tow bar questions

[NowForThe5th]

Mivc, as you've found out, it's too short. Extending the hitch/tongue isn't the answer since they don't have the same strength as the bar itself with its' heavy duty brackets on the sides. A GL/GLX towbar from an MN will give you similar clearance improvement in a package that fits correctly.

[micv]

Hi Chris and thanks for the comment. It is a valid point you make about rating of the tongue compared with the bar etc. However if I already have this bar (that I bought in error at the time) maybe I can actually make good use of it.

While it would be preferable to have the right bar for the MN with regard to towing, can you see any reason (legal or saftey) why I couldn't continue to use it as a rear recovery point hitch? There is ample clearance from the tub/plate and of course the departure angle is very good.

I had it on when we went to City View 4WD park near Bris this weekend and I managed to do some pretty hairy stuff made possible with the extra departure angle, though I didn't need to use it for recovery....i.e. I'm taking a liking to it.

[slvr52]

Hi guys about to buy a 2013 4x4 triton GLX dual cab chassis just wondering if any one would recommend negotiating a mitsubishi tow bar in the purchase price or go after market and fit a hayman Reece or arb after I buy it?
Any thoughts would be great

[Hymie]

Save your money and go the ARB as it gives loads of protection. Or if you like them there is the TJM or the lesser known MCC bars

[Cowboy Dave]

Yeah but he's getting a tray put on it so query whether there is any point in additional rear protection?

The stock towbar for the GLX isn't too bad. The GLXR sits quite low. I'd be checking which gives you better clearance but I'm not sure how you'll go getting that info on the hayman reese as they're not all that common. If you're not too hard car off road then just go with the one that has the better price.

[FlyerOne]

Thinking of grabbing this for a DIY install. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mitsubishi-T ... a08&_uhb=1
Is the ECU module required as stated in this ad? I spoke to the main Everest mob and the bloke I spoke to said the ECU patch cable wasn't really necessary.

[Cowboy Dave]

Depends how they've wired it. Based on having seen occasional ECU faults from using LEDs instead of standard globes in the rear lights my guess would be that the ecu module is to protect against similar issues. I'm pretty sure there's a thread somewhere though where someone made up their own loom - so that could also be an option for you if you're handy.

[NowForThe5th]

We've done a few Triton towbar installations and found that some will run quite happily without the module while others refuse to behave unless it's there. The score so far is about 50:50.

The module is, IMHO, well worth it for $90. It will not only stop the faults but also ensure that you get sufficient clean power to the trailer plug.

[FlyerOne]

We've done a few Triton towbar installations and found that some will run quite happily without the module while others refuse to behave unless it's there. The score so far is about 50:50.

The module is, IMHO, well worth it for $90. It will not only stop the faults but also ensure that you get sufficient clean power to the trailer plug.

I was just at the warehouse of the ebay seller of the towbar I linked to in my above post. He tells me the ECU cable is just something which gets added to the loom between the lights and the plug and sits up under the tub, and that the plug loom they supply doesn't just plug in but needs to be cut/soldered in as they provide it with just raw ends and no plug. (Yikes, sounds agricultural)
This just didn't sound right to me. I thought I read here that it goes inside the panel near the front passengers feet. I'm thinking the $600 Mits spares quoted me, might devoid me of confusion and apprehension. Maybe the extra $50 is worth it.

[Gcmkt]

Hi Mudme, mate in the process of a similar issue with a tow bar instillation myself. Bought a 2nd hand genuine towbar without the wiring so bought the genuine electrical harness to wire it up myself. Easy as, or so I thought. Mine works but there's one plug behind the kick panel that I haven't connected due to lack of plug. I'll put some pics up to assist
Standby

MP

[Mudme]

I ended up getting a towbar place to make up a loom and fit it cost me $140 to get it done, I was happy with that

[NowForThe5th]

The aftermarket modules are generic and do need to be joined into the existing factory harness. They work by using the signal from the factory harness to activate solid state relays (so that there is no appreciable extra load on the circuit) while the power for the trailer circuits comes from a separate line from the battery (which needs to be added). The Hayman Reese ones are "smart" in the sense that they won't activate unless there is a load on the trailer circuit. This means that testing with a multimeter won't work - you need to actually put a bulb or a load on the circuit. Fooled me the first time, I thought I'd stuffed up the connections when I couldn't get any result with the multimeter at the trailer plug.

