Hi all, a bit of a question, on my 2013 L320 we have had fitted a dedicated PF Jones 13 pin trailer electrics, I feared the caravan I purchased had LED lights & would cause problems but the lights seems to function properly and the trailer light lights up when indicating on the dashboard. However the rear parking sensors are not cancelling on reversing, does anybody know whether that’s just the way they are or does the car need programming? I’m also concerned the trailer stability control may not be functioning if not programmed. A lot of people say they don’t need programming I just wondered whether anybody had a definitive answer…..? Thanks 😁

I have an earlier L320 & have had "odd" issue with my trailer lighting which is completely LED.

I've fitted relays & load resistors to the indicator circuits in the trailer to "fool" the electronics that there is a trailer attached.

All you need is a couple of load resistors (cheaper on eBay than many other places) & a couple of 12v 3 pin relays, some connectors, a few short bits of cable & a little time.

The electronics sense the load on the indicators when a trailer/caravan is attached & turn off the rear sensors - you make see the indicators on the trailer/caravan pulse every second or so, especially in the dark.

If you need a diagram then please let me have your email via pm & I'll send you one.

Hope this helps.

You are right to suspect it needs programming.

As a test you could hook up the caravan.
Start engine
Select off road height. If it starts raising then the computer hasn’t accepted it’s got a trailer.

Press down before it gets too high

Brian Considine wrote:

I have an earlier L320 & have had "odd" issue with my trailer lighting which is completely LED.

I've fitted relays & load resistors to the indicator circuits in the trailer to "fool" the electronics that there is a trailer attached.

All you need is a couple of load resistors (cheaper on eBay than many other places) & a couple of 12v 3 pin relays, some connectors, a few short bits of cable & a little time.

The electronics sense the load on the indicators when a trailer/caravan is attached & turn off the rear sensors - you make see the indicators on the trailer/caravan pulse every second or so, especially in the dark.

If you need a diagram then please let me have your email via pm & I'll send you one.

Hope this helps.

This is a screenshot from the fitting instruction for the L/R (VPLST0071) 13pin towing harness for a MY12/13, the last picture would indicate that it does need programming to do something. When I fitted the kit to mine If I remember right just went into the CCF files and told it that it had tow bar/hitch fitted, but it was a long time ago.



Cheers
Col

Brian Considine wrote:

I have an earlier L320 & have had "odd" issue with my trailer lighting which is completely LED.

I've fitted relays & load resistors to the indicator circuits in the trailer to "fool" the electronics that there is a trailer attached.

All you need is a couple of load resistors (cheaper on eBay than many other places) & a couple of 12v 3 pin relays, some connectors, a few short bits of cable & a little time.

The electronics sense the load on the indicators when a trailer/caravan is attached & turn off the rear sensors - you make see the indicators on the trailer/caravan pulse every second or so, especially in the dark.

If you need a diagram then please let me have your email via pm & I'll send you one.

Hope this helps.

Andy K wrote:

You are right to suspect it needs programming.

As a test you could hook up the caravan.
Start engine
Select off road height. If it starts raising then the computer hasn’t accepted it’s got a trailer.

Press down before it gets too high

Thanks, all very helpful, hopefully I can sort it now…….cheers! 😁

Andy K wrote:

You are right to suspect it needs programming.

As a test you could hook up the caravan.
Start engine
Select off road height. If it starts raising then the computer hasn’t accepted it’s got a trailer.

Press down before it gets too high

Didn't realise the tow coding altered how the air suspension behaves!

I think the worst part is not disabling the reversing sensors though .. beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep Compounded by the fact that I take about 20 attempts to back my tiny trailer in anywhere..  2014 BMW 530d Touring, 2006 BMW 650i, 2018 Mini Cooper S

If you press the P button you can turn them off manually.

Yep that's what I do at the moment .. I found that every time I went between R & D they would come back on, though (see comment about being crap at backing a trailer in anywhere! ) which did not help the pressure  2014 BMW 530d Touring, 2006 BMW 650i, 2018 Mini Cooper S