Octavia Towbar Blues

[IanHamilton]

I know you can buy them but I reckon I can make one for a fraction of the cost. Just gotta figure out the lowest reliable wattage to use. What I will probably end up doing is trying various values

[IanHamilton]

I made my dummy load for $35 all up including 7 pin connectors and aluminium enclosure. The testing I did showed that 3 watt bulbs would be determined to be failed but 6 watt bulbs were OK. So I made the load to be 9 watts just to be sure. Works a treat

[scoutau]

Unless the trailer Wiring module was a bodgey after market unit and not a genuine Skoda/VW/Audi part, here is the VCDS information from Ross-Tech to do the changes, the Genuine location id's are the same for the VW/Skoda diagnostic equipment.


Seat Altea/Toledo (5P), Seat Leon (1P)
Skoda Octavia (1Z), Skoda Superb (3T), Skoda Yeti (5L)
VW Eos (1F), VW Caddy (2K), VW Golf/Jetta (1K/5K), VW Golf Plus (52/5M)
VW Scirocco (13), VW Touran (1T)

Trailer Hitch Retrofitting (1K)
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These instructions may not cover mechanical/electronic details, they will only list the the diagnostic side (coding etc.). Additional details for the mechanical/electronic work needed are part of the retrofitting instructions provided by the parts supplier (i.e. trailer hitch retrofits) or can be found in the factory repair manuals and wiring diagrams.




Installation & Wiring
Information regarding the Installation can be found in the Repair Manuals, the Wiring Diagrams, the Parts Catalog and/or the Instructions included in the Retrofitting Kit.




Configuration
The following Activations are necessary to ensure that the newly fitted parts are properly recognized and are ready to use.

Update the Installation List in the Gateway (J533 / #19).
Register the newly added 69 - Trailer Control Module.
Update the Trailer Control Module (J345 / #69) Coding.
Not all Retrofitting Kits contain Diagnostic capable Trailer Control Modules, some Aftermarket Modules may even be pre-coded. This Step can be ignored for Modules which are not Diagnostic capable.

Due to different Control Modules and Equipment in the Car the actual Coding Table is not shown here but will automatically be used by the Long Coding Assistant once you access the Function using VCDS. If an Aftermarket Module is installed, check the Retrofitting Kit for further Instructions.
Update the Brake Electronics (J104 / #03) Configuration.
Check which ABS or ABS/ESP System is installed. If a MK60EC1 is installed an Activation is not necessary (proceed to the next Step), this Step is only valid for MK60 (from June 6th 2005 / MY 2006+) and MK60-AT. MK70 and MK70M as well as MK60 (before June 6th 2005 / through MY 2005) do not support the Trailer Stabilization Function.
Enable the Adaptation Function by performing a Security Access. Additional Information will be shown by VCDS once you access the Security Access Function.

Via Adaptation select Channel 056 and activate the Trailer Stabilization. Additional Information will be shown by VCDS once you access the Adaptation Channel.
The Activation of the Trailer Stabilization can be tested using a Trailer Test Tool (e.g. VAG 1537/A) by performing an Output Test.
Update the Engine Control Module (J623 / #01) Coding.
Make sure that the Engine is NOT running, otherwise the new Coding will be rejected. Models equipped with Start/Stop System do have a Shutoff Switch/Button which will deactivate the Start/Stop Function.

As a Rule of Thumb, If the Engine uses conventional Short Coding (Coding is 7-digits like 0011312) the Long Codding Assistant does NOT apply. Modules using Short Coding typically do NOT support or require Trailer Configuration Coding. If the Engine Control Module uses a Long Coding the Activation is done in (Long) Coding itself through via Coding Assist. Please also note that there are different Coding Variants for Long Coding.

Due to different Control Modules and Equipment in the Car the actual Coding Table is not shown here but will automatically be used by the Long Coding Assistant once you access the Function using VCDS.
Update the Parking Aid (J446 / #76) OR Parking Aid 2 (J446 / #10) Configuration, if installed.
Depending the exact Model/Model Year either Coding or Adaptation can be used.

Due to different Control Modules and Equipment in the Car the actual Setting is not documented here but will automatically be shown once you access the Coding/Adaptation Function using VCDS. A Security Access may be necessary prior to Coding the Module.
Update the Rear View Camera (J772 / #6C) Coding, if installed.

Due to different Control Modules and Equipment in the Car the actual Coding Table is not shown here but will automatically be used by the Long Coding Assistant once you access the Function using VCDS.

[wfdTamar]

Right I've worked out what the code '1D7 Trailer Hitch Preparation' means (you might have this on the sticker in the boot/service manual with all your vehicle option codes).

It is (as people have guessed previously) all the trailer wiring to a plug in the boot (left hand side behind the panel).

