UKC

I have a tow bar mounted bike rack, with electrics that supply the lights on the number plate board. 7 pin on the car, 13 on the bike carrier with an adapter in between.

Plugged it in today to find that the right indicator is permanently on (as in continuous rather than flashing), as is the beeping which reminds me that I have a trailer...

All the advice I've found so far by googling is not that helpful - along the lines of "my brake lights flash when I use the indicators..." So not very relevant.

Any ideas as to what the problem might be? Suggestions gratefully received.
I'm ringing the manufacturer tomorrow but any other help would be useful

Thanks
Gte

In reply to G. Tiger, Esq.:
Have you used the 7 pin trailer socket on the car before?

If not I would suspect that the socket is wired wrong first.

Then the trailer board could be wired wrong & last the adapter.


If poss try the car with a 7 pin trailer board, your boards on a 13 pin car & then test the adapter in the same way.

MOT stations have a tester.

In reply to G. Tiger, Esq.:

First thing with dodgy vehicle electrics is to check the earth connection, do you have a multimeter?

In reply to G. Tiger, Esq.:

Basically the wiring doesn't match, somethings been wired up wrong.

In reply to G. Tiger, Esq.:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/3-trailer-board-with-4m-cable/80439

In reply to G. Tiger, Esq.:

have you twisted the 13 pin out of alignment with use?

youtube.com/watch?v=534AbREa-9w&

How to realign your 13 pin caravan towing electrics plug

In reply to Richard Wilson:

I've had the cycle carrier for a couple of years and have connected it many times without any problems. This is the first time it has had anything out of the ordinary happen. I don't suspect that anything in the trailer board is wired wrong.

The stRange thing is that the right indicator comes on even when the engine is off. Everything else on the board is fine, the indicators flash correctly, other than the fact that the right one stays on at all other times...

I don't have a multimeter but can get one. What would it tell me? That the pin for the right indicator is constantly live? Presumably that's a fault with the car electrics rather than the trailer?
Gte

In reply to G. Tiger, Esq.:

A multimeter would make tracking down the fault a lot easier.

Couple of questions:
Does the car indicator blink as normal when the board is connected? - If not does it work as normal when not connected?
Can you hear a clicking sound when the left indicator is operated, what about when the right indicator is operated?

In reply to G. Tiger, Esq.:

Have you checked the opposite indicator bulb?

In reply to G. Tiger, Esq.:

Give all the connections a good clean and then apply WD40 onto a cotton bud and try and wipe the connections with that. Sounds to me like it could be a moisture problem to me, creating a short.

In reply to G. Tiger, Esq.:

So the plaque has functioned correctly in the past. Is it normally stored inside? The fault will most likely develop in a plug/socket which has been exposed to the weather - or possibly a component subject to twisting/distortion with handling.

In saying that it is ON can you identify that it is on dimly w r t normal operation ? Check cable insulation close to plugcontacts for shrinkback / stretch. Pity that adapter is present to complicate.

In reply to everyone:

So I had a tinker this morning and this is the upshot:

All the lights on the board function correctly (apart from the indicators) They have done so many times in the past up until yesterday.

I connected/disconnected the electrics several times to try and clear any corrosion off the contacts - there are a few spots, but I don't think that is the problem as power is still going to the board. I'll give the contacts a clean and a scrape when I get a moment.

However, as a result of my tinkering I think I've blown the right hand indicator bulb, and now the left one is permanently on. When the hazards/indicator is on it flashes brighter, but is otherwise constantly on (and beeping...)
Having unplugged the electrics, it is still buzzing, suggesting the fault is somewhere in the car's electrics.
Next step? other than find which fuse to pull out. I think I might be at the stage where I have to pay a grown up to sort it out.

GTE

In reply to G. Tiger, Esq.:

Buzzing suggests a relay possibly, but that doesn't seem to fit with the other symptoms so well. Where does the buzzing come from and do the car indicators work when the board is plugged/unplugged?

In reply to EddInaBox:

The car indicators (and all the car lights) work perfectly whether the board is plugged in or not.
The buzzing seems to come from the same place that the "extra" indicator beeps come from when the board is plugged in. sometimes it's on and sometimes it's off, and I cannot see what causes the difference. I might try switching it on and off again to see if anything changes. when the board is plugged in and beeping the buzzing stops, but then carries on when the board is removed...

GTE

In reply to G. Tiger, Esq.:

Where is the place the buzzing comes from, e.g. front of the car behind the glove box, rear of the car behind the offside wheel arch... ? Sounds like the problem might be where the electrics for the socket on the car are spliced into the car's original wiring, possibly an additional relay or the beeper.

In reply to EddInaBox:

Rear of the car behind the off side wheel arch. It seems to buzz just after I've taken the board off, for a while, and then stop. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it won't eventually drain my battery.

GTE

In reply to G. Tiger, Esq.:

Behind the boot lining panel, you should find the module for the electrics to the socket, spliced into your vehicles existing wiring, start wiggling the wires and see if it makes any difference. Are the wires spliced in with Scotchlok connectors?