hi everyone We have just purchaced as new s max 2 ltr diesel to tow our coachman 520/4. I am looking for a tow bar to be fitted. The prices seem to vary a lot, has any one had one fitted, and has it affected there reverse sensors. There also seems a big difference in the cost of wiring, is it nessesary to use a ford wiring kit or can it be doe with old fasion relays, any help or advice would be appreacated thankyou franklin. ps we are in nottingham any recomendations as to fitters would also help
ford s max reverse sensors
- Thread starter franklin1
- Start date
I bought my towbar from Tow-equip, it turned out at the time, Ford off-loaded all their removable mk3 Mondeo bars to them and at £125 it was a gift! I also ordered a Ford loom but this was 'out of stock' or some such excuse?
Being in a hurry and buying the car in Derby, next door to Indespension, would you believe!, on Ascot Drive, the solution seemed obvious.
The guy in charge of fitting, and should have fitted it, is very knowledgeable and will answer all your doubts, in my case he recomended and used a 'standard' loom and fitted my bar for £75 all in.
Sadly it all went a bit pear shaped after that?, the 'expert' was called away and I got the apprentice!... took him 4 long hours and made a complete **** up of the bumper cut, a brand new bumper I might add!!
One thing I gleamed about the Ford loom is it's under rated as far as 12v power to the van, the pre-wired section in the car is simply not heavy enough for UK use, the loom has a gizmo to stop any over heating problems so switches off the supply to the van, problem is the fridge/charging stop working!
To clarify, the fitted 12v supply to the van is fed via wiring thinner than supplies the 10A rated 12v socket in the boot! this slightly heavier wire was the wire used in my case, albeit as yet not used, I doubt very much that's heavy enough either, just after 4hrs and the bumper cut fiasco, I'd had enough?!
Apparently it's Ford Germany that specify the wiring size and they don't have such power needs? so don't understand our needs?
So I can't answer the reverse sensor question and raised another question regarding wiring, whichever loom you use?, perhaps standard loom and insisting on a proper 25A supply direct from battery will answer that?
Being in a hurry and buying the car in Derby, next door to Indespension, would you believe!, on Ascot Drive, the solution seemed obvious.
The guy in charge of fitting, and should have fitted it, is very knowledgeable and will answer all your doubts, in my case he recomended and used a 'standard' loom and fitted my bar for £75 all in.
Sadly it all went a bit pear shaped after that?, the 'expert' was called away and I got the apprentice!... took him 4 long hours and made a complete **** up of the bumper cut, a brand new bumper I might add!!
One thing I gleamed about the Ford loom is it's under rated as far as 12v power to the van, the pre-wired section in the car is simply not heavy enough for UK use, the loom has a gizmo to stop any over heating problems so switches off the supply to the van, problem is the fridge/charging stop working!
To clarify, the fitted 12v supply to the van is fed via wiring thinner than supplies the 10A rated 12v socket in the boot! this slightly heavier wire was the wire used in my case, albeit as yet not used, I doubt very much that's heavy enough either, just after 4hrs and the bumper cut fiasco, I'd had enough?!
Apparently it's Ford Germany that specify the wiring size and they don't have such power needs? so don't understand our needs?
So I can't answer the reverse sensor question and raised another question regarding wiring, whichever loom you use?, perhaps standard loom and insisting on a proper 25A supply direct from battery will answer that?
I had my Kuga towbar fitted at the Ford dealer but they employed a local firm to do the job
They wired the fridge and permanent live direct from the battery via a fuse and fridge relay in the boot
I did have a problem with the fridge feed when I connected my reversing camera to it
The screen was OK until I hooked up the van and the screen kept on going off/on and presumably also the fridge
I assumed it was the voltage sensing relay hunting and replaced it with a 4 pin mechanical one as used of old
What you say now may in fact have been the problem--interesting
The reversing sensors on the Kuga have no problem with the tow bar
They wired the fridge and permanent live direct from the battery via a fuse and fridge relay in the boot
I did have a problem with the fridge feed when I connected my reversing camera to it
The screen was OK until I hooked up the van and the screen kept on going off/on and presumably also the fridge
I assumed it was the voltage sensing relay hunting and replaced it with a 4 pin mechanical one as used of old
What you say now may in fact have been the problem--interesting
The reversing sensors on the Kuga have no problem with the tow bar
I,ve got an SMax 2.2 diesel with a factory fitted removeable towbar. All of the electrical functions associated with the towbar work correctly and the reversing sensors are disabled when the caravan is connected.
However, there can be issues with retro fitted towbars, most associated with 3rd party fitters not using the correct Ford supplied wiring loom and the subsequently ensuring that the car software is apdated appropriately. This topic is covered extensively on the Ford SMax Owners Club forum at http://www.smaxownersclub.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?126-Towing-Corner . It is worth looking at the issues on this forum before you get an after market system fitted.
Regards
Jeff
However, there can be issues with retro fitted towbars, most associated with 3rd party fitters not using the correct Ford supplied wiring loom and the subsequently ensuring that the car software is apdated appropriately. This topic is covered extensively on the Ford SMax Owners Club forum at http://www.smaxownersclub.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?126-Towing-Corner . It is worth looking at the issues on this forum before you get an after market system fitted.
