Towing - Tiguan tow capability

[Umai Naa!!]

Incorrect.

The module is required, regardless. If the fuses are there (positions 5, 39, 40, 41 from memory), it basically means the car is pre-wired, but still needs the CAN-bus wires spliced, the module installed, and the short section of wiring from the module to the towbar installed.

[Sanman]

Incorrect.

The module is required, regardless.

OK - is the module only available from VW, and then only as a dealer kit? No chance for DIY if I get a Hayman Reece tow bar?

[Umai Naa!!]

You can buy the wiring kit and DIY it, but you'll need to have someone program the whole shooting match when you've finished.

As there is no pre-wired kit, you have to buy the whole thing, including the un-needed wiring harness. On top of that, the instructions are for a non pre-wired car, so they're next to useless.

So in essence, you can have whatever towbar you like, but you're better off with a VW dealer handling the electrics.

[ploz58]

trailer lights


On the weekend, i hooked up my motorcycle trailer to the tiguan,
its virgin tow and when i checked the lights, all it got was a flickering in the leds both turn and Brake/Tail. Trailer has all new LED lights on it.

I popped trailer on old tow car and it all worked fine.

I did tow the trailer with no lights and tiguan towed it fine, but i am concerned that is there some module thing etc not working that is usual or maybe the fit up wasnt tested properly when fitted.
Its under warranty and was fitted by VW

Anyone else had a similar experience, i have a number of small trailer that the tig will have to tow to earn its keep,

regards
phil

[gregozedobe]

:..... all it got was a flickering in the leds both turn and Brake/Tail. Trailer has all new LED lights on it.

I popped trailer on old tow car and it all worked fine.

The controller for the trailer lights may have been expecting a bigger load (from incandescent globes). LEDs use very little current and this has been known to confuse modern "smart" controllers.

In the UK It is now quite common to set up trailer wiring for Canbus cars using a signal wire from each circuit to operate a relay for the different trailer globes (the std Canbus controllers apparently don't notice the very slight extra load of the signal to the relay).

This method avoids the need for different controllers for each specific model of car (and is often much, much cheaper).

[NZTiguan]

LED lights do not create enough resistance in the circuit and so throw up faults. You need to install resistors in the lines so that the all-up resistance is the same as normal bulbs.

[ploz58]

Trailer lights

Well tonight i put my boat trailer on the tig, it has incandescent globes.
the worked fine except the taillights which i knew about,
The MFD promptly told me, trailer left tail light not working and then tralier right lail light not working!!!!

So it appears i have to do something with my motorcycle trailer with the LED lights.

any suggestions?
thanks in advance

Phil.

[clip]

any suggestions?
thanks in advance Phil.

this might explain how they work:
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=522781

then this might help with your calculations:http://metku.net/index.html?sect=vie...calc/index_eng

[NZTiguan]

Well tonight i put my boat trailer on the tig, it has incandescent globes.
the worked fine except the taillights which i knew about,
The MFD promptly told me, trailer left tail light not working and then tralier right lail light not working!!!!

So it appears i have to do something with my motorcycle trailer with the LED lights.

any suggestions?
thanks in advance

Phil.

When I got mine in NZ it threw up faults left and right as well. I found that the Tig is wired for "separate" left and right taillights while the trailer was wired in common. I had to run an extra wire to separate the taillights and then ensure that the connector plugs matched. The dealer had put the two taillights into the one connector as is standard on NZ connectors so I just separated them and used one of the spares to run the second circuit. Not nearly as difficult as it sounds, only took me about 20 minutes all up and I'm no auto-electrician.

Cheers

[clip]

Well tonight i put my boat trailer on the tig, it has incandescent globes.
the worked fine... So it appears i have to do something with my motorcycle trailer with the LED lights.
any suggestions?

well, you could just ditch the LEDs and put a set of incandescent tail lights on - pretty simple rather than going to all that other trouble.

[ploz58]

towing capabilities

Hey clip
I liked your simplistic answer,
but i would still have this issue of left and right tail light globes.

Can this be disabled as i cant imagine any trailers in aus are wired that way.

The connector that goes into the car into has a large number of pins in it, Are they all meant for something, yet the other end only has a 7 pin plug.

In someways a modern car you would think we be more set up for LED type lights and not the old technology

i have some resistors i purchased for the led lnidicators on one of our dirt bikes
ill put them in the lines and see what happens.

Given i have 4 different trailers the tig will need to tow this could be a pain, and they are a mix of led and incandescent globes

i passed a tourag towing a caravan , it had LED lights on it, i felt like asking him if had any dramas or had made conversions

thanks for the advise out there
Phil

[clip]

Phil, just whack in the resistors, pretty sure that will fix it for you - just a pain to do that's all.

[Sanman]

Latest from Hayman Reece re: aftermarket Towbar:

Apologies for the further delay in this towbar, where we are at is that the Tiguan has a complicated wiring system, for the trailer lights to operate correctly we need to add a special Trailer Control Module (TCM).

In the past motor vehicle manufacturers have sold this TCM as a separate item, but in typical Motor Vehicle company fashion, most of them are now not selling this item separately, they only sell them as part of a Towbar kit. From the research our sales team have done, the Tiguan is one of the vehicles that this is happening to. To ensure we can sell our Tiguan towbars, and other complicated electrical system vehicles, we have had to engage the services of an electrical engineer to develop an aftermarket TCM that we can sell with our towbar.

For this reason we have decided to hold off the sale of these towbars until the wiring solution is complete. I know in your case you don’t need the wiring, but our sales and management have decided that this is the way they are going to deal with this vehicle in particular.

I do have your details, along with about 20 others, in my file and as soon as I have an exact date for release I will advise all concerned.

Again I apologize for any inconvenience this is causing, but as the market leaders in towing accessories we want to make sure we get it right the first time.

[newtigger]

Tow it right Keep it light

One of the big reasons for looking at Tigs for me was that I have an Avan Aliner ( a small camper van Tow mass 780 + contents , ball weight 70kg). Currently towing it with a Honda Accord 4cyl. Accord is acceptible but the increased height, road weight and economy are the reasons Tiguan came into my line of sight.
Since then everything else about the Tiguan, be it the safety, the look, the price and the reliability are the things that have wowed me. I have not towed with a Tiguan yet, but compared to what I am already using I know this car matches my needs.There are some really good small vans out there to meet the requirements of tow ball weight and towing mass. But if you want a bigger van, buy a bigger tow vehicle.

[wongai]

Hi All,
I bought a new "wild cherry red" tiguan three days ago..with a dealer fitted towbar, with intentions of purchasing a small pop top camper for family camping holidays. Upon investigating towing i became aware of towball download limits and it seems i cant tow a pop top camper as the down load limit will be about 130KG with the camper loaded? I discussed this with a camper dealer who seemed to think the 100KG limit is wrong or misleading as the GVM including passengers and lugage is a factor also? Camperguy's take on it was the GVM + 100KG was the load limit on the rear of the tig?? So in theory... if weight in car or GVM is less than stated then extra load can be applied to towbar?? Can somebody please enlighten me.. I feel like im being sold a camper i wont be able to tow.. even though the explanation makes sense??!

Shiny new red tig with RCD 510,MDI,fiscon kufatec, comfort & a useless towball