Towing - trailer indicators

[andyinluton]

Having towed a small trailer to the dump at the weekend I noticed that there was no indication at all that the trailer indicators were working. All previous vehicles I've towed with either had an additional bulb lit in the dashboard or you could hear a beep from a buzzer in the towbar electrics. I thought this was a legal requirement.

The towbar was factory fitted with 13 pin plug, I did have to use an adapter as the trailer electrics are the older 7 pin type.

Would it be the adapter causing the problem or is there no built in indicator?

 

[shambly]

I seem to remember a fault light coming up on the dashboard if there is an issue with a trailer light... I had to get out and tap a light to get it working on our bike rack last summer.

 

[WelshGas]

As far as I am aware, with VW fitted tower electrics - No indication means all is working OK. If there is a fault with the trailer electrics then you get a warning on the dashboard.
If you have rear parking sensors then these are disabled and if you have a rear camera this continues to work. Also if you have the RNS510 then you get a picture of a trailer when reverse is selected.

 

[Les]

I had this on a vw towbar. It had not been programmed in on the vans system. Heated mirrors did not work either for same reason. So much for PDI.

 

[teeboy]

I have installed the proper westfalia kit and there is no indication on the dashboard that a trailer is in use, and nor is there a buzzer to tell you when you are indicating.

I did some reading at the time.

I always thought that the buzzer was there to remind you that you were towing when you turned a corner!

However the buzzer is just an audible reminder that you were indicating - if you didn't here the buzzer then the trailer indicator bulb was broken.

As you have posh VW electrics then the van will tell you when a trailer bulb is broken, in the same way as it tells you when a van light is broken.

I do think some kind of reminder on the dash would be useful, especially when towing a small trailer as it is possible to forget it is there.

T

 

[Phil Hall]

Having towed a small trailer to the dump at the weekend I noticed that there was no indication at all that the trailer indicators were working. All previous vehicles I've towed with either had an additional bulb lit in the dashboard or you could hear a beep from a buzzer in the towbar electrics. I thought this was a legal requirement.

The towbar was factory fitted with 13 pin plug, I did have to use an adapter as the trailer electrics are the older 7 pin type.

Would it be the adapter causing the problem or is there no built in indicator?

I know this a couple of months on from your original post but having just taken delivery of my 2013 California I too was concerned about no trailer indication and so found your posts. Once again very useful. WelshGas is spot on. So I took my trailer board and plugged in. I found no additional indicators to indicate trailer turning as on page 123 of the manual like all my other cars (as you commented). However I disconnected one of the bulbs and 1. the small orange light warning light on the dash comes on to warn that there is a problem with the lighting system of some sort, Van or trailer.
2. The offending turning indicator then flashes at twice the speed.