Here's some photo's:

Flickr: wfdonald's Photostream (top four photo's)

There is a red plug behind the fabric panel in the boot, left side. It's covered in a grey foam 'sock' - that is the T12s plug for trailer wiring. It plugs into the J345 VW Trailer Detector Control Unit, which then has wiring going to the external socket next to the tow bar (neither that wiring, or the J345 are part of 1D7).

So if you have the 1D7 code all you need is the Trailer Detector Control Unit and the wiring to the socket, and the socket near the tow bar. There is no need to do any wiring to the front of the car. Install that then you need to get the car coded at the dealer (or do it with VCDS if you have one).

T12s plug Pinout.

pin 1 Brown (earth, luggage compartment, left)
pin 2 Black/purple (from fuse 19, 5A, in the fuse panel right side of dash - which comes from an ignition switched connection in dash panel wiring harness). I gather this would be used for things that require 12 volt power source while driving, like fridges. Though I'm not sure if it's the actual power supply (seems a bit low power), or merely the voltage sensing wire, with the power coming from elsewhere.
pin 3 Black/red (Stop)
pin 7 Orange/green (CAN H)
pin 8 Orange/brown (CAN L)
pin 9 Red/yellow (from dash fuse 43 15A)
pin 11 Red/blue (from dash fuse 44 20A)
pin 12 Red/green (from dash fuse 45 15A)

(from Elsawin Skoda manual)

You can get wiring kits here (yet to confirm they work in Australia). These kits presume you don't have 1D7 though. All you would need is the female version of the T12s plug, or chop it off and do your own type of connection. (not sure how good the prices are, particularly with shipping added):
Skoda Octavia Towbar Wiring Kits

[wfdTamar]

Found these posts by scoutau in another thread which has a bit more useful info (just trying to consolidate all good tow bar info in one place):

23-9-2011
'I have a MY2011 Skoda Octavia Scout fitted with a factory harness.

On most recent European cars (Well VW, Skoda, Audi and Seat.) since 2002, Pin 12 on the trailer or caravan unit being towed must be linked to Pin 3 (Earth return pins 1-8.) in the trailer plug as it is used as a plug coupling indicator to tell the car it has a trailer connected when plugged into the 13 pin vehicle socket, this will disable the reversing sensors, disable the vehicle rear fog lights in preference to the trailer / van fitted ones and will also sound the vehicle alarm if the trailer connector is unplugged from the vehicle when the vehicle is locked. Some also disable the vehicle reversing lights and electric release tailgates and also tells the vehicle to activate its Trailer Stability Program and Adaptive Cruise Control as well.

(wfdTamar - but see below in the second post, 3rd paragraph, 10-10-2011)

This link must be done in the 13 pin Euro to 7 pin adapter lead that is supplied with all genuine kits sourced out of VAG (Best Bars nz towbar and VAG genuine wiring kit.)

The vehicle should have the 13 pin Euro mounted to the vehicle rear apron and the adapter in with the spare tyre in the boot. It should only be plugged in when towing as it disables or enables varied things. I am now contemplating re-wiring my trailer to the 13 pin Euro and having an adapter to 7 pin flat Aus to tow it on other cars! Easier as well as full bulb check on trailer lights as well is a bonus. Utilux Australia carries both Plug and Socket in the 13 pin Euro style as well as Ebay. http://www.vanline.com.au/VPDF/Trailer%20Connectors.pdf

The onboard vehicle CANbus ECU must be told that a towbar is fitted and must be coded correctly. Most problems are fixed when "Australia" is selected as location instead of "Rest of the World" under country in towbar (65) when coded by VAG VAS VCDS
The reason I know this is my system was dealer fitted last week when I took delivery of the new car and they didn’t set it up properly, plugged the adapter in then tucked the 13 pin plug and socket (Minus its waterproof shroud!) under the bumper apron and screwed the 7 pin flat to the apron! I now have to tell them that they need to follow the correct procedures when installing and to rectify it now. Well it was the dealerships second car sold and the first where genuine accessories had to be fitted but still.
Cheers.'


10-10-2011
'Well after havingmy scout in at the dealers for a week working out the bad install and making them talk, serious like, to VAG technical, I have some answers as well as my car back. In the Genuine VAG/Skoda electronics cabling kit I have fitted, which is EEA 600 002C E4, the black control box is made by Hella (Saw it on the box myself, along with VAG car symbols and genine VAG part numbers.). Upon discussion with VAG technical, it was found that the towbar electrics where not coded in at/correctly: Yes the trailer lights would work but no bulb detection, rear sensor disconnection etc would work.