[FlyerOne]

I have the genuine harness, but for the life of me can't get to the 4 way connector, that bastard is deep in there. I was sailing along with this install. I should have known I'd hit a reef sooner or later, everything was to easy to this point.

The diagram has it just there at the top of the kick panel area but that connector must be 4 inches deep up into the A pillar.
Damn you Mitsubishi!


**edit
After much cursing and throwing of tools, I got my slightly built thirteen year old son off the computer long enough to make use of his little hands. "Here son, plug this into that."
Done.
Tow bar and wiring, installed!

[NowForThe5th]

Yeah, the 4 way plug is up behind the ECU. You can remove the ECU to get to it or jam the plug on to the end of a flat blade and poke it into the connector.

[Gcmkt]

For the life of me I can't find the connector plug that's supposed to behind the kick panel. I've been trying to upload some pics but have lost my patientce I had to take a break before I broke something. The blinkers work very faintly but the break lights don't. Hoping that someone might have a pic of where the "hidden" connector is

[Hondon]

it's there it's just a lot higher up than the diagram shows it ....right up high you will need to get ya self in some funny angles and use a torch and once you have located it u then have to devise a plan to get it connected....I taped it onto a piece of stiff wire from memory but it really is a bugger to get in....I lost some skin and there was quite a bit of cursing but got it in the end....good luck....

[FlyerOne]

For the life of me I can't find the connector plug that's supposed to behind the kick panel. I've been trying to upload some pics but have lost my patientce I had to take a break before I broke something. The blinkers work very faintly but the break lights don't. Hoping that someone might have a pic of where the "hidden" connector is

It's deep up in there. Here's a pic I took today before the young bloke got his tiny hand up there and plugged her in for me.

It's that white plug you see in that pic.

[RHKTriton]

I couldn't understand why Mitsi left that link out behind the kick panel, or better still would have been to make that wire part of the complete rear harness run.

The genuine kit is pretty straight forward and a relatively tidy solution.

[Calblitzen]

You should try fitting the Mitsubishi brake controller harness. Change this harness, change this pin in a connector, etc. Took me a while but works perfectly.

[krimmo]

so just got this aftermarket one and about to fit. no ecu. straight power connection with fuse.
cant work out why they want me to connect the fuse wire to the power wire?? they make the harness up and leave the fuse off?
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/MITSUBISHI-T ... 19eaab6957


think it will be alright without the ecu? its a 2013 mn.

[Cowboy Dave]

As someone posted in the other thread they probably leave it off for ease of handling when threading the wire through to the front of the vehicle

[Jayden sempf]

So guys just curious. So the ml will to was much as the mn if you just change the tow bar? Is the ml's towing capacity only 2.3tonne because of the tow bar

[har05l]

So guys just curious. So the ml will to was much as the mn if you just change the tow bar? Is the ml's towing capacity only 2.3tonne because of the tow bar

Mitsubishi says its 2.3T that'd be why

The rest of your question I can't work out

[Cowboy Dave]

Change 'to was' to 'tow as' and it makes more sense.

[NowForThe5th]

So guys just curious. So the ml will to was much as the mn if you just change the tow bar? Is the ml's towing capacity only 2.3tonne because of the tow bar

No, it's not just the bar. The car is rated at 2.3t as well. Later increased to 2.5t, 2.8t and now 3.0t. Of course you need the right bar with the right car to get the combination. They're playing a game of "keeping up with the Jones's", matching other manufacturers' tow capacities.