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Richard Willetts



Member Since: 07 Feb 2017
Location: Towcester
Posts: 99

United Kingdom 2013 Freelander 2 TD4 GS Manual Santorini Black
LED Rear Caravan Lights 2017 Swift

Hi
.
At present I have a 2012 Swift caravan with 3 LED lights down each side and it all works fine.

When the bar was fitted PF Jones could not guarantee that LED`s would work with witter 13 pin electrics.

Has anyone out there any experience of LED lights on a Swift 2017 Caravan with LED rear lights etc, I am running with a genuine LR 13 pin socket on the car but I have read some where that the caravan lights need an upgrade in order to work.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Regards
Richard

Post #329860 25th Aug 2017 12:19 pm
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AMO123456



Member Since: 14 Jun 2014
Location: Wigan
Posts: 87

United Kingdom 2011 Freelander 2 TD4 GS Manual Santorini Black

Richard
I have a Sterling Emerald Elite which is made by Swift and have the 13pin connector fitted when my tow bar was fitted by Land Rover to match the plug fitted to the van. I have had no problems at all with the connection, all my lights work properly. Freelander 2 TD4 GS 2011 Manual Satorini Black (Current)
Freelander TD4 S 2004 Silver Manual (Gone)
Landrover Series 3 Manual Long Wheel Base Safari (Gone)
Landrover series 2A Manual Short Wheel Base (Gone)
Numerous different vehicles inbetween

Post #329861 25th Aug 2017 12:50 pm
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Blackbird14



Member Since: 26 Apr 2013
Location: Staffordshire
Posts: 64

United Kingdom 2013 Freelander 2 TD4 XS Manual Baltic Blue

Hi,

I have a 2016 Swift Conqueror with the LED back lights towed by a 2013 Freelander with Land Rover 13 pin socket. Before I purchased the caravan I got the caravan dealer to plug in their test board to see if the caravan electrics where ok. All Swift dealers should have a purpose built test board for this purpose. The caravan lights worked correctly but the repeater light for the indicators on the dashboard did not work. Also the cars reversing lights, reversing sensors and rear fog lights still operated instead of being switched off. The test rig allows different versions of a plugin module to be tested to determine the confection version for the car.

Upon receipt of the caravan a plugin module was fitted by the dealer inside the caravan (under) near side front seat. I have now travelled over 8000 miles with this arrangement with no problems.

See https://sargentltd.co.uk/shop/product/led-...l-unit/240 for further details.
Hope this helps
Dave

Post #329883 26th Aug 2017 8:49 am
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ReggiePerrin



Member Since: 13 Mar 2013
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 1241

England 2013 Freelander 2 SD4 HSE Lux Auto Firenze Red

Just bought a Swift caravan - collection in about ten days time but while I was at the dealer’s, I plugged the test board in and:


    1. Indicators (and hazard) worked but no dash trailer repeater
    2. Open / close driver’s door - indicators flashed once every time
    3. No stop lights at all
    4. Only one tail light
    5. No fog light
    6. Forgot to check reversing light


2013 HSE Lux with LR 13 pin electrics that work flawlessly on the outgoing Bailey Unicorn with filament lighting.

I guess I'll need to buy a Sargent widget thing to fix it but…. from Sargent or from dealership? Easy and quick to DIY fit on collection day or is it a workshop job? Any pointers will be welcome.

Post #412434 18th Sep 2021 10:34 pm
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jules



Member Since: 13 Dec 2007
Location: The Wilds of Warwickshire
Posts: 4517

United Kingdom 2014 Freelander 2 SD4 SE Auto Firenze Red

I haven't had a caravan for many years.
But I have to ask why have caravan manufacturers now produced caravans that dont work with cars' electrics. Seems like a nightmare for future caravan owners with older cars. Or is it newer cars that are the problem ? Jules

Post #412449 19th Sep 2021 9:58 am
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ReggiePerrin



Member Since: 13 Mar 2013
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 1241

England 2013 Freelander 2 SD4 HSE Lux Auto Firenze Red

I suspect it is newer cars with new-fangled electronics measuring every last millivolt where older cars with coal fired electrical systems don’t care what is at end of each wire.

Post #412451 19th Sep 2021 10:13 am
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Andy131



Member Since: 09 Dec 2009
Location: Manchester
Posts: 2159

United Kingdom 

In days of old, power was supplied from a fuse, through a switch and then onto the filament and on to earth.
Short circuit and the fuse blew. Blown filament and the light wouldn't work. Dodgy earth and all sorts of fun, for example press the brake pedal and both rear indicators would come on dimly.
Simple.

Then users wanted more information for safety's sake obviously, so everything goes through the main circuit board, power to the board then through transistors and onto the lamp. Initially send a pulse to check the circuit, if the current is too high then cut the power and signal a fault, if the power is too low again cut the power and signal a fault. Maybe try several times, but in the end if there is a fault kill the power.

Obviously the older system didn't give a fig what was connected, LED or filament. The newer systems have to measure the current in an attempt to protect the transistors carrying the power - a sudden overload will kill a transistor long before a fuse has heated up enough to blow. So newer systems are sensitive to load, if it is designed for filament then LEDs may flash briefly before the system sulks, if it's designed for LEDs the system will shut down immediately and probably not restart until the ignition is cycled.