I have yet to see if the reversing lights and rear fog will not work on the car but work on the trailer as my trailer isn't here at the moment and like you, I have to get a 13 pin Euro connector for the trailer as it currently has a 12 pin flat connector (This is available from stockists of Utilux parts, truck spare parts.). This may not happen as rear lighting for trailer is also set by entering country code in the lighting section which gives Australian cars 2 rear reversing lights instead of the 1 given in Europe/England which on the opposite side to the single rear foglight. What does worry me is that the VAG supplied 13 pin to 7 pin adapter has the 13 pin Euro pin 2 blue wire (Rear Fog Light.) wired to the electric brake pin on the 7 pin Aus Socket! Could be interesting!

The VAG system detects the trailer fitted by passing a small current down the lighting circuits to see if a loop is connected back by the earth in the trailer connection! VAG doesn't use the loop in it's current wiring kits, so as long as the genuine electrics are fitted, the loop on pin 12 to pin 3 is not needed.

To utilise the charging and other facilities you need the "Constant Plus extension kit for the 13 pin socket" Part number ZGB 000 055 200 w. (This kit is suitable for: VW Passat B6limousine, Variant & Coupe, Passat B7, Touran, Golf V+V1, Golf Variant, Golf Plus, Jetta A5 & A6, Tiguan, Sharan (7N), Skoda Octavia II, Skoda Superb 3T, Seat Leon 1P, Alhambra (7N) ) The reason is that the VAG kit is missing the 3 connections for the 3 pins in the socket, you mayneed to check your socket as mine is missing those 3 pins altogether but the vehicle fusebox is factory fused up for the option and a 3 pin socket off a rear loom is there for the extension kit in factory prep for towing.

(wfdTamar - I think those 3 missing pins are 9 (permanent power 30A), 10 (Auxilliary - switched & voltage controlled 15A), 11 (earth for pin 10) on the Euro socket. Where is that 3-pin socket off a rear loom?

Pin 2 of the T12s red connector in the boot is 5A switched power from the fuse box (fuse 19). I think this is for the Constant Plus Extension kit. It connects to a voltage sensing relay (this may be inside the J345) (which turns the power off if the voltage goes too low, so you have enough power to start the car). You still need to get the 15A supply from somewhere. Since pin-9 gets 30A from the T12s red connector you'd think you could also connect pin-10's 15A requirement there too. I'm unsure about how/where this connects.

I'll check with the supplier of the 13 pin connector as the 12 and 13 wire cable is used on trucks for trailer wiring for special use. When talking to VAG customer care they did tellme that a special "LED load box" was available as a VAG accessory part that would mount on a trailer to allow LED lighting to be used on the trailer, give em a ring for the part number, wouldn't hurt. I thought of the dual tails on the trailer as well but am more down the line of a reverse adapter for the trailer, 7 pin Plug to 13 pin Euro.'


wfdTamar - The 7-pin flat connector seems most common on trailers here so I reckon having a 'Euro 13-pin plug to flat 12-pin socket' adaptor lead would be useful (if the wiring is compatible/possible). Since the flat 12-pin socket can also connect to the flat 7-pin plug. That's if the flat 12-pin is the most common type for over 7-pin capacity (caravans)? I have no experience of caravans so I don't know.

[wfdTamar]

Found a place where you can get 13 core cable by the meter (and a 13 pin Euro plug) if you want to make an adaptor (1 metre and a socket was $45 shipped). 12 pin flat socket off ebay for $25. I couldn't find 12 or 13 core cable anywhere in Australia or on ebay.

Trailers::Towbars::Trailer Parts::Trailer Spares and Accessories from Western Towing

[wfdTamar]

Bit puzzled over how to wire a 13-pin Euro plug to 12-pin flat socket. Issues are:

a. 13-pin Euro has no electric brakes pin. How do they do electric brakes in Europe?

Could you connect pin 5 on the 12-pin flat to the stop lights pin (pin 6 on the 13-pin) just for the signal, but get power for the electric brakes from pin 9 (ignition switched power 12-pin), then put a relay in the caravan? That might work for your own caravan (where you can custom wire it), but you really want to do it in a way that works for all. How about a relay INSIDE the adaptor lead?

I'm a little unsure how powered trailer/caravan brakes work. From my reading the above solution may not work as the power for electric brakes needs to be variable because caravan's brake force can be varied by the driver.

Maybe for a custom wired adaptor (only for your caravan) you could use pin 12 of the 13-pin Euro for electric brakes (since it's currently not used)? You'd have to add that function to the socket on the car.

Or use the first solution but with caravan brakes that can be adjusted on the caravan (so obviously couldn't be varied when driving)?



b. 13-pin Euro has a right tail and a left tail pin. 12-pin flat has the one tail light pin. How's this handled in the VW adaptor?

b: The car needs to be told it is located in Australia, this changes the wire detection to allow for Australian single bus (One wire for all park (wfdTamar - do you mean tail?)and one wire for all Stop lights.) 7 conductor trailer wiring instead of the dual bus (Left and right side of trailer for stop and park(tail)) used in Europe.

b: This also has been cabled for in the 13-7 adapter. Pins 5,7 of the 13 go through diodes to pin 7 on the 7 pin.

