Looking for advice on Trailer Assist...

[Perfectos]

It sounds like the coding has not been done / done correctly.

What I don’t understand fully is your comment regarding PFJ ; coding being optional, the Westy tow bar requires coding to tell the vehicles ECU that a towbar is present so the towing electrics will function properly, which I suspect is the source of your problems Or the wiring has been installed incorrectly.
Westfalia sell / provide a device to allow coding to be carried out, I wonder if this is an option for home install ?

good luck getting it sorted, report back to help others

T6.1 Towbar Fitting (due to factory delays!)

Due to factory delays on tow bars thinking of fitting one myself as it will probably push our build date to after august(currently it’s June!) I’m an engineer and have fitted bars loads of times just not on a Cali So has anyone fitted a towbar to a T6.1 yet and do you have to remove the kitchen...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[PhilR]

It sounds like the coding has not been done / done correctly.

What I don’t understand fully is your comment regarding PFJ ; coding being optional, the Westy tow bar requires coding to tell the vehicles ECU that a towbar is present so the towing electrics will function properly, which I suspect is the source of your problems Or the wiring has been installed incorrectly.
Westfalia sell / provide a device to allow coding to be carried out, I wonder if this is an option for home install ?

good luck getting it sorted, report back to help others

T6.1 Towbar Fitting (due to factory delays!)

Due to factory delays on tow bars thinking of fitting one myself as it will probably push our build date to after august(currently it’s June!) I’m an engineer and have fitted bars loads of times just not on a Cali So has anyone fitted a towbar to a T6.1 yet and do you have to remove the kitchen...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

I’m a bit confused ref “PFJ coding being optional”? We only had towbar prep from factory. Trailer Assist was an option that we didn’t choose. Are you saying “coding” adds this and it should now be there after PFJ fitted the Westy towbar?? Sorry if I’m being a bit daft

 

[Perfectos]

I’m a bit confused ref “PFJ coding being optional”? We only had towbar prep from factory. Trailer Assist was an option that we didn’t choose. Are you saying “coding” adds this and it should now be there after PFJ fitted the Westy towbar?? Sorry if I’m being a bit daft

I am under the impression that correct coding activates trailer assist along with some other changes such as disabling parking sensors and rear fog lights etc. The ECU need to be programmed to recognise a change in the system when anything is plugged into the tow bar, otherwise it has the potential to interfere with ECU as the towing circuit is hooked into the vehicles electrical circuits.

when connecting anything via the tow bar the head unit should show a trailer on the screen when reverse is selected

edit : from tinternet PFJ

 

[WelshGas]

I’m a bit confused ref “PFJ coding being optional”? We only had towbar prep from factory. Trailer Assist was an option that we didn’t choose. Are you saying “coding” adds this and it should now be there after PFJ fitted the Westy towbar?? Sorry if I’m being a bit daft

I am under the impression that correct coding activates trailer assist along with some other changes such as disabling parking sensors and rear fog lights etc. The ECU need to be programmed to recognise a change in the system when anything is plugged into the tow bar, otherwise it has the potential to interfere with ECU as the towing circuit is hooked into the vehicles electrical circuits.

when connecting anything via the tow bar the head unit should show a trailer on the screen when reverse is selected

edit : from tinternet PFJ

View attachment 109239

From what I've been told in the past, Factory Towbar Prep includes the necessary coding from the factory only requiring the extension wiring loom and socket to complete the towbar electric circuit and no further coding.
If PFJones insist on fitting their own wiring loom then I presume they must disconnect the factory fitted tow bar prep system in order to fit their own.

 

[Perfectos]

From what I've been told in the past, Factory Towbar Prep includes the necessary coding from the factory only requiring the extension wiring loom and socket to complete the towbar electric circuit and no further coding.
If PFJones insist on fitting their own wiring loom then I presume they must disconnect the factory fitted tow bar prep system in order to fit their own.

That was my assumption , I.e. coding would already have been set as part of the factory Prep & assumes use of factory loom.

So what do PFJ do to “change the factory prep” coding to suit their own loom.
from what PhilR has said PFJ Spent 20 minutes fiddling with a lap top after the installation, presumably recoding, but surely the coding was present, unless the PFJ loom requires modifications to coding.

 

[teeboy]

I think some of this confusiuon is coming from the title of this thread, as it started as a trailer assist question - but is now a retro-fit of a towbar problem.

You can have "1D2" - Towbar Removable and Lockable - this is the factory fit Westfalia towbar, which will be pre-coded when the vehicle arrives.

