13 pin electrics

[Roy2]

Anybody help?

New van to collect soon.I have obtained all the reqd parts to change car to 13 pin socket.

Question.how do you plug into the socket?

does the plug have to be in a special position?

and do you have to turn it to lock etc.

Thanks

 

[rob_jax]

Roy,

The caravan plug has a twist-lock - grasp the body of the plug and turn the twist lock ring 90

 

[Roy2]

Thanks for that info.I could not get the plug into the socket,did not know the ring had to be turned to the left first.

will try again tonight,been scrathing head all weekend.

Thanks rob_jax

Roy

 

[anotherDavid]

I just collected a new van with 13 pin electrics and didnt know there was an issue with twisting the plug as the dealer supplied a converter that just gets the road lights working. I have just bought a socket and a length of 13 core cable to modify my car from a company called Western Towing, ordered it yesterday afternoon on the net and it was delivered this morning.

Dave

 

[Roy2]

Converted mine on Friday,took awhile and a bit fiddly.

Obtained 13 pin to 7 pin (road lights only) adapter,plugged in the 7n road lights,and all working ok.Noticed that side marker lights seem brighter? is it the better connection? or am i just seeing things!!!

Cannot check fully till I pick up new van in March.(have checked all other pins with a 12 volt tester ok)

Roy

 

[rob_jax]

Roy,

The 13 pin connector is a better design - but if the old 7 pin connector is perfectly clean and in perfect condition - then it shouldn't be any different.

But it's so easy for the 7 pin connectors to get knocked, start corroding, whatever - so they rarely work at 100% efficiency.

So - I'd probably say you're imagining it

Robert

 

[RUSure]

Received the following from the C&CC Tech team when I made earlier enquiries.

The only problem I can foresee when changing a car from 12N & S to 13 pin is is the limited space in the back of the 13pin plug and trying to cram two cables and 13 cores into this space. It will look messy, may not be well weather sealed [poor weather seal defeats the object of the change to 13 pin] and possibly not reliable long term. As long as you work neatly and leave no copper strands about to create a short circuit then installation should work.

What the market [trade and consumer] needs is a competitively priced pre wired 13pin plug with about 1.5 meters of tail, so this can be installed within the vehicle to the pre-existing wiring. Towsure are hoping to launch such a product through 2009 if they get the right price from the supplier. Towsure do stock sockets and a 13 core cable but the cable does not have the heavy gauge inner cable that the fridge and battery lives and earths require to function correctly.

I have purchased a 13pin pre wired plug from a dealer to install to my own car, not just to update it, but also to see what is involved in the project so I am aware of the work involved and any potential pitfalls. Amazingly this original equipment part does not have adequate earth return wires for a modern caravan with ATC and a 15 amp fridge element.

 

[Roy2]

Having already changed mine,(see previous messages) I would say the 13 pin wiring on the socket is a bit fiddly,but if you use the correct rated cable,it fans out from the centre with the road lights first (centre terminals) then the thicker wires for fridge battery earths etc towards the outside of the socket terminals.

I took the new 13 wire cable right back to where the old cables began.

I assume pin 12 is for the alko stability thingy,diagrams show as sensing device,and the old brown on the 12 s wiring is not now used.

Roy

 

[rob_jax]

Hi Roy,

Pin 12 is reserved for future use - it could be used for a caravan stability system - but it's my belief that the AL-KO ATC just takes a feed from the caravan battery charging circuit.

Most of the time ATC like systems won't draw a significant current, only when the brake plunger activates - and that shouldn't be an issue for the battery circuit

Robert

 

[Roy2]

Having just read the Cc's information,pin 12 can also be used by the car to sense that a caravan/trailer is coupled up.Pin 12 is connected to earth on the van/trailer,when plugged in the car sees the earth and can apply settings like cut out of rear fog lights on the car,informing the auto box to change to towing mode!!

It can all be read on the info pages on the C.C, web site.

Bit boring this so down to the Pub for a Xmas Beer.

Roy