Tow plug.....

[robbo59]

I had to replace the tow plug on my sportswagon it had been dipped in too much salt from putting the boat in at the ramp.

My question is I bought an aftermarket plug called ARK,after pulling the GM one apart I saw 2 sensor wires and a bridge wire that runs between them.

I managed to put the sensors back in the new plug but not the rubber incased wire that runs between them...should this be an issue or should I go to the stealer and buy a GM plug ?.....after towing the boat yesterday I'm not sure if the brakes were coming on while I was driving.

 

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

They would be for the reverse sensors, it disables the sensors when reverse is selected while towing, otherwise they will be going off as they sense something behind you.

 

[robbo59]

No the sensors don't go off when I'm reversing the boat.....was just worried about the bridge wire the goes between them..if they set off the abs......

 

[swingn_wasabi]

So the sensors shouldn't work when you have a trailer all attached / wired?

Mine go off like a German band & is very frustrating... & all my gear (Park sensors, tow bar assembly) are all Holden Genuine & fitted by the dealer.

 

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

There is a different harness for the plug when there are sensors fitted. This disables the sensors when something is plugged into it.

I'm not sure why there would be a bridging wire there, if you can't bridge them at the plug, just splice them together so they touch a bit further up the loom. It will do the same job.

 

[RiCeY]

Genuine plug is cheap as.

 

[swingn_wasabi]

There is a different harness for the plug when there are sensors fitted. This disables the sensors when something is plugged into it.

Thanks for the confirmation... Will be giving the dealer a call to get this fixed up. We had everything fitted to the ute by Holden, so they've obviously put on the wrong part to go with the sensors!

EDIT: Just got off the blower with Holden & the feature that disables the park sensors when a trailer is connected is actually controlled via the car itself. Unclear as to whether this option is available to all to enable or if you need to go in via service mode. Hopefully I'll be able to 100% confirm (If someone doesn't beat me to it) when I get a chance to take the car back to the dealer. Can also confirm that this setting will reset when the battery is disconnected. So in my case it may have been setup right, but battery was disconnected when there was a lifter problem.

 

[icetechaus]

I've just been through this one with my dealer, to their credit they did spend a fair amount of time on it as they didn't understand it either. I had come from a VZ and it used the sensor, so that if the cap was open on the connector the reversing sensor would be cut off, however on the VE they use the computer itself. The process is as you drive forward at a speed of greater than 15kmph the sensors look behind you. If it sees an object that is in range for 10 seconds it decides that you are towing something and shuts off the reversing sensors. On the next start up it goes through the same proceedure, if nothing is seen behind you the sensors turn back on.
The moral of the story is don't put yourself in a position where you have to reverse as soon as you hook the trailer on because the beeping will drive you crazy and don't trust the reversing sensors just after you have unhooked the trailer.
This doesn't apply to models with park assist and teh associated button in the console.

 

[RiCeY]

The VE still uses the magnetic switch in the towbar socket to disable reverse sensors. I know this because Ive had to replace the socket on several occasions as the switch failed and reverse sensors were inoperative.

 

[icetechaus]

It isn't connected on my wagon. I followed the harness through for the reed switch and it went nowhere.