Regards
Jeff
Have you read this thread:
http://www.practicalcaravan.com/forum/towcars/ford-kuga20-tdci
Its interesting to read Jim's comment on the Ford dealer refusing to fit the fridge wiring
I would go with Gary's suggestion as posted above and have the fridge wired from the battery in a tried and tested manner
Good luck with whatever method you choose
Read this from the Kuga site
It makes you wonder
My own Ford dealer didn't even suggest the Ford towbar
He just got a local fitter to do the job as did Nissan with the X Trail
http://www.kugaownersclub.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2913&title=ford-towbar-electrics
http://www.practicalcaravan.com/forum/towcars/ford-kuga20-tdci
Its interesting to read Jim's comment on the Ford dealer refusing to fit the fridge wiring
I would go with Gary's suggestion as posted above and have the fridge wired from the battery in a tried and tested manner
Good luck with whatever method you choose
Read this from the Kuga site
It makes you wonder
My own Ford dealer didn't even suggest the Ford towbar
He just got a local fitter to do the job as did Nissan with the X Trail
http://www.kugaownersclub.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2913&title=ford-towbar-electrics
My last four cars all had the wiring directly to the battery, via a fuse close to the battery.
The best way to have it done.
Any other way is a money saving exercise.
The best way to have it done.
Any other way is a money saving exercise.
You can also use heavier cable and cut down on voltage drop
I found that a Fiat dealer had wired up the fridge circuit from the boot light once !!!
after being asked to use heavy cable
I always run 2 cables from the battery with 2 fuses otherwise if the one fuse blows and the feed is split in the boot to feed the van battery charging and fridge as is often done then the van battery can be discharged by the fridge
That's something I need to do to improve the fitters wiring
An escape to the garage is possible
The first thing I did was remove all the scotchlocks and fit bullet connectors
I found that a Fiat dealer had wired up the fridge circuit from the boot light once !!!
I always run 2 cables from the battery with 2 fuses otherwise if the one fuse blows and the feed is split in the boot to feed the van battery charging and fridge as is often done then the van battery can be discharged by the fridge
That's something I need to do to improve the fitters wiring
An escape to the garage is possible
The first thing I did was remove all the scotchlocks and fit bullet connectors
hi this is a great site i think i will take the advise and use seperate wires for the fridge and battery thanks franklin
Hi We have a ford S-MAX 2 ltr. 10 model which we had fitted a towbar by a local company. Uptp now no problems. We had the single electric plug we never tended to use the other plug and as we have our caravan sited on a seasonal pitch it seemed the best thing to do, so went with the single plug. The parking sensors both work well with no interference from towbar. The cost for single plug £130.00
Ummm, this is an interesting discussion. Logic from the SMax Owners Club suggest that there are additional benefits to getting the wiring configured as an extension to the SMax bus, including disabling the car reversing sensors, turning off the car high intensity fog-lights (when caravan ones are on) and adjusting the anti skid capabilities of the car to accommodate the caravan.
I think you pays your money and makes your choice!! My money personally still holds with the Ford fitted option though.
JeffD
I think you pays your money and makes your choice!! My money personally still holds with the Ford fitted option though.
JeffD
Jeff I can understand you believing in the Ford system but several postings in different threads on the Kuga website have said the the Ford dealers in question wouldn't wire up the fridge
Its hard to believe I know
As I stated above Bristol St Ford in Crewe never mentioned the Ford option but I did and enquiring about the stability programme brought forth the answer £75 charge to be plugged into the computer
With ATC on the caravan I decided not to bother
I towed to France 5 days after receiving the van and can't remember a problem with the reversing sensors but then I don't do a lot of reversing with having the motor mover
I did fit an "off" switch when I fitted my own reversing sensors on the X Trail but something at the back of my mind says that the "off" switch for the front sensors switched off the rear ones when on tow
The van is in for repair at the moment so I can't try it to see
Will report further next week if the van is collectable in the snow
Best wishes
Its hard to believe I know
As I stated above Bristol St Ford in Crewe never mentioned the Ford option but I did and enquiring about the stability programme brought forth the answer £75 charge to be plugged into the computer
With ATC on the caravan I decided not to bother
I towed to France 5 days after receiving the van and can't remember a problem with the reversing sensors but then I don't do a lot of reversing with having the motor mover
I did fit an "off" switch when I fitted my own reversing sensors on the X Trail but something at the back of my mind says that the "off" switch for the front sensors switched off the rear ones when on tow
The van is in for repair at the moment so I can't try it to see
Will report further next week if the van is collectable in the snow
Best wishes
Hi its me AGAIN
I just tried pressing the "off" switch to the front Ford parking sensors and it does switch off the reversing sensors as well so that's solved the sensors and towing problem as well
I just tried pressing the "off" switch to the front Ford parking sensors and it does switch off the reversing sensors as well so that's solved the sensors and towing problem as well
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