Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: shyboy on 12 March 2008, 17:44:36
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I got my son to help me take a tree stump to the local tip yesterday in a small trailer on the back of my 2.6l facelift estate.
I wear hearing aids which enabled me to hear the indicators clicking OK, but my son pointed out another 'buzzing' noise coinciding with the indicator clicks, which I couldn't pick up until I stopped the engine. We traced it to the back of the load area, but didn't have time to locate it exactly, and I'm wondering whether this is normal, (some sort of additional warning, perhaps), or whether it was a malfunction of the signalling system. I did notice that the dashboard flasher symbol which lights when I'm towing my c*****n, ::), was not doing so on this trip, and I'm not sure whether all the trailer lights were operating correctly.
Has anyone else noticed this?
Bill.
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It is mandatory to have a warning that trailer indicators work correctly. The simplest way is to add a "buzzer" to the circuit that makes the noise as the trailer lights flash .. this is done in 99% of trailer wiring installs.
It is just far far cheaper than geting the built in lights to work, which usually involves relays and removing the dash - for some stupid reason Vx don't put the trailer bulb in the socket .. you have to remove the dash just to fit the damned bulb !!
The buzzer is normally behind the boot trim somewhere .. they are about the length of a cigarette and about twice the diameter, simple 3/4 wires, one to each trailer indicator live, 2 to earth - some have a combined earth ... :)
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That'll be the audible warning stystem that the trailer indicators are working. :y
Either an audible signal, or a separate warning light on the dashboard is required for the towing electrics.
Kevin
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You say that your trailer warning lamp on the dash works too? A lot of towbar fitters take the easy route of fitting a buzzer rather than swapping the 3 pin flaher relay for a four pin & fitting a lamp in the dash. It sounds as though you have both visual & audible warnig of your trailer indictors flashing!
Doh! Must type faster! ;D
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..... you have to remove the dash just to fit the damned bulb !! .....
It's not difficult though.
The one gripe I have with my 4 pin flasher relay is that it's a lot noisier than the original. Hella's reply was that it was an additional indication that all was well :-? & to try pipe lagging to try to quieten it. :(
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..... you have to remove the dash just to fit the damned bulb !! .....
It's not difficult though.
The one gripe I have with my 4 pin flasher relay is that it's a lot noisier than the original. Hella's reply was that it was an additional indication that all was well :-? & to try pipe lagging to try to quieten it. :(
I'll find out when the weather improves !!! Presently "illegal" with no trailer warning ... so the bulb/relay job is on the list of things to do, as well as the "parkpilot disable when towing" thing ... :)
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Thanks for the info. fellas. You've got me wondering now. It may be that the dash light is in the 2.0l and I've just not noticed before that there isn't one on the 2.6l.
Tha audible signal's obviously useless for me with my hearing, but what the Hell!
I'll check tomorrow. Had enough of this bloody wind for the time being. :y
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If you go on to either the Witter or Towsure towbars website you should be able to get hold of a kit to change the buzzer for a rather loud beeper.All you need to do then is trace the wiring from the towbar back to the link point behind the boot panel and you should find the buzzer,
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... you should be able to get hold of a kit to change the buzzer for a rather loud beeper. .....
Or just bin it all, put a 4 pin flasher realy inplace of the original & put a lamp in the dash Where Vx thoughtfully wired up a hole! :y
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... you should be able to get hold of a kit to change the buzzer for a rather loud beeper. .....
Or just bin it all, put a 4 pin flasher realy inplace of the original & put a lamp in the dash Where Vx thoughtfully wired up a hole! :y
how easy is this to do as every buzzer i have fitted has failed to work and really need to activate the light on the dash.
is there a how to guide?
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how easy is this to do as every buzzer i have fitted has failed to work and really need to activate the light on the dash.
Haven't tried it myself but I understand it's a matter of adding the missing bulb to the instrument panel and changing the flasher unit for one with 4 pins.
Kevin
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..... it's a matter of adding the missing bulb to the instrument panel and changing the flasher unit for one with 4 pins.
Kevin
In a nut shell. :y
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Thanks guys and gals. I'm going to put the bulb and 4-pin flasher unit in. My eyes are just a bit better than my ears. ;D
Marie. If I do this before you do I'll post the info., although we'll probably still be talking about doing it at the Lakes meet, (perhaps in 2009 ::)).
Bill.
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Thanks guys and gals. I'm going to put the bulb and 4-pin flasher unit in. My eyes are just a bit better than my ears. ;D
Marie. If I do this before you do I'll post the info., although we'll probably still be talking about doing it at the Lakes meet, (perhaps in 2009 ::)).
