indicator beeper.??

[dazber]

hi all..

just a quick question, and probably a stupid one ..... but here goes..!! is it legal to have an indicator beeper whilst hooked up to a caravan.?? my past 2 cars have both had them.. freelander and sorento but i have just bought a signum and had the towbar fitted but when the van is hooked up there is no beeper.. im sure i read somewhere that its required by law.. looked in towsure book but cant seem to find one for sale so im not sure now if it is legal or not...

im sure a nice clued up person on here could tell me

cheers daz

 

[Rodone]

I don't think that you have legally to have a 'buzzer', it could be in the form of an additional warning light. I seem to remember that the citroen Xantia used a lamp - but no buzzer. I think that the law describes it as a 'monitoring device'.

 

[grandadbaza]

I could be that your car has a dedicated trailer warning light on the dash ,I had one when I had a Saab ,so it makes the bleeper unecessary

Baza

 

[steve007_374385657]

According to the witter site some newer wireing kits will only beep when there is a indicator failure.

Cheers,

Steve.

 

[Lutz]

I have a Signum, too, and it doesn't have a 'beeper', but a warning message pops up on the centre display if any of the indicators or brake lights aren't working (including those on the caravan).

 

[SwiftGroup_374327846]

The directive 76/156/EEC states a tell tale must be fitted and that this must be auditory, visual or both. Many modern cars adopt a visual system which detects if a bulb fails via the cars computer and illuminates a warning light or displays a warning message.

Thanks

Andy

 

[RonD]

My previous Vauxhall fitted towbar had a light in the dash which looked like a towbar. If a caravan indicator failed the car's indicators flashed very fast to give a warning.

Ron

 

[Phillipcharnwoodforest]

If a bulb fails on most vehicles that are fitted with a heavy duty flasher unit (old fashioned way) or a relay they will in the case of the flasher unit flash faster or if a trailer is not connected they will still flash faster it's something that they do. A relay is slightly different but can and often does do the same. So not quite as you think as a warning but it however does serve to do this. They direction indicators under the lighting regulations have to by the way flash at between 60 and 120 times per minute (just a bit of useless info there.

As the Swift Group have stated a audible and or a visual warning must also be fitted and operational even the Scania I on occasion have has to have the same type of system, (gets on your nerves a bit at times but alas).