where's the tow harness?

[tonytsai0429]

Originally Posted by TowX

I bet a well stocked UHaul store has them. But personally I get a lot of my trailering stuff from the guys at etrailer.com:
Pollak 7 Pole to 4 Pole Connector Adapter Pollak Wiring PK12716

And if you have LED lights on your trailer causing your blinkers to flash too fast:
7-Way to 5-Way and 4-Way Trailer Adapter for VW, Audi and Porsche Towing Trailers with LED Lights Valley Wiring V39008

The folks at etrailer are great to work with and after probably 7 or 8 years getting things from them they've never failed to impress me with their knowledge.

hey...that look almost exactly like the on in the catalog.

i'd bought my hitch from them, and technical support would need to be updated from the manufacture. my last experience in getting the hitch installed were solved by the X5 forum, beforehand, I did try them without success.

[tonytsai0429]

I've installed everything, except for this part as pictured, anybody knows what part is this for?

[JCL]

I didn't compare the part number, but that looks like the trailer electrical module. It plugs into the vehicle wiring harness, and converts the multiplexed vehicle wiring signals into left, right, brake, and tail light power. The harness runs from it, to the plug in receptacle on the hitch drawbar.

I am a little confused how you can install everything else without installing this, since everything else connects to this.

[tonytsai0429]

Originally Posted by JCL

I didn't compare the part number, but that looks like the trailer electrical module. It plugs into the vehicle wiring harness, and converts the multiplexed vehicle wiring signals into left, right, brake, and tail light power. The harness runs from it, to the plug in receptacle on the hitch drawbar.

I am a little confused how you can install everything else without installing this, since everything else connects to this.

JCL, thanks for getting back to me so quickly. here is what i've gone through...

i got the kit from the dealer not from CLS tunning, which i should of...

second, the kit i got from the dealer is missing this part, the guy just say plug everything in and it should go....

third, the kit did looked like it is strieght forward, the harness, has a connector plugs into the car's existed connector and other end was bolt on to the hitch, with a cable pin adaptor female.

I thought i am done, but, the thing just don't lit up, I'm wondering if that part needs to be purcahase, in order to make it work (i'm almost 99% sure need to be)

would you mind or someone can take a picture show me how is "hooked" up?

much appreicate it!!!

[tonytsai0429]

Hi JCL,

can you confirm if the module installed as pictured?

thanks~

[JCL]

I had to go back and read the installation manual to remind myself how it all connects. There is an intermediate harness already in the vehicle, running from near the hitch, up to this module. I had forgotten that. I had thought that the harness supplied with the hitch kit ran right to this module, which it doesn't.

Yes, you need this module, it is what powers the trailer wiring harness. Look at my post #4 in this thread for the complete wiring kit.

Yes, it is installed as in your picture, under the rear load floor, near the battery.

[tonytsai0429]

Originally Posted by JCL

I had to go back and read the installation manual to remind myself how it all connects. There is an intermediate harness already in the vehicle, running from near the hitch, up to this module. I had forgotten that. I had thought that the harness supplied with the hitch kit ran right to this module, which it doesn't.

Yes, you need this module, it is what powers the trailer wiring harness. Look at my post #4 in this thread for the complete wiring kit.

Yes, it is installed as in your picture, under the rear load floor, near the battery.

thanks JCL, I'm running to BMW tomorrow and see if i can get lucky...

BTW, which trailer lights you would recommend? any suggestion would be awesome!!

[JCL]

Originally Posted by tonytsai0429

thanks JCL, I'm running to BMW tomorrow and see if i can get lucky...

BTW, which trailer lights you would recommend? any suggestion would be awesome!!

I gather the trailer doesn't have lights installed now. If you need to purchase and install them, I would go to a trailer supply store and see what they recommend. I would tend not to get LED lights, since they can cause problems. I would go with plain old fashioned incandescent bulbs, unless the LED lights have some type of circuitry in them to apply a load and thus simulate an incandescent bulb.