It's not difficult to arrange a box of tricks the would simulate the power drawn by filament lamps on a LED trailer or another to power filament lamps on a LED system, but would have to be specified at build time to suit the particular car / caravan combination - or bought as an aftermarket add-on. Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

Post #412456 19th Sep 2021 10:59 am
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Bobupndown



Member Since: 26 Dec 2014
Location: Upside down behind the TV!
Posts: 2622

United Kingdom 2014 Freelander 2 SD4 GS Auto Orkney Grey

In the process of rebuilding a trailer and had planned led lights but given the potential issues I may just stick to conventional bulbed lights, seems to be a more straightforward option. Unless anyone can say for certain which lights will or won't work reliably with 2014 Freelander 2? I like to have the indicators tell tale light on the dash when towing and the reverse sensors not turning off would drive me to distraction when backing a trailer. Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

Post #412458 19th Sep 2021 11:41 am
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jules



Member Since: 13 Dec 2007
Location: The Wilds of Warwickshire
Posts: 4517

United Kingdom 2014 Freelander 2 SD4 SE Auto Firenze Red

I was trying to locate the source of a fault on my trailer lights with it plugged into my FL2 (2014). They're all filament bulbs and its quite easy to short the bulb terminals as you remove the bulb from the chinese cheapo bulb holders. I couldnt work out what was going on until I realised the FL2 was shutting down the circuit every time I transiently shorted it. In the old days it wouldn't have mattered.
So it was out with a 12V battery and connect it to each trailer circuit in turn. Jules

Post #412467 19th Sep 2021 1:46 pm
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Blackbird14



Member Since: 26 Apr 2013
Location: Staffordshire
Posts: 64

United Kingdom 2013 Freelander 2 TD4 XS Manual Baltic Blue

ReggiePerrin wrote:
Just bought a Swift caravan - collection in about ten days time but while I was at the dealer’s, I plugged the test board in and:


    1. Indicators (and hazard) worked but no dash trailer repeater
    2. Open / close driver’s door - indicators flashed once every time
    3. No stop lights at all
    4. Only one tail light
    5. No fog light
    6. Forgot to check reversing light


2013 HSE Lux with LR 13 pin electrics that work flawlessly on the outgoing Bailey Unicorn with filament lighting.

I guess I'll need to buy a Sargent widget thing to fix it but…. from Sargent or from dealership? Easy and quick to DIY fit on collection day or is it a workshop job? Any pointers will be welcome.


Hi,
The Sargents Control Box was fitted by my dealer before the caravan was supplied, however, it is a simple plug and play unit and can be diy fitted if you wish or fitted by the dealer at time of purchase. It takes about 30mins maximum to fit. My dealer supplied and fitted free of charge, they stocked the various units and reordered when they used one. I would check eith your dealer. The test rig my dealer had (supplied by Sargents) allowed the different types of units to be plugged in to check which unit was the correct one before fitting.
Dave

Post #412476 19th Sep 2021 4:46 pm
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ReggiePerrin



Member Since: 13 Mar 2013
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 1241

England 2013 Freelander 2 SD4 HSE Lux Auto Firenze Red

Thanks for the info….

The test board at Lowdham's (Nottingham) hangs on a fence in the car park - reverse up, engine off & plug in to get one red bar. Start engine and 2nd red bar illuminates and then the normal lights/indicators etc on/off generated the erratic behaviour described above. There didn't appear to be any user selectable settings on the test board and it appeared to be an entirely user diy facility.

I will speak with them when our sales chap is back from his hols and see what needs to be done. Clearly, it is not fit for towing as is

Post #412485 19th Sep 2021 7:26 pm
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william john



Member Since: 19 Aug 2018
Location: penn wolverhampton
Posts: 125

United Kingdom 2012 Freelander 2 TD4 HSE Auto Stornoway Grey

+ one from me on the mod fit. I tow a 2018 swift conqueror 565. Purchased from Salop leisure Shrewsbury. When i picked up the technician asked what i would be towing it with on the pre delivery check. Told him mine was 2012 fl2 and he fitted the mod as a precaution. No problems encountered and al lights a ok. Happy towing, i love pulling the swift with the my fl2 auto. Incidently my tow bar and electrics were fitted by an independant fitter and not LR.

Post #412507 20th Sep 2021 6:28 pm
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ReggiePerrin



Member Since: 13 Mar 2013
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 1241

England 2013 Freelander 2 SD4 HSE Lux Auto Firenze Red

A quick Update and long story short…

Collected caravan today - connected tow bar electrics and contrary to their LED lighting test rig, all lights worked as they should. All except the dashboard trailer indicator that is.

A Sargent VLM6 box of tricks was fitted F.O.C and all works perfectly.

Post #412847 29th Sep 2021 10:30 pm
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Bobupndown



Member Since: 26 Dec 2014
Location: Upside down behind the TV!
Posts: 2622

United Kingdom 2014 Freelander 2 SD4 GS Auto Orkney Grey

You have convinced me. Incandescent bulbed lights it will be! Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

Post #412849 30th Sep 2021 6:22 am
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william john



Member Since: 19 Aug 2018
Location: penn wolverhampton
Posts: 125

United Kingdom 2012 Freelander 2 TD4 HSE Auto Stornoway Grey

all later swifts come with led lights as standard. you don,t get an option. probably the same on all late model caravans.

Post #412908 1st Oct 2021 3:26 pm
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