Felicia towbar installation

[Coughlin94]

Good day all,

 

I am considering installing a tow bar to my Felicia II and was just wondering if anyone has done this before on theirs or other cars?  

I am aware that the felicia is perhaps not the best towing car, especially as they are all getting on in years, but I'm intending a very small (300kg total) trailer.

 

One feature I'd like to have working correctly is the trailer dash light (between the indicator dash lights), so I'd be grateful if anyone would have tips for installing, wiring and additional relays etc to make is all work. 

[Xeins]

My dad fitted a towbar to his Felicia a couple decades ago. Perhaps he would have some answers. Would you like to get in contact with him?
From my recollection, he primarily fitted it just so he had a big solid metal "crash" bar.

[R_U_AFA]

I would also be intrested in the tow bar electrics

[Coughlin94]

Sorry in being slow in getting back. 

From what I have read the wiring is not difficult. Simply tap into the wiring for the rear lights and wire correctly into the tow bar socket. 

I see that you can also use a Multiplex relay box so that the extra electrical load of trailer lights does not overload the +20 year old wiring. (I've also noticed that VAG cars don't seem to have much redundancy in the amount of amps that can be drawn through wiring in general....)

 

As for that special dash light I mentions earlier, I think the use of a 4 pin flasher relay causes that to work.(instead of the standard 3 pin) Although i'm not sure how to wire the indicator lights, because if I use the multiplex relay then the car can't 'sense' the extra load on the flasher circuit. As such that all important dash light may not work.

 

I'll have to trial and error to see what works. 

 

I have not fitted the tow bar yet but I will update this thread after I have (with advice and maybe even a picture or 2). 

 

should be noted I haven't bought the tow bar yet, so who knows how long that will be ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

[R_U_AFA]

Did you get round to fitting the tow bar with electrics, I'm struggling a bit with mine, just wanted to compare notes.

I've wired it stright into the rear loom at the left light cluster and seem to be getting some odd results.

[R_U_AFA]

Worked it out now, I had no continuity on the earth between the tow bar bracket electric socket and the rear light cluster

Everything works fine now, although the trailer tail or brake lights do dim a little when operated in unison with the indicators

If I get time I'll post some wiring diagrams to help anyone in future

[R_U_AFA]

This is the way I have wired in the tow bar electrics (7-pin) like I say it's straight into the rear loom no extra relays. Although the fog light wiring goes nowhere on the trailer as seen as it has no corresponding light.

 Those are the connector blocks for the rear light units on the car (post facelift) but I think it's the same on early models. There also is a handy rubber body plug that goes into the boot under the light cluster which saves drilling through the steel boot floor, to feed the wire through.

[R_U_AFA]

Forgot to mention I did change the indicator relay in the fuse box, to the earlier mentioned realy to allow the light in the dashboard to work.

[Bete Noir]

On 07/09/2022 at 23:20, R_U_AFA said:

Worked it out now, I had no continuity on the earth between the tow bar bracket electric socket and the rear light cluster

Everything works fine now, although the trailer tail or brake lights do dim a little when operated in unison with the indicators

If I get time I'll post some wiring diagrams to help anyone in future

 

It sounds like you might still have an earth issue. Have you done a continuity test between the earth pin at the light cluster connectors and the vehicle earth?

 

On 15/06/2023 at 20:32, R_U_AFA said:

This is the way I have wired in the tow bar electrics (7-pin) like I say it's straight into the rear loom no extra relays. Although the fog light wiring goes nowhere on the trailer as seen as it has no corresponding light.

 Those are the connector blocks for the rear light units on the car (post facelift) but I think it's the same on early models. There also is a handy rubber body plug that goes into the boot under the light cluster which saves drilling through the steel boot floor, to feed the wire through.

 

I realise this question is too late to be helpful, but is there not an 8-way connector in the NSR car loom you can take all the towing connections from? On my pick-up there was one, and it meant I could simply make up a towing connector loom to go between the plug and socket of the original connector. My thread here has pictures.

[R_U_AFA]

On 26/06/2023 at 14:15, Bete Noir said:

sounds like you might still have an earth issue.

It's very possible, the earth issue mentioned before was due to heavy corrosion on the earth pin in the tow bar 7 pin connector.

 

On 26/06/2023 at 14:15, Bete Noir said:

is there not an 8-way connector in the NSR car loom you

I don't think the hatchback has that connector, from what I remember the loom runs straight to the light clusters, unless I have not seen it.