Hi all,

I am new to your forum and would like to say Hi and to ask if anyone can help with a problem I have. :wave:

I am trying to wire up my towbar to my 2008 Panda Cross. I have a dedicated wiring kit from Westfalia, and need to make a certain connection to a connector near the body computer. My problem is I can't find this connector. I realise the instructions might apply more to LHD cars, but I can't find it on the right side of my car either.

I'm not allowed to insert a link just yet, so I cannot indicate the pdf instructions available for this installation. However, it can be pulled from the Westfalia-Automotive website and searching for the Panda Cross in the product finder.
The connector is illustrated in Fig 2(A) and described in para's 17 to 20.

Any help appreciated.

When I wired up a towbar to my old panda the wiring connections were all taken from the rear of the vehicle and it all worked fine I used trailer to transport myself and all my stuff to Ireland although was a bit scary on the ferry couldnt get enough grip and power up the ramps with 4X4 you should have it easier Good Luck

Hi aintnopegion,
With the dedicated wiring harness I have, it should be easy. The only problem I have is with the power connector. There is already a trailer fuse in the engine compartment, but I don't know where to pick it up in the interior. I've mailed the harness manufacturer, but no answer so far. If I had a wiring schematic, it wouldn't be a problem. I have just come to realise that this information is very hard to come by - probably to force owners to use dealers workshops.

On the same note, if anyone is thinking of fitting a Westfalia towbar to a 1.3 Diesel Panda 4x4, I had another problem which did not appear in the instructions. One of the 2 left hand silencer mounting pins interfere with towbar alignment to the chassis beam securing point. After querying this, Westfalia sent me a document addressing this issue. The answer given was to saw off the interfering pin. I'm not too impressed with that solution. I think 'Bosal' make a compatible towbar for this model of car, and the design looks like it would clear the pins.

Anyway, I'm still holding out for an answer to my wiring problem from Westfalia before I find my own. Cheers

Just in case someone stumbles on this post looking for help, here's an update. I ditched the Westfalia tow bar because I didn't want to go cutting bits off my car. Brink (owned by Thule), do a tow bar for the Panda 4x4 which fits the Cross perfectly. What's more, you don't have to cut a slot in the bumper. One thing you have to be careful of, is removing the rear side trims to get the rear bumper off. They are held on with pop studs and double sided tape. My tip would be to first remove the rear covers on the under side of the rear wheel arches. They have to come off anyway. Then use long nose pliers or similar to close the ears of the studs so that they will easily pull out.
As for the electrics, the wiring schematic for the vehicle specific kit I got did not match my car. There was no place to plug in the continuous voltage supply. All I got back from the harness manufacturer was that Fiat have changed the wiring. So I ran the cable from the relay box in the rear of the vehicle to the fuse box under the steering wheel from where I found a suitable supply to put a 15A fuse. Work fine.

Hi, I've just taken delivery of a 1.2 Dynamic Eco and have also bought a new genuine Fiat towbar kit, complete with wiring, from a Fiat dealer via E-bay for £100! Normally, I wouldn't consider buying the genuine Fiat article but at that price, it was too good to miss. I also thought that being the genuine article, the wiring would be simple....(!)
It turns out that the bar is made by Brink and the wiring kit by Ellebi. the instructions tell you to run the relay power feed cable through the cabin and plug it in to the wiring harness below the left side of the dashboard - despite my pulling the car to pieces, there's no sign of the socket that's supposed to be there. Thinking that maybe the instructions were for LHD cars, I pulled the right side to pieces - alas, still no socket...then i read Bibendum's very helpful post - I suspect that it's not just Panda Cross's that have had their wiring changed. Bibendum, if you read this, please could you elaborate on exactly where and how you connected your feed cable?
Thanks & Regards

Tigertone, Sorry for not responding earlier. I don't use forums very much. You have probably solved your wiring issue by now.
I feel I should follow up with this to salve my guilt. I have got some good information from this site. It seems your problem is (or was) identical to mine. It is frustrating that there is an integrated trailer fuse, but no information where to connect to it.
I hooked up my permanent 12V supply line to the fuse box under the steering column. I used a volt meter to check which fuse has such a supply. I also chose a supply which has wiring with sufficient gauge to carry the additional load. I deduced that the central locking supply was perfect for the job. Next, I used what I refer to as a 'piggy back' bladed fuse connector. This device is plugged into a fuse slot, and carries two fuses. In this case, one for central locking, the other for the towbar lighting. You have to make sure that the connector is plugged in with the correct orientation. Otherwise, the fuses are in series to one of the outputs, instead of each output being protected by a single fuse.
These 'piggy back' connectors are available online, but I got mine free from a friend.