You can have "1D7" - Towbar Prep, this makes the towbar fitting easier as there is a plug at the back that you can plug the electrics into, but will still need to do coding to tell the van that you have installed the electrics.

If, and only if, you have 1D2 or 1D7 - then you can have "PAU" - Trailer Assist - which includes - "Park Assist, front and rear parking sensors, rear-view camera and Side protection" - all of those things are standard equipment, so the only thing you really get is the extra lines on the screen to help park a caravan/trailer.

It looks like the van in question has 1D7 and not PAU - this should be visible in the front of the serivce book.

When you retro fit a Westfalia towbar you have a choice of two wiring kits:

~£150 if you have trailer prep (1D7) - FF29270555PF
~£180 if you don't have trailer prep - 29270574PF

Not much of a difference in price, but the cheaper one should be loads easier to fit, as you don't have to run wires to the front - which involves removing seats and some of the dash trim - so labour should be loads less. Both require coding.

In this instance it looks like they may have fitted the £180 electrics to a van with 1D7 towbar prep - which appears to be a bit mad as requires loads more time to fit - I am not sure if they will clash.

The last thing to check is that they have not done a real budget job and installed a bypass relay for the electrics, which won't need coding - but also won't tell the ECU that you are towing, so won't adjust the stability, parking, fog lights etc...

All of this knowledge is from DIY fitting a westfalia to a T5.1 and recently purchasing a T6.1 so I have become re-familiar with the options list

 

[Perfectos]

I think some of this confusiuon is coming from the title of this thread, as it started as a trailer assist question - but is now a retro-fit of a towbar problem.

You can have "1D2" - Towbar Removable and Lockable - this is the factory fit Westfalia towbar, which will be pre-coded when the vehicle arrives.

You can have "1D7" - Towbar Prep, this makes the towbar fitting easier as there is a plug at the back that you can plug the electrics into, but will still need to do coding to tell the van that you have installed the electrics.

If, and only if, you have 1D2 or 1D7 - then you can have "PAU" - Trailer Assist - which includes - "Park Assist, front and rear parking sensors, rear-view camera and Side protection" - all of those things are standard equipment, so the only thing you really get is the extra lines on the screen to help park a caravan/trailer.

It looks like the van in question has 1D7 and not PAU - this should be visible in the front of the serivce book.

When you retro fit a Westfalia towbar you have a choice of two wiring kits:

~£150 if you have trailer prep (1D7) - FF29270555PF
~£180 if you don't have trailer prep - 29270574PF

Not much of a difference in price, but the cheaper one should be loads easier to fit, as you don't have to run wires to the front - which involves removing seats and some of the dash trim - so labour should be loads less. Both require coding.

In this instance it looks like they may have fitted the £180 electrics to a van with 1D7 towbar prep - which appears to be a bit mad as requires loads more time to fit - I am not sure if they will clash.

The last thing to check is that they have not done a real budget job and installed a bypass relay for the electrics, which won't need coding - but also won't tell the ECU that you are towing, so won't adjust the stability, parking, fog lights etc...

All of this knowledge is from DIY fitting a westfalia to a T5.1 and recently purchasing a T6.1 so I have become re-familiar with the options list

I think i may have added a little to that confusion trailer / park assist is indeed the parking assist , I should be clear that the when I referenced trailer assist I mean the sensors for the rear breaks that come as part of the coding for the tow bar and the other things it changes when coded correctly

 

[PhilR]

So PFJ guy came back this afternoon and unplugged the VW module from underneath the drivers seat as he said it may have been conflicting with theirs - it worked! All seems ok so far but will give it a thorough test.
Just need to sort my water pump out and also since VW had it the whole of the camping side isn’t working, pop top, fridge, etc and the German error message still on the control panel screen

Thanks for all the help/advice regarding the towbar issues.

 

[PhilR]

From what I've been told in the past, Factory Towbar Prep includes the necessary coding from the factory only requiring the extension wiring loom and socket to complete the towbar electric circuit and no further coding.
If PFJones insist on fitting their own wiring loom then I presume they must disconnect the factory fitted tow bar prep system in order to fit their own.

Hmm, spot on, think they should have done that first time around! Cheers

 

[Coelshie]

Just re-activating this thread - Just looking at a new 6.1 ocean and in the spec it says "tow bar prepared" (actually we live in Germany so it is translated) - We will get a VW tow bar added to the van, so would this also add the Trailer Assist functionality?

Or there something I need to ensure before buying the van?

Sorry complete newbie and we seemed to have found the van at a good price but seems to be lacking tow bar (albeit it is "prepared").

Thanks.