Any more detail about those diodes? What value are they and how are they wired up? Any chance of a good photo?

Swallowtail:
5 and 7 from the 13 pin are each fed into a IN5404 rectifier (rectifier or diode?), and then joined together and connected to the 7 pin conenctor number 7 - which is for tail lights. The rectifiers have a reverse impedance of 1.7kohms.

But didn't someone else say only pin 5 (of the 13-pin) is connected to pin 7 and the Australian coding takes care of that? Any more detail about those diodes? What value are they and how are they wired up? Any chance of a good photo? Do both pins (on 13-pin) get connected to pin 7 (12-pin) or just pin 5 (13-pin)?


c. What do you connect the earth return on the 12-pin flat (pin 10) to? Euro pin 10, or pin 13, or both? If both, does that require a diode(s) too?

I'm not terribly familiar with diodes and stuff in that area (could ya guess?).


13-pin round Euro
1. left indicator
2. rear fog
3. earth return
4. right indicator
5. right tail & sidelights
6. stop lights
7. left tail & sidelights & number plate
8. reverse
9. permanent 12 volt (interior lights and charging)
10. auxiliary, ignition switched 12 volt (fridges)
11. earth for pin 10
12. signal connector (not used on VAG cars)
13. earth for pin 9


12-pin flat(and the Euro pin it's connected to)
1. left indicator (1)
2. reverse (8 )
3. earth return (3)
4. right indicator (4)
5. electric brakes What do you connect this to?
6. stop lights (6)
7. tail lights do you connect this to the Euro 5 & 7 - how?
---------(pins 1-7 are the same as a flat 7-pin connector)---------
8. permanent 12 volt (interior lights and charging) (9)
9. auxiliary, ignition switched 12 volt (fridges) (10)
10. earth return (11 or 13 or both?)
11. rear fog (2)
12. aux/spare (seems not used)

[Mysticality]

13-pin round Euro
1. left indicator
2. rear fog
3. earth return
4. right indicator
5. right tail & sidelights
6. stop lights
7. left tail & sidelights & number plate
---------(pins 1-7 are the same as a flat 7-pin connector)---------
8. reverse
9. permanent 12 volt (interior lights and charging)
10. auxiliary, ignition switched 12 volt (fridges)
11. earth for pin 10
12. signal connector (not used on VAG cars)
13. earth for pin 9

Not true.
Flat-7's, at least in Aus, are as follows:

1. LH indicator
2. Reverse (Often not used)
3. Gnd
4. RH indicator
5. Elec. brakes
6. Brake
7. Parkers

Most of the time, pin 2 is used for +12v.
At least, thats how our vehicles/caravans/trailers have been wired up since I can remember.

[wfdTamar]

---------(pins 1-7 are the same as a flat 7-pin connector)---------


Whoops, I put that line in the wrong group (now corrected).

When you say '7. Parkers' I presume you're meaning tail lights? Is it a northern states thing to call them parkers?


Good wiring diagrams info on the Narva site.

http://www.narva.com.au/products/browse/wiring-diagrams

[wfdTamar]

Discovered why there's no electric brake pin on the Euro 13-pin - electric brakes are illegal in Europe. They have to use overrun mechanical brakes (whatever they are). So the question still is - how do you wire up for electric brakes on a car here that has the 13-pin socket?

One persons solution (used the stop light pin as signal for the brake controller then sent that through the unused pin-12)
Post #7 here:
http://www.ausamarok.com/showthread.php?tid=396


Comments found elsewhere:
On an Amarok (also some Audi Q's) - Under the dash near the steering wheel column there are three elect. plugs (yellow, purple and grey) with nothing pluged into them. You want the grey plug, pin 1 (black/green) for the trigger power of the brake controller (not the stop lamp wire). This is the brake sense wire. Power wire to pin 4 (red/brown) grey plug which is good for 32amps. High beam for driving light relay (LH HB) purple pin 8 (white/black) or (RH HB) yellow pin 1 (white/red). They're taped together above the clutch pedal.

Your (aftermarket) brake controller will have 4 wires out of it; the blue wire runs from the controller to your trailer plug at your tow bar (that's be the one you might put through pin-12), white to earth, black is power wire connected to pin 4 of grey plug under dash and red is the controllers sense wire conected to pin 1 of same plug. It can be hard see the pin numbers so go by the wire colours as stated above.

For driving lights:
I just connected my spotty relay between the purple pin8 (white/black wire) and the neg batt terminal and hey presto, works a treat! Power for spotties taken directly from batt pos, via inline fuse to relay switches, out to lights then back to batt neg.