Towbar Module And Light On Mkiii Dashboard

[dellybeanhead]

Is there one. I've looked in the manual and cannot see one. The MkII has one on the rev counter. I am about to buy the MKIII towbar electrics but if it does not have this light I will go for a different manufacturers kit.

 

Does anybody know if the genuine Ford towing module requires a software code or does it just work? Do the towbar light failure warning messages get received and displayed without having to update the main software.

 

Thanks

 

James

[Willie Krashitt]

Am fairly certain there is a light, but cannot say for sure - Doesn't the handbook have a dashboard display diagram what shows up all the various functions and indicators?

 

Have spoken to the electricians downstairs, and their answer was that loom and module isn't plug and play, but needs configuring with IDS or WDS to work properly. However, this is also stated in instructions for the Focus loom and my one worked simply by plugging it all in....

 

Sorry I can't be more definitive.

 

George.

[johdt]

James

 

The answer to your question is No the MK3 does not have a warning light. I fitted a witter towbar and decided to use two Ford wiring kits required inorder to protect my warranty. It states in the fitting instructions for the wiring kit that if their is a fault the dash indiactor warning lights will flash very fast. Yes! the system does have to aligned to the cars onboard control system at a dealer. I was told it would be charged at one hours labour at

Edited February 12, 2008 by johdt

[mk3nick]

I had the retractable tow bar factory fitted. I've hooked up a lighting board and their is no repeater lamp on the dash. However the manual does say that stop and turn lamps are monitored. I preferred the warning lamps on my old mk1...

[dellybeanhead]

I have decided that I will get a genuine ford wiring kit so that there can be no argument about warranty. However I cannot find a Ford dealer that knows how to do this. They do not know what code is required to get the towbar CAN module to work with the dash board.

 

Also, I want Ford to fit the 13 PIN socket to a non ford towbar (as the Ford towbar does not take the weight that I need). But they say they will not fit it to a proprietary towbar as it won;t work. This is complete nonsense as the towbar is a lump of metal with a hole for the 13 pin socket.

 

Anybody have any suggestions?

 

Anybody know a nice Ford service centre with a sensible and reasonable manager close to Milton keynes?

 

I think my last alternative is to buy the Genuine Ford kit and fit it myself and just have Ford update the computer to make it work. Does anybody know the part number for the Ford kit (I need a 13 pin socket version and also need teh permamnent live feed too (i.e. equivalent to a 12N/12S twin electric sockets)

Thanks

 

James

[dellybeanhead]

Thought I would feedback to you all.

 

Towbar:

I finally fitted a Bosal removable towbar to my MkIII Galaxy. I went for this as the Bosal is the only one that gives me a 100Kg nose weight. (the ford one and most others are 80Kg).

I needed the extra noseweight as my caravan is large.

 

I went for a removable as I did not want to risk a towball interfering with the reverse sensors.

 

The kit was easy to fit myself (My Ford dealer would not fit it for me so I had not choice)). You have to take the bumper off and cut a hole under it (whcih can't be seen) but for the moderatly skilled DIY er thsi is not a difficult job.

A tip I would give is to fit the boot trim and shut the boot before you torque the bolts as there is some give in it and you need to make sure that the boot trim fits nicely for the boot to shut nicely.

 

 

Eletrics:

I ordered the Ford 13 pin kit. You have to order 2 parts. One is labelled as the 'relay'. This is misleading as it is the CAN module which happens to contain the relay. The other item is the 13 pin wiring loom. You don't need to order the bracket as the kit contains one.

 

I went for the FORD 13 pin kit as all caravans will be manufactured with 13 pin as standard from Sep 2008. Also the 13 pin is a much better connector than the twin 7 pin.

 

The ford wiring kit was easy to fit. It comes with a full instruction manual. It benefits from, permanent and switched live feed (for fridge, etc) in the 13 pin kit. No external relay required as it is in teh CAN module. It will swicth off your reverse sensors, disbale your foglight (but enable it on your unit so that you don't get foglight reflection in your rear view mirror). Warn you if a bulb has failed (in the same way as the car does; doublw indicator speed).

The FORD 13 pin kit was also no more expensive than any 3rd party kit and keeps your warranty in tact.

