Hitch kit and Park Distance Controller ??

[B-Line]

Hey all,

I had my hitch kit installed the other day and for some reason, now, my park distance controller is not working.

- Can you have a hitch kit and the PDC ? If anyone has both and things work fine, please let me know?
- Do you think the installer accidentally *messed* something up when he installed the hitch and disconnected the PDC.

- On the dash (pdc button and light,) it blinks but does not engage when I am backing up. If I press the button, it makes a sound from the rear then shuts off. The front is not working either.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
B

[PersonaNonGrata]

DId they install the wiring harness with the hitch? If they did, my guess would be that they screwed something up during that part of the install. It could be that they unplugged the rear PCD sensor wiring harness. The front will not work if the rear is not working. Refer to my PDC DIY install guide so you have an idea of what wiring you're dealing with for the PDC.

[pepatrick]

I have PDC and the factory hitch...It works fine.

[Intel55]

Should work. I just installed my OEM the other day myself and no PDC problems. I have not installed taht VDO trailer module yet either. I just connected the wiring harness from the hookup to the connector at the rear of the trunk. Maybe they for got to plug back in the PDC.

[diogenes!]

First question - is this the BMW hitch or aftermarket? If the BMW kit, you may have a bad trailer light controller. The trailer light controller turns the RDC off when the trailer lights are connected. Conceivably, a bad controller could mess up the operation of the PDC - Just a guess.

If it's an aftermarket hitch and the installer tried to patch the trailer lights in without the BMW controller kit, then I'd take it back in a hurry!

[dflwshaft]

These are very good comments.

If you bought the BMW OEM hitch kit, then I would first check to see if the installer remembered to connect the PDC. You can check this yourself. The PDC connect is located behind the right rear removable panel. It is easiest if you also remove the adjacent plastic trim beneath the load floor.

If it is connected, I would check the control module per diogenes comments.

If you bought an after market hitch and harness, you may have an issue. When I was researching hitch options, I noted that the Hidden Hitch model specifically stated that it was incompatible with PDC. There was some dispute about it, but it might also be your problem.

By the way, many thanks to those who posted DIY instructions for the OEM hitch install. Straightforward job, albeit an occassionally challanging one for a single person. An extra set of hands is helpful.

[drex]

as above! dflwshaft is correct

i bet money your cable is disconnected. it shouldn't affect PDC unless something is protruding in front of the sensors.

i have the BMW electrical kit and a hidden hitch (da'lan clone)... it should work fine