This has got me! Unusual tow bar electrics F1

Been trawling for answers but unfortunately I can't find this.

Vehicle 2006 Freelander TD4 owned for 3 months with 80,0000on the clock.
Problem
With a caravan connected to 7 pin electric the left hand indicator doesn't work (wait for it)
The beeper beeps fine in the OSrear location
Testing
At the female vehicle socket 12-13v on the left indicator (yellow wire) flashing....great
Connect the caravan, no indicator....not great
Bulb good, earth good connection good
Using power probe, power back down yellow wire in male socket illuminated the indicator. Bravo.
Tested volts at the back of the male plug whilst connected and nothing... great problem found....got to be loose connection in socket
Must be connection between pins......... cleaned rewired and still the same.
Bought new socket and plug, rewired and fitted both, still the same! Problem not solved.

The right indicator works fine, the beeper in the boot beeps away on either direction, just strange that i have power down at the sockets till I connect.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Corroded wire or broken strands or high resistance in the wiring somewhere and it can’t deliver the amps required to illuminate the bulb.

Sounds like non genuine wiring as genuine didn’t have a buzzer in the boot as it used the dash light instead. Check the connections to the car as well

td4van said:

Corroded wire or broken strands or high resistance in the wiring somewhere and it can’t deliver the amps required to illuminate the bulb.

Sounds like non genuine wiring as genuine didn’t have a buzzer in the boot as it used the dash light instead. Check the connections to the car as well

Click to expand...

Will check car connection, it's looks like an after market witter hitch. Only thing that though me was pushing power back to the bulb with a power probe, Which mad it work, but I expect that's more amps than what comes from the car. Many thanks

So you have voltage at the pin when you measure open circuit, but with the bulb in circuit, no volts. This sounds like a high resistance connection somewhere.

I suspect an incandescent test light won’t light at the female vehicle socket?

If so, track back along the relevant wire until you can get the test light to light. This should locate the faulty section. There should be a connector linking the trailer socket to the vehicle loom - my money’s on that.

Found it!

Caravan electrics where fine.

The poor freelander electrics has been fitted using quad locks. A big messy bundle! The reason for not working was the buzzer, power went in but minimal came out, enough to get a reading at the trailer socket, but not enough to light the bulb!

I will get a harness to plug in and a trailer relay, after we get back this weekend.

Thanks for your help ;-)