Towbar Wiring

[Gliderpilot]

Hi All

Just finished wiring up my towbar, what a confusing system the chaps at Toyota/Lexus have. I decided to fit a bypass system rather than opt for the vastly more expensive dedicated kit. All was going fine, got the side lights, indicators and brake lights sorted in quick time but then I needed to connect the reverse lights. They are of course in the tailgate! Pulled the trim off and identified the wire colour, great now find it in the loom to the tailgate. No chance, the wire was pink at the light then it changed to white with a silver hoop every so often so looked for this in the nearside loom in the boot floor. Urika found one, drat this is not it. pulled down the roof lining at the back to reveal a row of three connectors, there was my white and silver wire, but wait there were 4 other similar ones too. By this time I'm cursing Lexus, I found the correct wire and low and behold it chaged to a red!!!! There was also a second red but a bit thinner in the loom as well. Found these two in the boot loom and thank goodness they were still different size cables. Wha a flaming rigmerole. I need a lie down now to get over the stress.

Cheers Pete.

[Matt Middleton]

Now that sounds like an awful lot of work.

Good job on getting it done though. - I had the local Lexus dealership fit mine for the grand total of £1300!!! (Just a witter removable one for a couple of hundred if I had purchased myself)

Looked at it when I got the car but could not figure it out.

Sent from my Iphone using Lexus OC

[Gliderpilot]

The bar I fitted was a Bosal swan necked, I wouldnt have got that one had I read the fitting instructions before I got it. They all say remove the Ally cross bar and dispose of it but to fit this bar you have to remove the mounting point with an angle grinder so once fitted no going back. Also a couple of holes on the side mounting plates had to be elongated to fit the bolts, not good. The one Lexus fit is usually the Westfalia with a detachable ball but as this was over twice the price of the Bosal and I wasn't to bothered having a detachable I opted for that one. The whole lot came to just under £200 from PF Jones.

Cheers Pete.

[nelmo]

Can I ask how you worked out how to remove the trim? Do you have a service manual?

I need to fix my 7-pin plug as the main lights don't work on my van (brakes, indicators ok).

[Gliderpilot]

I had the instruction manual for the dedicated wiring kit from Westfalia for a 450h which also showed the 400h, it's on the PF jones website. but it was generally by a bit of trial and error.

I'll try and catalogue the steps.

1. Flip both back seats down

2. Using a trim remover pry up the forward part of the tool caver, there are 4 trim fasteners, and fold it to the rear of the car this will expose the two hinges.

3. Remove the two bolt and remove the tool cover

4. Lift out the tool tray, it's held in by firtree clips to the left and right

5. Remove the four rear nuts holding the hinges of the compartment covers

6. Flip up both covers and remove the six screws at ther rear fo the cover hinges and remove the covers

7. Remove the centre rear tray (the one under the two flip up covers) by removing the two firtree fasteners on the left and right sides, you'll need to press the cover release buttons to get it out

8. Remove the trim cover along the rear of the boot entrance, again fixed by firtree fasteners

9. Remove the left and right hand storage compartments fastened by 1 firtree fastener and a plastic nut in the bottom of the compartment

10. Remove the left and right hand plastic vertical trim covers, 1 firtree fastener and trim clips, just need a goot tug to remove

11. Remove the left and right hand cargo hooks with a 10mm socket

12. remove the two firtree fasteners from the felt side wall and pull the side wall, This may not be required if the wiring to the side lights etc is already exposed.

It all goes back in the oposite order.

Good luck

Peter.

[nelmo]

Thanks - I'll give it a go...