Indicator/repeater Audible Warning

[dave_m]

Can anyone clarify whether the Audible beep is a legal requirement?

 

I have enabled the Towing Warning Lamp on the Instrument Cluster and was wondering if this is sufficient in the eyes of the law and i can disconnect the annoying bleeper!!

[Masked Marauder]

You only need a tell-tale, it can be audible or a light on the dash, you don't need both.

[bigdaddy]

dave what does the towing warning lamp do has a warning lamp,,,,,,does it flash when you indicate or is it on when you connect the caravan/trailer socket to your car,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

As far as I know the buzzer is to warn you that you are indicating on the caravan/trailer

 

 

I dont have a registered copy of vag-com,,,,,,,will I be able to activate this function

[SEMPTIE]

As far as I understand it, you are required by law to have either an audible or visual device that the towed trailer indicators are operating.

The visual device on the Galaxy when activated only flashes when aforesaid trailer is connected.

The onboard visual device has to be activated using VAG-COM (do a search in Tech for further details) as the system then senses the trailer being attached.

Hope this is of some use

 

 

Regards

 

Simon

[dave_m]

the light is activated by adding 08 to the software coding on Module 9 Central Electronics using VAG-COM. Bigdaddy - I think the software needs to be registered in order to recode modules.

 

The electronics sense the additional load created by the extra indicator bulbs thus triggering the towing light

 

 

I am glad i can get rid of that damned buzzer though:)

[tim-spam]

I have the genuine VAG wiring loom connecting the rear lights to the 7-pin plug on my car's towbar, and this loom incorporates some sort of control relay / unit. On the instructions, it had a symbol that seems to imply that the dashboard warning light does not need to be enabled and is not required, which was somewhat puzzling.

When the trailer is plugged in and the indicators are operated, there is no indication that the trailer indicators are working. However, should one of the trailer indicator bulbs be removed, the indicators flash at twice the normal rate (just like when a bulb on the car fails with no trailer in tow), which means that there is, in effect, a warning of indicator failure. I have tried to find out whether or not this meets the legal requirements, but can not seem to get a sensible answer - I would obviously prefer the answer to be 'yes'.

[tim-spam]

After a little more research, it appears that the requirements state that you need an audible or visible warning of failure of the trailer turn signals, so I guess that the system on my car is acceptable.

[Masked Marauder]

  11.    Tell-tale-

 

    (a)  One or more indicators on each side of a vehicle to which indicators are fitted shall be so designed and fitted that the driver when in his seat can readily be aware when it is in operation; or

 

    (b )  The vehicle shall be equipped with an operational tell-tale for front and rear indicators (including any rear indicator on the rearmost of any trailers drawn by the vehicle).

 

If it has a tell-tale for the normal indicators then there would be no need to include trailers if they were not required to have a separate tell-tale.

 

So I read that as a separate one is required. But I could be wrong.

[tim-spam]

Yes, but I could (and would) argue that, with the trailer connected, the normal flash rate tells me that the trailer indicators are working. The only weakness I can see with the system fitted to my car is that there is no warning if one forgets to plug the trailer electrics in. Offset against this however, is that should the trailer electrics be a little less than good, the doubling of the flashing rate would give more encouragement to sort them out.