Towbar wiring
 

Hi
I have now mounted trailer towing hitch on my X5 E53 2004 -3.0L diesel. Is it okay to connect it with "vampire" clamps for tail lights and brake lights? I reckon there will be an error message while driving with a trailer but I can live with it because I only use the trailer a few times a year

No, the system uses pulsed voltage for the regular tail lights which doesn’t work well for added trailer lamps. The best solution is to add the factory trailer harness. You can also find more universal https://www.etrailer.com/t1-2003_BMW_X5.htm solutions

The previous owner of my rig did this by clipping onto the left side brake light. It works fine, but it does throw an error on the dash. I cant get my hands on OEM tow module wiring because its out of production, and this works completely fine, so this is what I'm sticking with.

Hi thanks for the reply
does everything work? lights, brake lights, turn signals, sign lights?

There's plenty of OEM trailer modules on eBay...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-5er-Tou...wAAOSwgVJb7s4M

Have seen these on ebay, but have heard that coding is required, how do they work? sorry for stupid questions but where do you connect to the cables to the trailer outlet? There do not appear to be any outputs from the module

Plenty of modules... not many wiring harnesses. The OEM module was still available new the last time I looked, a couple of years ago. But the wiring is OOP.


Also, yes, everything works. I have been towing my camper trailer for a year and a half with my X.

The trailer module plugs into a connector near the battery. It picks up the lighting signals from the LCM and powers the trailer outlet directly, via connector X393, which is in the rear trunk area near the centre rear.

You will need to either buy or make a loom to run from X393 to the trailer connector.

Trailer module (A6) location: -

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/obj/CUrp13PI

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...0d-sav/UbOhty7

Wiring diagram: -

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...module/aqJPW9Y

X393: -

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...3-x393/WPttOaj

I've also attached the OEM hitch installation PDF, for your reference.

HTH... :thumbup:

*edit* - module coding not required. And if you cannot find a mating connector for X393, then add the module and use wire-taps on the loom at X393 to wire your own trailer connector.

Thank you so much for a great explanation Wpoll :-)