Hi all.

I have now converted my FL2 to a standard Australian 12 pin flat connector that accepts a 7 pin flat connector or a 12 pin flat connector used on some caravans.

I was not happy with the ltwo large round trailer electrical connectors fitted by LRA. I had asked them for the wiring details of both connectors so that I would know how they were set up – I particularly interested in the one with the white cap. LRA would not supply me with the information.

After a lot of research and some help I got information of the wiring details for both connector. Both are the standard connectors as used in the UK wired that way too. They have not been modified to meet Australian ADR standards.

The back one is a called a 12N (normal) and is the same shape etc as the standard large 7 pin socket used here – as most of you will know you can get an adaptor to covert it from the large round connector to the standard 7 pin flat type used in Oz. The problem is the wiring of the UK connector is slightly different to the standard used in Australia. Two of the wires (pins 2 & 5) have a different functions that could cause a problem on Australian trailers or caravans – in the main this is related to the function of pin #5 – in the UK this supplies power for the right hand tail and running lights – here its used for electric brakes. (See a post from Ub2 from Canberra who has his trailer brakes lock-up when his auto lights turned on). The white capped connector is called a 12S (supp)

Refer to the following diagrams for how each plug & pin is wired. My FL2 was wired in this configuration to a UK standard!! – Please note the wire colour is what I found on my 2007 FL2 HSE model - other models my differ.

Pin Colour Function

12N Black Cap
1 Yellow - LH Indicator
2 Blue - Rear fog lamp
3 White - Earth / Common return
4 Green - RH Indicator
5 White&Brown - RH Side / Tail
6 Red - Stop Lamp
7 Black - LH Side / Tail


12S White Cap

1 Yellow & Brown - Reversing light
2 Nil -Spare
3 White with #3 printed on it- Earth/Common return
4 Pink & Blue - Power supply - always active is direct from the battery
5 Nil - Spare or Rev sensor
6 White & Red - Refrigerator
7 White with #2 printed on it -Earth for fridge


I converted to a 12 pin flat connector as follows. Please note I am not an auto electrician and if you do this you do so at your own risk. If you are not sure take this information to an auto electrician and have them do this. Before you cut wires and install a new connector – disconnect the Positive (+) terminal from the battery. If you don’t the live wires could cause a short as you make the connections.

FL2 & Aust 12 Pin flat Pin #, wire colour, & function

PIN # - Wire Colour - Function
1- Yellow - LH indicator
2 - Yellow & Brown - Reversing signal/spare
3 - White -no printing - Earth common / return
4 - Green - RH indicator
5 - Nil - Brake signal
6 - Red - Stop lamps
7 - White & Brown + Black wire (2 wires together) - Rear lamps/running lights / num plate light
8 - Pink & Blue - Battery supply/live feed always on (use caution always active!! when car battery is connected)
9 - White #2 printed - Aux/spare - used for Fridge Earth
10 - White #3 printed - Common Earth
11 - Nil - Spare/Aux
12 - White & Red - Fridge

Note Pin 7 has 2 wires going to it as we use one wire for all tail & running lights. In the UK they have 2 wires one for Left & one for the Right side trailer tail lights - I didn't know what else to do with it and joined them together, the voltage is the same 12.5vDC - so far no issue from the car or my trailer with this.

All the Earth wires and the active Battery/charging supply (note this wire is always live if the ignition is on or off) and the fridge supply are all 2.5mm heavy gauge wires due to the current they supply or draw – this is good.

The 12N&S connectors are sealed so you have to cut the wires off from the back of the plug - once you start there is no going back. I also cut of the mounting bracket for them and mounted the flat connector on the base of the plastic faring near the towbar – make sure all cable are secure and clear of the rear muffler.

Since doing this I have not had a problem. Please before you proceed check everything and make sure you know what you are doing.

Again if you change over you do so at your own risk - if iyou are in any doubt see an auto-electrican

Good luck.

Paul My First LR - FL2 HSE i6 Sumatra Black, Alpacca with Sunroof, Tints, HD Tow Pack

Last edited by FooMan on 27th Oct 2008 11:40 am. Edited 6 times in total

PS to this.

I had diagrams in the post that didn't come over on the board posting. I am happy to email them to anyone wanting them. Or is there somewhere I can post them on the FL2 site?

Cheers.

Paul My First LR - FL2 HSE i6 Sumatra Black, Alpacca with Sunroof, Tints, HD Tow Pack

and the finally product....

Click image to enlarge

Unnecessary quote removed

Is this how LRA fit the trailer plugs locally? just wondering how you'd connect to the flat plug that most trailers seem to have, is their a connecting cable? (without splicing into the loom as per the instructions in this thread.)

Yes that is the type of socket connectors fitted to my FL2 - they are standard UK ones and they were fitted by LRA here using the ADR approved tow bar. You can buy a large round 7 pin coverter cable that has a 7 pin flat on the end for use here. The problem is that pin #5 in the UK and fitted to our cars is a trail light feed. In Australia Pin 5 is a brake signal line for trailers fitted with electic brakes.