However, you do have to get the module enabled. Without it enabled you will not get anything at all out of the socket.

 

To enable it you have to take it to a dealer and hand them the manual (well at least the last page which has the CAN module codes). Some dealers are much more helpful than others. Evans Halshaw in Milton Keynes were rubbish. It was becuase of them that I was forced to fit the electrics myself. They said that they woudl not fit a Ford part onto a non ford part (towbar). CRAZY! it's like saying I won't plug in one vendors 13Amp plug into a another vendors 13Amp socket. Anyway, it was very easy to fit.

 

RGR in Cranfield were exceptional. They charged me the minimum 1/2 hour labour charge to enable my module and did it the same day. Cost me

[b20pjg]

Thought I would feedback to you all.

Many thanks for all the input on this. After having had two MK1 and two MKII Galaxys I have recently purchased a Jan 09 2.0 litre diesel Ghia. Indespension in Derby have fitted me a Witter Quantum detachable towbar with the vehicle specific wiring kit produced by Right Connections for a 13 pin plug.

 

I took the vehicle back to TC Harrison in Derby to have vehicle recoded to recognise the trailer. It wasn't a great start when the lady in the service reception had no idea what I was on about. However to cut a long story short it has taken three visits to TC Harrison to have it done correctly. It perhaps sums up their approach when the fitter mentioned that he had checked with the firm who normally does their towbars and was advised that they never recode, which means that either bypass the module or the vehicle has no means of signifying a bulb failure.

 

Anyway it now operates correctly. As mentioned in previous posts, unlike the MK II their is not trailer repeater in the rev counter, but rather if a bulb fails the indicator light flashes at normal speed and a message is displayed, as least on the Ghia, in the centre of the dash. Finally the rear parking sensors are also isolated when connected up.

 

Hope this helps

 

Philip

Towbar:

I finally fitted a Bosal removable towbar to my MkIII Galaxy. I went for this as the Bosal is the only one that gives me a 100Kg nose weight. (the ford one and most others are 80Kg).

I needed the extra noseweight as my caravan is large.

 

I went for a removable as I did not want to risk a towball interfering with the reverse sensors.

 

The kit was easy to fit myself (My Ford dealer would not fit it for me so I had not choice)). You have to take the bumper off and cut a hole under it (whcih can't be seen) but for the moderatly skilled DIY er thsi is not a difficult job.

A tip I would give is to fit the boot trim and shut the boot before you torque the bolts as there is some give in it and you need to make sure that the boot trim fits nicely for the boot to shut nicely.

 

 

Eletrics:

I ordered the Ford 13 pin kit. You have to order 2 parts. One is labelled as the 'relay'. This is misleading as it is the CAN module which happens to contain the relay. The other item is the 13 pin wiring loom. You don't need to order the bracket as the kit contains one.

 

I went for the FORD 13 pin kit as all caravans will be manufactured with 13 pin as standard from Sep 2008. Also the 13 pin is a much better connector than the twin 7 pin.

 

The ford wiring kit was easy to fit. It comes with a full instruction manual. It benefits from, permanent and switched live feed (for fridge, etc) in the 13 pin kit. No external relay required as it is in teh CAN module. It will swicth off your reverse sensors, disbale your foglight (but enable it on your unit so that you don't get foglight reflection in your rear view mirror). Warn you if a bulb has failed (in the same way as the car does; doublw indicator speed).

The FORD 13 pin kit was also no more expensive than any 3rd party kit and keeps your warranty in tact.

However, you do have to get the module enabled. Without it enabled you will not get anything at all out of the socket.

 

To enable it you have to take it to a dealer and hand them the manual (well at least the last page which has the CAN module codes). Some dealers are much more helpful than others. Evans Halshaw in Milton Keynes were rubbish. It was becuase of them that I was forced to fit the electrics myself. They said that they woudl not fit a Ford part onto a non ford part (towbar). CRAZY! it's like saying I won't plug in one vendors 13Amp plug into a another vendors 13Amp socket. Anyway, it was very easy to fit.

 

RGR in Cranfield were exceptional. They charged me the minimum 1/2 hour labour charge to enable my module and did it the same day. Cost me