Tow bar socket wiring

[Sweety]

At long last got around to wiring in the tow bar sockets but Nissan never made it easy did they using the same colour wiring for different lights:doh but i've got a little query am I right in thinking there is only one wire to power the tail lights & number plate lights (red & blue wire):nenau
Going off the info in the down loads & what I found on my 05 plate the wiring colours are

N/S indicator = Green/Black
O/S indicator = Green/Yellow
Tail lights = Red/Blue
Brake Lights = Green/Yellow
Reverse Light = Red/Black
Fog light = Orange with silver bands

Also wired in the S socket but not connected it up to the battery as i'm not sure on the wiring as the instructions weren't that clear:doh
Live from battery = +12v I/P
Wiring from 12 S cable it states the following & have put a pic up of how i've wired it it someone can check it please
Green = Permanent O/P
Red = One of switched O/P
Blue = To other switched O/P

[solarman216]

my socket has near side and off side tail lights seperate, Rick

[Lazy-Ferret]

Looks good, nice to see you are using nice thick wire.

With regards to the rear light connection, yes, there is only the one.

[Lazy-Ferret]

my socket has near side and off side tail lights seperate, Rick

The socket does Rick, but the T2, only has one feed to the rear of the car, which runs all the rear side lights and number plate lights.

[rustic]

Don't forget workshop download 22

http://www.nissan4x4ownersclub.com/downloads/workshop/wk22.pdf

[Sweety]

All connections have been done inside the boot so no water or muck can get at them so connected the N/S & O/S tail light wires to the only feed wire I could find for them:augie Think I will change the tail light bulbs on the T2 to LED ones if I can & poss do the same one the caravan if I can just to take some load off the factory wiring. Popping upto my parents over the next few days to borrow my Dad's light board to make sure the 12N socket works ok & I haven't messed up the wiring:doh took me longer than planed as it's been 22 years since I last wired up a tow bar socket.
Rustic followed the link you posted:thumbs but there was 2 options for the reverse light wiring which is why I put up the list of colours as it might save someone else loads of time trying to find which wire it is on the later models

[Lazy-Ferret]

All connections have been done inside the boot so no water or muck can get at them so connected the N/S & O/S tail light wires to the only feed wire I could find for them:augie Think I will change the tail light bulbs on the T2 to LED ones if I can & poss do the same one the caravan if I can just to take some load off the factory wiring. Popping upto my parents over the next few days to borrow my Dad's light board to make sure the 12N socket works ok & I haven't messed up the wiring:doh took me longer than planed as it's been 22 years since I last wired up a tow bar socket.
Rustic followed the link you posted:thumbs but there was 2 options for the reverse light wiring which is why I put up the list of colours as it might save someone else loads of time trying to find which wire it is on the later models

You can buy a device that is designed for cars with CANBus and bulb warning circuits, and basically it is a small relay board. The one I used is a Maypole 7 way Bypass relay. I always use them now, as you run a decent live to it, and the the car wiring is only a signal to fire the relay, which means the load is almost insignificant.

The good thing was, when they woman hit our caravan up the rear, it shorted out all the caravan lights, but only blew the fuse to the bypass relay on the car, so we still had full working lights on the car.

[jims-terrano]

Just a tip sweety. I tinned the bare wires with solder before connecting the socket. I also filled the back of the socket with grease and brushed the terminals that the plug connects to as well. Not given me a minutes other since doing that.

[rustic]

Just a tip sweety. I tinned the bare wires with solder before connecting the socket. I also filled the back of the socket with grease and brushed the terminals that the plug connects to as well. Not given me a minutes other since doing that.

I have to say... did mine with Waxoyl, inside and out, worked ever since, for nearly 240 months so far lol...

Rather than tinning the ends, and using screw connectors, I have now started to use boot lace ferrules on the ordinary wire, and the screw clamps the thin outer covering of the boot lace ferrule, thus no strands are cut.

With soldered or tinned ends, when under compression by a screw, the solder eventually flows, leaving a poor connection over a long time.

Rustic

[61jason61]

ooooh, no. not read replies but trailer wiring is my speciality

no 1 is yellow right turn, two is blue fog, three is white earth, four is green left turn, fifth is brown left side, sixth is red stop, seventh middle wire is black right side light.

i'm a deamon with trailer lighting, done it so many times thats from memory, however, you don't need fog if trailer is less than metre wide i think, and if you're clever, you can wire reverse lights on no 7, and wire both sides into no 5.

i suggest getting led lights of ebay cheap. if you don't mind waiting buy chineese, same as most on ebay only way cheaper. less voltage load if using leds, so you don't get side or brake lights flashing with turn signals. :thumbs:thumbs

[61jason61]

also, you should nip to halfrauds and get a proper light box unit. you must by law have an audible or visual tell tale for rear turn signals. if visual tell tale must be a seperate bulb to dash turn signal tell tale lights

having said that i havn't as of yet but intend to fit one, nice to know when turn signals stop working on rear. although using leds, cuts that problem down.

[Lazy-Ferret]

..... and if you're clever, you can wire reverse lights on no 7, and wire both sides into no 5.


Most of that is good advice, except this, which will cause the car to fail the MOT... as it is not standard, and electrics are now checked.

It will cause the trailer wired like this, if connected to another correctly wired car to run showing a white light to the rear, and if another trailer was plugged into the car wired like this, half the marker lights would not be working, and worse still, these would be the off side lights.

[jims-terrano]

Will wait for zippy to get home from work but im pretty sure that 7 pin sockets are not covered by mot.

[rustic]

Will wait for zippy to get home from work but im pretty sure that 7 pin sockets are not covered by mot.
I agree, I think they only test if there is a 13 pin.:thumb2

A lot of cars, have removable tow balls, and a drop down 13 pin socket, hidden by a cover plate, VW Skoda have gone this route, and very neat too.:thumb2
If that is not on show... they can't test it either.

[jims-terrano]

I agree, I think they only test if there is a 13 pin.:thumb2

A lot of cars, have removable tow balls, and a drop down 13 pin socket, hidden by a cover plate, VW Skoda have gone this route, and very neat too.:thumb2
If that is not on show... they can't test it either.

Fantastic idea if Skoda ever deliver:doh:doh