LED trailer tail-lights

[Graham Jones]

I have VW trailer wiring on towbar and led lights on boat trailer. The warning symbol comes on with "check left tail light".
I know this is triggered by led lights and vw sell an adapter to rectify , but it is quite expensive.
As all my lights are working correctly on van and trailer when connected, will there be any problems if I just ignore the warning signal ?
Thanks Cheers.

 

[DaveD]

I have VW trailer wiring on towbar and led lights on boat trailer. The warning symbol comes on with "check left tail light".
I know this is triggered by led lights and vw sell an adapter to rectify , but it is quite expensive.
As all my lights are working correctly on van and trailer when connected, will there be any problems if I just ignore the warning signal ?
Thanks Cheers.

Graham, I sometimes, but not always, get the same issue. Sometimes I get the warning mid journey.
I check the trailer lights before every journey and ignore the warning.

 

[Graham Jones]

Graham, I sometimes, but not always, get the same issue. Sometimes I get the warning mid journey.
I check the trailer lights before every journey and ignore the warning.

Thanks DaveD....think I will be doing the same if it doesn't affect anything else..

 

[Salty Spuds]

I have VW trailer wiring on towbar and led lights on boat trailer. The warning symbol comes on with "check left tail light".
I know this is triggered by led lights and vw sell an adapter to rectify , but it is quite expensive.
As all my lights are working correctly on van and trailer when connected, will there be any problems if I just ignore the warning signal ?
Thanks Cheers.

I have LED boat trailer lights too, no issues with the factory towing electrics. It very much depends on your LED light modules, some throw faults, some don't. Some vehicles don't like LEDs, some are fine. I have factory rear LED light clusters which may influence the fault monitoring. It's a minefield
You have several options:-
1,ignore,
2,swap LED modules for known ones that work ok,
3,fit a proprietary device between the trailer & the van, these are available elsewhere, not just from VW.
4, investigate why it's only the LHD tail light that's throwing the fault, if it was a van/LED compatibility issue, I'd expect the RHD to do the same. There could well be a genuine fault.
5, see if there's a way of deleting the monitoring of the trailer tail lights in VCD
6, fit ballast resistors to the modules (although this is normally only to the indicators)

 

[neilj2]

I have LED boat trailer lights too, no issues with the factory towing electrics. It very much depends on your LED light modules, some throw faults, some don't. Some vehicles don't like LEDs, some are fine. I have factory rear LED light clusters which may influence the fault monitoring. It's a minefield
You have several options:-
1,ignore,
2,swap LED modules for known ones that work ok,
3,fit a proprietary device between the trailer & the van, these are available elsewhere, not just from VW.
4, investigate why it's only the LHD tail light that's throwing the fault, if it was a van/LED compatibility issue, I'd expect the RHD to do the same. There could well be a genuine fault.
5, see if there's a way of deleting the monitoring of the trailer tail lights in VCD
6, fit ballast resistors to the modules (although this is normally only to the indicators)

I was talking to our local VW service guys yesterday (NSW Australia). They see this issue all the time on the new transporters towing trailers with LED lights. It also happens with my hitch mounted bike rack with LED lights. They suggested purchasing the little module that goes between van and trailer. The reason that it only reports L tail light issue is that that's the first fault that the vehicle detects in the circuit (according to technician). part number VGA055204LOAD. Around $215 AUD

 

[Graham Jones]

I was talking to our local VW service guys yesterday (NSW Australia). They see this issue all the time on the new transporters towing trailers with LED lights. It also happens with my hitch mounted bike rack with LED lights. They suggested purchasing the little module that goes between van and trailer. The reason that it only reports L tail light issue is that that's the first fault that the vehicle detects in the circuit (according to technician). part number VGA055204LOAD. Around $215 AUD

Yes , VW did say that they had that module but after paying the the price for their towbar supply and fit...I didn't really want to give them anymore.