Towing bracket

Aug 14, 2005 2 Replies
C

Hi all,



I added a towing bracket on my Volvo 460. No problem there. The electricals have me a bit confused. The original Volvo car kit wasn't available so I went for a general brand and installed it according to it's instructions. Now when I connect the plug from the trailer to the car, the bulb failure light on the dashboard doesn't go out anymore and thus stating that a bulb from the car is broken. This is not the case. All lights are working fine. Anyone has any idea how to solve this? Maybe relays between the car lights and the trailer lights?



Thanks, Christopher


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M

I can't speak definitely about a 460, but I'll assume it's wired the same as a 240/740. To bypass the brake bulb failure, I always run a wire from the brake light switch to the back for trailer use. The tail light bulbs are in the bulb failure circuit, so I tap into the licence light wire for the trailer's tail lights.

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R

Hi Christopher,

The bulb failure device is a reed relay which senses differences in voltage between the two pairs of bulbs. ie. indicators/brakes etc. If one of the pair goes out/or if there is a voltage drop as with a faulty bulb which still works, the relay senses this difference and switches on the bulb failure light.

Therefore all wiring should be upstream of the bulb failure warning device. Check you wiring diagram for the best place to take the feed from.

Regards,

Roy

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