Just fitted a Witter towbar, and dedicated model specific trailer 7 pin wiring kit from Tow Equipe to our 2006 Multijet. Excellent towbar, easy to fit, excellent wiring kit, not so easy to fit, but to my amazement, all the car's lights still work, and so do the trailer's. But, a funny thing happens. When you plug the trailer in, the door warning light comes on on the dashboard, and you can't open the tailgate with the normal latch (though you can with the key). As soon as you unplug the trailer, the warning light goes off and the tailgate latch works as normal. I contacted the wiring kit manufacturer (Right Connections, very good firm) and they said they'd never heard of this before, and can only assume the car thinks there's a bike rack or something attached and it won't let me open the tailgate. Has anyone else encountered this?

Afraid I carnt help you as I wired my socket in to the loom the old way (no relay) on my 2006 multijet and have had no problems .. if it was mine I would now try a different lighting board and then if the fault remains may be an extra earth wire from car chassis to trailor board to rule out a bad earth

notsmartcars said:

Afraid I carnt help you as I wired my socket in to the loom the old way (no relay)

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should have used a 7 way bypass relay at least. Asking for problems really.

OP, where did it plug into the cars loom out of interest

OP, where did it plug into the cars loom out of interest

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The dedicated kit plugged in in lots of places! At each rear light cluster, to an unused connector near the LH rear wheelarch, and into a box of electronics that comes with it via a connector with a huge number of pins. there's also another cable which runs up to the front and connects into major wiring below the fuse box by driver's knee. There also 2 new fuses in that part of the trailer wiring loom presumably to protect the new wiring.

The manufacturer has now suggested I disconnect the part of the trailer loom for the parking distance warning doo-dah if our car doesn't have it. Which it doesn't. So I'll try that tomorrow.

Ah, interesting, so it basically plugs into all the existing plugs which go into lights etc, and you plug the new lugs from this new loom into the lights etc then? So no chopping of anything I take it.

So it basically plugs into all the existing plugs which go into lights etc, and you plug the new lugs from this new loom into the lights etc then? So no chopping of anything I take it.

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Yes, precisely. The only violence involved is drilling a 25mm hole in rear panel for socket wiring to emerge. And very weatherproof grommets supplied. All very civilised. Very good firm: www.rightconnections.co.uk. I hasten to add I have no connection with said firm.

My 06 multijet has a std 7 way relay and works. You have to wonder if it's doing anything else to the electrics you haven't yet spotted. So much for the blurb on their site about paying for a quality system.

The helpful man at Right Connections got back to me and said if the car doesn't have the proximity alarm thing, disconnect the trailer wiring from the connector provided for it which is behind the carpet on the left side of the luggage compartment. I have, and it solved the problem. No door warning light and tailgate opens normally with or without trailer plugged in. I get your point, Popshot, but as this is the first car I've owned from the digital era I thought I would be at greater risk of frying its electronics by wiring the trailer socket the old way than by using a purpose made loom for that specific car. It was pricey but very good quality, and everything fit nicely. So job done now. Next, to make a plywood liner for load area in place of back seat so i can carry 4 beehives around..........