wbrownie

We picked up the GL over the weekend. Everything is awesome except I was test connecting to my car trailer (for racing) and it looks like everything works except the running lamps circuit is not getting any power.

Brake controller hooked up no problem and all light and brakes work except when I turn on the headlights, no lights on the trailer.

Anyone with a similar experience? I have an appointment to take it in tomorrow to have the dealer look at.

Thanks,

Bill

Danno4x4

Hmm, thats interesting...

I had no problems with my hookup... Glad the TB controller is working well... I believe that some folks were having trouble with that one...

If you have a 12 volt circuit continuity/voltage tester you can check to make sure that the green wire is putting out any voltage from the vehicle when the lights are turned on...



If you look at this diagram (the left side is if you are facing the vehicle female side of the plug, and the right side is if you are looking at the male trailer side of the plug) you can touch the green wire terminal and the white wire terminal with the tester. If there is voltage here, they problem is with the trailer wiring, if not, its with the vehicle.

wbrownie

Danno -- Thanks for the reply.

Found out there was not power to the tail light circuit. Took it into the dealer to day.

They replaced the SAM and reprogrammed. Will test it tonight.

BTW, I think the diagrams are the reverse. Right is truck and left is trailer. At least that's what it shows on the socket on the truck.

Thanks.

94speester

Hello wbrownie. Met you over on the Rennlist GT3 board. I am really interested in a GL as a track puller/winter DD. My core concern is itsability to handle deep snow & ice. We get too much of it here in the mountains...

Let me know how you like the CDI. My wife and I are 50/50 right now on gas versu diesel.

Thanks,
-Blake

wbrownie

Speedster,

We don't really get much snow here in middle TN so can't really speak to that. I did test the towing over the weekend. Loaded up the GT3 into the trailex and went for a test drive.

Observations:
Power on the diesel is more than adequate for towing. Weight of the car and trailer is about 5500 pounds.
The side mirrors are WAY too small. Couldn't see a thing. Ordered suction type extensions from Camping World.
Overall is very stable towing. Will need to play with the placement of the car a bit to optimize stability.

Diesel takes some time getting used to. Power delivery is obviously different than gas so you just need to get used to it and drive accordingly. Oh and the mileage is awesome. Got 15 on my short towing excursion, getting 18 around town and got mid 20's on a short highway trip.

Overall I'm pleased. Will be towing down to Barber (about 200mi each way) in about a week.

Bill

wbrownie

Got it home last night and all is fixed.

94speedster

Thanks Bill! I work for a company in Huntsville and will be there next Wed-Fri. With another Rennlist friend from Charlotte (formerly Nashville) we are both looking at attending the Barber event as "by-standers". Hope to see you there...

Thanks so much for the towing review on the GL. My wife needs to feel that the car can handle deep snow, and I need to know if it can tow my GT3 to west coast tracks. There are so many good ones to visit!

-Blake

Danno4x4

Just my two cents.... With the OEM tires, my GL handled deep snow just fine (My experience is with 8-10 inchs of fresh stuff on a Colorado Mountain Road for 15 miles.) You can really feel the Vehicle Stability Control kick in around the corners, even if you purposely tried to stomp the throttle and spin it out, it won't let you...

Now if you add some Winter Tires to the equation, you are talking one stable machine.

Plus, it tows my 6340 lb rig with no problems at all. I wouldn't say that it does the job with the sturdyness of a 1 ton pickup, but I feel very safe towing from Phoenix, AZ to Moab, UT with my family onboard.

Check out post #70 on this link...

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...+towing&page=2

94speedster

I saw that post after searching the archives, Danno. That looks like one potent off road machine! (And that Jeep looks good as well...)

Seriously, I feel alot better about towing based on that thread. Thanks for posting.

-Blake

cablvr

For those of you who have used the hitch - was there a trailer adapter that came with the vehicle? Or do I have to purchase one at the local auto parts store?

wbrownie

You have to purchase one. Which one you purchase will depend on the trailer. Some may need a drop hitch. In my case, I needed about a 2 inch rise.

Danno4x4

As brownie mentioned, you will have to purchase/borrow/steal one. Its a little bit more expensive, but I would recommend an adjustable hitch like this one...

http://ultrahitch.rpmsolutions.biz/index.cfm?Section=73

These hitches are very versatile since they allow a drop or a rise... In the end, you want to use a hitch that allows the trailer to ride level, so if you plan to tow multiple types of trailers, adjustability is good to have.

wbrownie

Wow. That is cool!!!