Towbar electrics repairs

Towbar electrics have a hard life. The socket sits low at the back of the car, out in the rain, road salt and grit, and modern vehicles expect the towing wiring to talk properly to their own systems. When something stops working, it’s usually just before a trip.

Jake, our mobile fitter, can come to you, find out what’s wrong and put it right, so you don’t have to drive a trailer or caravan anywhere with faulty lights.

Faults we can look at

These are the typical towbar electrics problems we can diagnose and repair.

• No lights on the trailer: some or all of the indicators, brake lights, tail lights or fog light not working when you plug in.
• Warning messages on the dash: bulb-failure warnings that appear when you tow, or a towbar warning that won’t clear.
• Parking sensor problems: rear sensors that beep when a trailer is attached, or stop working altogether after a towbar was fitted.
• Damaged sockets: cracked covers, bent or broken pins, or a socket that’s been knocked or pulled off.
• Corroded wiring: green or crusty connections, water inside the socket, or lights that work one day and not the next.
• Adding 13-pin: moving from an older 7-pin set-up to 13-pin, or adding the extra feeds you need for a caravan.
• Caravan not charging: the leisure battery or fridge not getting power while you drive.

If your problem isn’t on the list, just ask. Tell us what’s happening and we’ll let you know if it’s something we can help with.

Repair or replace?

Sometimes a quick repair is all that’s needed. Other times, especially on newer cars or after a universal kit has been wired in, the better answer is new wiring. If that’s the case we’ll explain why and quote for it, using quality kits from brands such as ConWys, ECS Electronics and Right Connections. You can read more about car-specific (dedicated) electrics and universal electrics.

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