Volvo Towing Electrics

[WilliamTups]

I have recent purchased an XC90 and the dealer fitted (free of charge) a Volvo detachable towbar system with a 13 pin euro connector (complete with 7 N&S adapter lead), however I have noticed that although the lights works fine, I can not get the fridge to work whilst connected to the car 12v system. The dealer claims that the tow bar is wired up correctly and it must be the caravan, so I have checked the caravan with my old CRV and using the twin electrics on the CRV the caravan fridge works fine on 12v

So has anyone else had this problem with a Volvo fitted tow bar, and if do how did you overcome it?

Regards, Bill

 

[Clubman1]

I have the same system fitted to my V70 and have had no problems. I would be surprised if it was the car at fault as the 13 pin connector on the car comes as a Volvo prefabricated harness with the connector on one end and a "plug" on the other which, as I understand it, simply plugs into a prexisting socket somewhere on the car. I have just literally replaced my 13 pin socket on the car, for reasons I wont' go into - but it was my fault this was required , and again I have had no problems. My only suggestion is to ensure that the 2 cables from the 13 pin into the S&N sockets are well and truly rammed home. Good luck.

 

[rob_jax]

Hi,

Coming from the Eriba fraternity, where all Eriba (Hymer) caravans have the new (actually 12 years old) Euro 13 pin connector, it's not unknown for the 13 pin to 12N+S adaptor to be wired incorrectly.

Admittedly, those Eriba owners that need the adaptor will have their car wired with the old 12N+S - and so the adaptor will be "reversed" compared to your situation - but the same company supplies both in the UK.

Since we've had 13 pin connectors on the car and caravan, we've never had a continuity issue - ever.

Robert

 

[Gordon_5130207]

It's many years since I wired my own towbar, but when the Volvo agent fitted the electrics to my V70 the fitter had not wired a lead for the fridge to the 13-pin socket. The foreman, a caravanner, picked this up immediately and they did it while I waited.

If you look at the Volvo instructions for fitting towbar electrics at http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/pdf/TowbarElectrics13Pin-2.pdf

you will see that they describe pins 11 & 12 as unused. It is my understanding that these need to be connected to enable the heavy currents required for 12v operation of your caravan fridge.

There is a solution you just need to find a Volvo garage that has caravan users on the staff as they are well aware of this problem.

Gordon

 

[WilliamTups]

Update:

The dealer now claims that the 11 pin is wired for an earth return and only pin 12 is spare on the car despite the wiring diagrams for the towbar electrics saying otherwise (pins 11 & 12 are blank). However in the adapter lead, on the 7 S grey connecter, Volvo have cut off the wirers to pin 2 & 5 saying that these are not needed (as per Volvo towbar wiring diagram) hence why the fridge will not work. So the dealer is now blaming the Volvo adapter lead and are going to re-work this lead to see if this solves the problem.......

But another dealer I have spoken to say that the wire for pin 11 is wired at the towbar connector (since it is a sealed unit) but is not connected on the block that connects into the car, so they normally have to wire this into the car separately?? And the adapter lead will work fine without modification

Now I am confused...

 

[Nidge1]

Hi William,

I had exactly the same problem as you although it was a BMW X5.

It came with a factory fitted detachable tow bar and a 13 pin socket. when the fridge would not work I took it back to the dealer and explained the problem and they had to order a kit for the wiring to be made suitable for a fridge connection.

When the job was done still no working fridge.I checked that the power was working OK and on further investigation I discovered there was no separate earth feed,told the dealer this and he was adamant that none was needed as it was not on the wiring diagram from BMW.I showed him the Caravan Club wiring diagram which showed clearly it was needed.The earth was duly added and bingo a working fridge.

Incidentally the kit which BMW supplied also included 13 pin to 7 pin converter and this would not work as the earth pin was not wired in.I had already purchased another lead from a caravan dealer and this was wired for the earth and worked perfectly.

Keep plugging away at the dealer make sure you have a live feed for the fridge and a separate earth feed and I am sure you will be OK.

Hope this helps

Regards

Nidge

 

[paulktnichols]

This seems a common problem with the 13 pin set-up.

When i bought my audi allroad (as an ex-demo) with factory fitted detachable towbar and 13 pin electrics I found that there was no wiring at all for the fridge. It would appear, therefore, that car manufacturers believe that fridges are not "standard" in europe!!

 

[Peter_374318432]

Sometimes they forget the relay as the fridge circuit is only energized when the engine is running!

I have a 2004 V70 with 13-pin fitted, I bought the 13-pin to 12 N/S converter from Halfords and have had no problems

 

[WilliamTups]

The dealer had the car back in today and solved the problem by wiring in earth for the fridge.... why did they not do this in the first place??? who knows, problem sorted!!

 

[alaintaylor]

I guess by now you have solved the problem, but I found Volvo woefully poor in understanding caravan wiring. The 2-plug auxilary system requires seperate earths for the fridge and other uses, I presume the same applies on 13 pin systems. To cut a long story short, Volvo duely wired two earths then joined the two wires into one before reaching the car's earthing point!!!!! Two earth wires are needed for the power the appliances draw - and that means the correct amp cable ALL the way to the car's earth.

Alan

 

[Jennifer2]

William.....I see you now have your problem fixed, but just wanted to say that we also have the XC90 with the same towbar and 13 pin connector. When we tried the supplied adaptor we found that everything worked other than the battery charging. On opening up the adaptor we found that 2 wires had just been cut, I wonder why they do it? My husband rewired it and everything then worked correctly. Presumably our dealer has a good towbar fitter!

However we have converted our caravan to a 13 pin connector as the system is much better, so we no longer need the adaptor.

 

[GeorgeB]

I too have had problms with the fridge not working, my car Audi A4 with factory fitted towing equipment inc 13 pin socket.

I took the car back to the dealer, asking them to check out the wiring as my fridge was not working when towing, got the car back & was told nothing wrong with it.

Took the van in for its 1st service, & asked them to check it out as the fridge was not working whilst being towed, I also got onto Bailey's technical dept, explained he problem & they said they would talk the dealer through all of the checks they needed to do, anyway picked the van up & was told that they could not fault its operation, I pluged the van into the car via the adapter & sure enough fridge not working! they disconnected the van from the car & plugged in their box of tricks & sure enough fridge worked!!!!

Went back to the dealer armed with the CC wiring diagrams & insisted they checked it again, guess what? the 13 pin socket was not wired on pins 10, 11 & 12!!!!

Checking the cars wiring diagram, it was wired up for a 2001 spec car, my car? supplied in Sept 07 & a 2008 spec car!

 

[alaintaylor]

Perhaps the Caravan Club can help put car dealers and caravan dealers in touch with one another, not too difficult surely. Seems everyone has the same problem - detached advice!