Bill.
When you test the dash tell tale, just put the hazards on. You'll get the two dash lamps plus the trailer lamp flashing.
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Thanks guys and gals. I'm going to put the bulb and 4-pin flasher unit in. My eyes are just a bit better than my ears. ;D
Marie. If I do this before you do I'll post the info., although we'll probably still be talking about doing it at the Lakes meet, (perhaps in 2009 ::)).
Bill.
When you test the dash tell tale, just put the hazards on. You'll get the two dash lamps plus the trailer lamp flashing.
:y. Thanks, will do.
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Where is the flasher unit located, and which 4 pin flasher unit does it need to be replaced with ? will any 4 pin flasher unit be ok ?
I need to do mine before i start using my trailer again so i'll need to get a flasher unit ready.
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I can confirm that fitting the bulb in the dash and fitting a 4 pin flasher relay does indeed activate the warning light on the dash panel :)
It's an easy fix/mod and took me just 20mins from start to finish. I used a 4 pin flasher relay from Hella part number 4DM 003 360-001 which cost £12.27 inc VAT. Durite also do one part number 0-744-62, and the part number for the bulb from Vauxhall is 91155676 and cost £0.81 +VAT.
The flasher relay is located in the fuse panel under the steering column, just turn the flashers on and feel the relays, the one that can be felt clicking is the one you need to remove and replace and there is a guide to removing the instrument/dash panel in the mantainance section.
:y
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Excellent. Thanks for providing all the details. :y
Kevin
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No problem :y
It's a cheap and easy fix anybody can do without paying dealer prices, also helps keep you legal when towing :)
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May get round to it myself so I can ditch the irritating buzzer.
Kevin
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Is this an ACTUAL indication of whether the trailer indicators are working or just a feed to an extra flashing bulb? :-/
Kev, or one of the other lads, would any of you be able to draw out a quick wiring diagram? I'm not entirely convinced! A link to some trailer wiring would also be helpful :-*
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If the indicator bulb has blown the the buzzer does not work. Only know this as a bulb has just gone on my nieghbours borrowed trailer. (ex caravan so carries a fair weight ie 1ton bag of ballast fits a treat)
The buzzer is handy for the indicator checks I do every time the trailers connected.
Trailer wiring http://www.tridenttrailers.com/trailer-wiring-diagram.htm
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The buzzer is handy for the indicator checks I do every time the trailers connected. ....
In Shyboy's case a lamp is a lot handier to see if you're mutton Jeff! :y
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The buzzers work by sensing current in the wire to the trailer indicators, so they are an indication that the trailer is drawing current and that, presumably, the bulb is working.
I believe the extra pin on the 4 pin flasher units is only activated when the indicator circuits are drawing a greater current than the normal vehicle indicators so they also give an indication that the trailer lights are working.
Kevin
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I believe the extra pin on the 4 pin flasher units is only activated when the indicator circuits are drawing a greater current than the normal vehicle indicators so they also give an indication that the trailer lights are working.
Kevin
Sounds about right. The trailer tell tale will also light when you have the hazards on too.
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I believe the extra pin on the 4 pin flasher units is only activated when the indicator circuits are drawing a greater current than the normal vehicle indicators so they also give an indication that the trailer lights are working.
Kevin
Sounds about right. The trailer tell tale will also light when you have the hazards on too.
That confirms it then. Flasher unit is running double the normal wattage of lights with hazards on.
Kevin
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Yeah, the dash warning only comes on when the trailer indicater is actually working, if the trailer indicater bulb is blown then the dash warning light doesn't flash.
Just tried it with my trailer :y
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Just caught up on this. Thanks for the details, Mr Jimbo. I'm going to do it when I get a minute.
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So, the extra bulb will do the business irrespective of how the trailer wiring has been connected?
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So, the extra bulb will do the business irrespective of how the trailer wiring has been connected?
Should do, as long as the current to the trailer bulbs goes through the flasher and isn't switched by a relay at the rear end, for example.
Kevin
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Hmmm, sounding good so far but just makes me think that if a 'professional' service has fitted it, they will just bosh it the easiest and quickest way. Will be worth a dig around though. Cheers mate :y
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just wired up my towbar would this relay do the job
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Flasher-12V-4-Pin-180Watt-No-Polarity-Car-or-Bike_W0QQitemZ130205785296QQihZ003QQcategoryZ25643QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQ_trksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem