out which is the fog light wire yet.

BUT BUT BUT i found 3 spare sockets already wired into the loom by the rear rhs lights:
> a typical brown one like the lights
> a chunky yellow one with about 4 contacts in it
> a complicated blue one with 2 amps written on the side

BEFORE I cut any wires - would any of these 3 be sockets already created for a tow bar ???

[mjb]

using the numbers on the cables

Good man! That's the way to do PSA cars

BEFORE I cut any wires - would any of these 3 be sockets already created for a tow bar ???

I suggest checking the numbers

If there's no numbers, it could well be that the car's had a towbar fitted before, and someone else has wired everything up to those plugs. You may well find the wires go up to the o/s rear light cluster. I'd definitely recommend the purchase of a decent multimeter though

[uoapsdb]

From working under the car I can see that the car hasn't had a tow bar fitted before.

The existing 3 sockets are part of the original wiring put in by Peugeot for a specific purpose - does anyone know how to find out what they are for ?

If I ask Peugeot will they say "huh ?" or "quoi ?"

[omega]

i think the sockets are part of PLUG AND PLAY SYSTEM FOR THE TOWBAR as there is a kit that you can get from the main dealers for towbar wireing.

[uoapsdb]

Thanks for that - I've seen those kits advertised. I've put a picture of the sockets here:

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/barfblog/406/IMG_4502.JPG

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/barfblog/406/IMG_4502.JPG

Does anybody recognise them ? If you have a towbar would you mind having a quick look to see if those connectors are used for it.

As I only have the one socket on my towbar, I suspect I would only need to use one of those sockets.

Do you think I could buy the plug to fit into the relevant socket ?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[mjb]

Well they definitely look like PSA connectors... Do they not have numbers on the wires? You might be looking at amp/cd changer wiring...

The chances of being able to buy plugs for them separately is very very slim

[uoapsdb]

Thanks for that mjb. The car already has a cd changer fitted in the offside recess behind the rear light.

The connectors shown in the picture at the link above are in the recess behind the nearside rear lights.

Please could someone with a 406 that has a towbar fitted have a lokk - it would only take a minute to get to behind the nearside rear light - just as if you had to chabge a bulb - the towbar wiring is in there or could be behind the panel behind that which is very easy to remove - no screws even.

If you are using the same sockets as the ones shown in the picture it would save me cutting into the wiring unnecessarily.

Thanks for your trouble.

[omega]

think the easy way to test this is but your 4 way flashers on get a test light and stick it in to see if you can get it flashing

[mjb]

Interesting. Didn't know they put changers on the offside (right hand side) of UK 406s...

My dad's car had its 3rd party towbar wired into the offside using scotchloks, which took ages to remove

[Doggy]

I'll have a look at mine and try to let you know.

What car do you have, (age, saloon / estate, D8/D9)?

Mine has an audible gubbins that beeps each time the trailer / caravan indicators operate, (doesn't beep if trailer not pligged in). Sound comes from that area, so maybe it plugs into the low current connector you describe. (Believe it's an oft ignored legal requirement to have a separate audible or visual indicator confirming trailer indicator function)

If you're really lucky, one is for the trailer lights and the other for the caravan's permanent 12V supply......

[uoapsdb]

Sorry, sorry, sorry, completely wrong with my NEARside and OFFside, let me say that again:

"Thanks for that mjb. The car already has a cd changer fitted in the NEARside recess behind the rear light.

The connectors shown in the picture at the link above are in the recess behind the OFFside rear lights.

Please could someone with a 406 that has a towbar fitted have a lokk - it would only take a minute to get to behind the OFFside rear light - just as if you had to chabge a bulb - the towbar wiring is in there or could be behind the panel behind that which is very easy to remove - no screws even.

If you are using the same sockets as the ones shown in the picture it would save me cutting into the wiring unnecessarily.

Thanks for your trouble."

[uoapsdb]

"I'll have a look at mine and try to let you know."
Would really appreciate that dogslife - please note I had offside/nearside wrong before - duh!

What car do you have, (age, saloon / estate, D8/D9)?
Year 2000 Estate, 110 HDi, not sure about the 'D' number how do you tell ?

If you're really lucky, one is for the trailer lights and the other for the caravan's permanent 12V supply......
That's what I was hoping but life never seems to turn out so easy ....

[highlander]

Yours is a D9, which is the mk. 2 version. Peugeot face-lifted the 406 starting late 1999, basically some cosmetic changes.

Additionally, the HDi engines were (apart from VERY few exceptions) only available in the D9 car. On the D8s, they were pretty much all standard turbodiesels.

See this thread for more:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=6870

[Doggy]

Well, I had a quick look inside the little 'doors' to the rear lights and didn't see any plugs in either one? - how did you access yours - mine should be the same?

TBH I've got a load liner fitted and didn't pry too far, but now I know yours is a D9 estate too, I'll have another try.

[mjb]

With the saloon non-oem towbar, I had to pull off the trim to get at anything. Can't remember if the estate has a large access panel or not There was a large rubber-booted hole in the floor where the wiring went through to a switching box, which had its wires scotchlok'd to the light cluster loom