So if you connect a trailer with electric brakes and you turn on the lights the signal wire on Pin 5 will activate the brakes on the trailer.

Refer to the following web page to see how the plugs are wired for the UK 12 N (normal) socket & 12S (Supplementary) socket for caravans power etc:

http://www.haynes.co.uk/wcsstore/HaynesPub...pread4.pdf

Refer to the following web page for wiring positions for various Australian trailer Stanadards - have al ook at the large 7 pin socket (same size and shape etc as the UK - 12N socket as fitted to our FL2s - we do not use the 12S (white cap) connector here. Then have alook at the the flat 7 standard socket & flat 12 socket that I have used:

http://www.campertrailers.org/trailer_wiring_diagram.htm

I'll upload images of the finished result that I got on my car soon

Paul My First LR - FL2 HSE i6 Sumatra Black, Alpacca with Sunroof, Tints, HD Tow Pack

Dorko wrote:

and the finally product....

Click image to enlarge

But i paid for mine to be done by LR

Dorko

Yes Dorko so did I . I ordered it with the vehicle. It was supplied and fitted by LR Aust as is the tow bar. But as my post says I found out that the connectors are not wired to suit Australian standards they are the UK wiring configuration. I would suspect that yours will be wired the same as mine was from LRA.

If you know how to use a volt meter check #5 pin in the black connector - pin #3 is the earth so make a circuit with the meter using pin 3 & 5 - it will show 12volts when you have the tail lights running. In Aust pin #5 should be for an electric brake signal wire, to operate electric trailer brakes and shouldn't have 12volt showing if the car parker light are turned on. My First LR - FL2 HSE i6 Sumatra Black, Alpacca with Sunroof, Tints, HD Tow Pack

What I had



What I have fitted now Flat 12 Australian standard socket:

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[/img] My First LR - FL2 HSE i6 Sumatra Black, Alpacca with Sunroof, Tints, HD Tow Pack

Cant you tell the dealer to fix it to the australian standard? Im sure you wont have a issue?

Dorko

Yes I did that even before I got my car delivered - as i had read earlier posts about the type connectors of fitted by LRA - they would not do it. I asked again and requested them to be changed when they told me the car had arrived and I could pick it up a few days later. - Others on this site had had the same issue. So I gave up on them. My First LR - FL2 HSE i6 Sumatra Black, Alpacca with Sunroof, Tints, HD Tow Pack

Im going back to the dealer this week, as i havent yet done a handover.

I will ask them about his tow bar. I will keep you posted

Dorko

I think you should ask some pointed questions and see what they say.

Why is the white connecter there - it has five wires going to it - What do they do? It couldn't get an answer to this. All they would say is "its a European connector" even that's not right as it's a UK one, most of Europe use a different one. Why fit something we can't use at all?

The fact is you can't get a compatable connector in Australia to suit it - none will fit. The point is if you have a caravan or a camper trailer the battery charging and fridge supply wires attached to it would be very useful.

And of course the black one is not wired to Australian configuration or standards - again no answer to that at all.

good luck with them My First LR - FL2 HSE i6 Sumatra Black, Alpacca with Sunroof, Tints, HD Tow Pack

My tow bar came with a short black connector. It appartnetly lets me use the local trailers. Or something on those lines.

But if i want to use a trailer with brakes, then i need to by a braking module for the tow bar. $300 odd bucks and this will work.

Regards

Dorko

Hey Just wanted to thank FooMan for his detailed post here, I actually went a similar route and fitted a 7 pin flat, I didnt fit the 12 pin plug because a) I never have towed a caravan, b) I doubt I ever will, and if i did, i guess I would live without the power from the car, im always cautious about draining power from the car battery regardless.

Basically with the wire's left over from the white plug, I covered them in automotive silicon and wrapped them in electrical tape to keep the water out, then tied them up to the existing wiring harness. One extra point, which some may say is overkill, if you notice, the existing plug is sealed at the rear for what ever reason, I thought maybe to keep moisture out (these are 4wd's remember, and i actually take mine offroad, through creeks etc) so after I had connected the wires, and tested the new 7 pin flat plug, I filled the plug with automotive silicone, and also around where the wire goes into the plug, and then wrapped that in electrical tape, giving it a nice non-removable seal.

Also, although FooMan's details were correct with the wire colours, I picked up a cheap $4 test lamp from supercheap to double check the outputs.

All up the whole lot only took me about half an hour, I think the longest part was grinding off the big silly piece of metal from the old plugs.

Also, disclaimer, I have no idea what im doing, and you should only have work performed on your car by a qualified technician, or something similar.

Thanks,

Thanks for the support Wassup. I'm glad the information it was of use.

Paul My First LR - FL2 HSE i6 Sumatra Black, Alpacca with Sunroof, Tints, HD Tow Pack

Hi FooMan,

I was looking into doing the same thing for my FL2, but I need to ask how do you deal with a trailer with brakes if you don't have any signal for the brakes in your flat connector?

Thanks!