Technical Electrical problem when towing

[ignorantpeasant]

I have a Marea Weekend 1.6SX and have recently had a towbar fitted. When I have the trailer connected and use the indicators one of the fuses on the main fuse board blows. It is fuse 13, which is a 10A fuse for the instrument panel power. I guess that it also covers the flasher unit & audible warning for the trailer indicators, as these stop working at the same time. It is not the fuse for the indicators themselves, so I don't think the trailer electrics are to blame. Any ideas?

 

[custard]

if its blowing the fuse then the circuit is being overloadeed,i would go back to the fitters as it sounds like they have tapped into a circuit that can't take the load

The Fiat Cinquecento
Fun While It Runs

 

[mad_colm]

check that your wiring in the trailer isn't bare and shorting.

99 Brava 100 HSX with not enough mods

 

[The Mighty]

Bet you can't drop the lower bit of the tailgate now either......

CP

 

[MarkH]

I also have a Marea Estate, and was thinking of fitting a tow bar.

Does a towbar impede the lower half of the tailgate from closing? If so, can you get a removable tow ball, that could be removed when not in use?

Hope I don't sound thick - just curious. Don't want to spend hard earned wedge, only to find that I can't then use part of the car :-/

Mark

 

[The Mighty]

It doesn't impede it closing, but you will have a problem opening!
I don't find it a big deal on mine I just don't drop the bottom. Its not the ball which gets in the way, but the actual arm. I think they will all be the same, mines a "Witter" and they have a good name apparently. If you look at how low the back end is and where the towbar needs to go, there's not a lot of room for a different design. I have had a bit of a moment with ground clearance with the towbar.......Back of the car full of Keyboards and P.A. parked on the pavement outside some venue or other, tried gently droping down off the kerb.......bad idea!!!

CP

 

[George Kidd]

I believe the Fiat towbar for the Weekend, allows the bottom tailgate to open. I'm sure I read about this in the Bravo guide forum. I was looking into this last year, and the Fiat towbar was actually the cheapest too!

 

[ignorantpeasant]

Some towbars have a removable ball so that the bottom of the tailgate can be lowered. That's what I've got. It's fine in theory, but in fact my tailgate still doesn't lower fully even with the ball removed. I'm having an arguemnt with the fitters (Towbar Exrpess) about it at the moment.
I'v eproved that my electrical problem is definitely the car & not the trailer, so its off to the auto-electricians!