Switch On Towbar Electrics?

[InventEd]

Just to check I am not being an idiot before putting in a service request. I can't get the electrics to work on the tow bar with a trailer. I tried two different light boards. Both cases I selected trailer mode and it just shows a red caravan picture. First time I have tried anything on the tow electrics on the car since I purchased it new.

I just put the same trailer board on my Audi A6 and it works perfectly. So it not the board. Any other settings that need to be switched to get the trailer lights to work in the Tesla model 3?

 

[Avendit]

Plug in and it detects and turns on tow mode for me. Green caravan for electrics ok, amber for any problems (had been fixing one of mine hence I know this)

 

[Alistairuk]

Worth checking your connector has the wires in the place expected by the Tesla (ie. correct thing connected to the correct pin) - I used to have this problem with my parents' caravan whenever we used a different car to tow it... The correct pins are on page 103 of the manual.

 

[Neilman]

Out of interest are you using a lighting board with filament lamps fitted or a newer board with LED lighting?
And, if the newer LED type, is it fitted with "CANBus" resistors?

A lot of cars use the expected low resistance of the signalling indicator lamps to "detect" the connection of a trailer/caravan.
With low-current LED lights they don't pull enough current to get detected properly so even if the trailer lamps light up ok the car won't automatically switch to "trailer mode".

The work-around for LED lightboards is to wire-in some low-value so-called "CANBus" resistors to "fool" the car into thinking you're using filament lamps.

Some cars test the lamps regularly - LED lamps "blink" when this happens

 

[InventEd]

Thanks. Lights are bulb type. I have tried a bike rack with 13 pin and trailer board with a convertor plug to 13 pin. Both get a red caravan symbol in Tesla and no warning lights in Audi.

Both when plugged into Audi get all the lights working, when plugged into Tesla not a single lights works.

When you get the red caravan symbol because one bulb doesn’t work surely that should not stop all the lights working?

Looks like a service request. I already have one open so I need to work out how to add a second!

 

[MrBadger]

Looks like a service request. I already have one open so I need to work out how to add a second!

I just kept adding to the first (until I ran out of space)

 

[InventEd]

Just to follow up on this. I had to take my car to Tesla service centre. They confirmed that the lights didn’t work and they told me there are two typical faults on tow bars on Tesla. First is that they over-tighten in the circuit board. Second that they fit the connector on the wrong way round so the pins are incorrect and it doesn’t work. Turns out mine was the second problem, incorrectly fitted connector. Sorted in 30min. It amazes me that this obviously never got tested in the factory after fitting!

 

[LongRanger]

That’s a really good shout for collection check. Looking forward to seeing staff member’s face when I request a tow bar demo to prove it’s working ....

 

[Avendit]

Wonder if you can get a tester for it like you can for domestic power sockets? Or are you going to be stuck carrying a trailer board in with you?

They did offer me a demo of physically connecting the tow hook etc btw.

 

[Sean.]

Wonder if you can get a tester for it like you can for domestic power sockets? Or are you going to be stuck carrying a trailer board in with you?

They did offer me a demo of physically connecting the tow hook etc btw.

You absolutely can get testers. I have both type for (a) the towed vehicle and (b) the “battery box” types that let you fully (visually) test all the lights on the trailer / light-board. Wouldn’t be without them.

 

[rotor2k]

Just to follow up on this. I had to take my car to Tesla service centre. They confirmed that the lights didn’t work and they told me there are two typical faults on tow bars on Tesla. First is that they over-tighten in the circuit board. Second that they fit the connector on the wrong way round so the pins are incorrect and it doesn’t work. Turns out mine was the second problem, incorrectly fitted connector. Sorted in 30min. It amazes me that this obviously never got tested in the factory after fitting!

I have the over-tightened circuit board problem -- awaiting spare parts and another mobile ranger visit to replace and hopefully problem solved. My problem is a red caravan icon permanently on (I haven't got a trailer/bike rack to test with).

 

[Rustybkts]

Plug in and it detects and turns on tow mode for me. Green caravan for electrics ok, amber for any problems (had been fixing one of mine hence I know this)

My towing icon only turms blue, never seen green but have seen red when the plug wasn't in properly.
It works fine but is all LED's so is blue normal or just because it doesn't have a filament load?

I'm more pissed that with all the cameras and tech, I get a caravenner icon when my lockdown rebuilt trailer is attached!

 

[Avendit]

My towing icon only turms blue, never seen green but have seen red when the plug wasn't in properly.
It works fine but is all LED's so is blue normal or just because it doesn't have a filament load?

I'm more pissed that with all the cameras and tech, I get a caravenner icon when my lockdown rebuilt trailer is attached!

Ha! Yea. The car has a camera pointing at the load and a supposedly geewhizz ai chip running, why can't it detect the load and put the right icon up? Bike rack, boat, jet ski, trailer and caravan all seem like reasonable alternatives.

The caravan one could include hooking the driver seat up to the HV battery as punishment...