Our Tester

The alternative to the LED tester, is the analogue bulb type. Usually, for most towbar installers and vehicle workshops for example, takes the form of a simple trailer board as purchased over the internet or via vehicle parts distributors.

These trailer boards are very basic and not equipped to fully test the system, including the tests required for trailer flasher failure monitoring as required both in UNECE R-48 and the UK Construction & Use regulations.

The testers that are based on standard bulbs, by design do not suffer with the same issues as LED’s. They tend to be larger and therefore heavier. There are very few producers of this type of tool as specifically designed testers do generally cost more than the LED type. However, their performance is absolutely suited for any vehicle technology currently available and this makes them totally suitable for testing towing electrics. It is the use of standard bulbs that is the key. The load resistance created by a single filament bulb is ‘measured’ by the towing vehicle and this provides accurate results when testing for function and more especially, the trailer flasher failure function.

Testing trailer lamp functions for the MOT

VOSA (Vehicle Operator Services Agency) have released a requirement that ALL MOT testing stations will be required to test towing electrics with effect from 1st January 2012.  This is at present, confined to 13 pin electrical connections but may well develop further to include standard 12N 7 pin functions.  (For more information – click on the links at the foot of this page)

Although the MOT test does not include a test of the trailer flasher failure monitoring system, it is extremely difficult to separate this element of towing electrics as required by law, from manifesting itself when testing trailer electrics! The failure monitoring requirements are built into the towing electrics and in many cases, integrated directly into the vehicle electronics and therefore activate when a bulb fails. The Right Connections tester is APPROVED by VOSA for use in test stations and having designed the tester to be DUAL PURPOSE & MULTI TASKING, makes our tester the market leader in terms of efficiency and effective usage.

Listed below are the requirements of a tester for MOT purposes:

• Must be robust in construction and capable of testing 13 pin electric functions
• Needs to be equipped with a simple self-test feature.
• Every trailer lamp excepting REVERSE, but including earth, has to be tested.
• Come complete with a detailed user instruction guide.

The ‘Pro-Tow’ tester from Right Connections is equipped with all that is required to fulfil the criteria demanded by VOSA.  Not only that, but our experience in  towing electrics has enabled us to provide much greater advantages for some of the features needed.  For example:

Self Test  -  Our self test feature uses a cigar socket connection which means the self test feature can be operated on any vehicle at any time and not necessarily the one on test!  Other cheaper LED testers need to have 12v power on pin 9 for this to function.  This inevitably means the self test can only be performed on vehicles that have pin 9 live.

Testing trailer lamp functions for Towbar installers  

It is the unique DUAL PURPOSE design of our ‘Pro-Tow’ tester which allows the towbar installer to use this tester effectively when testing all the lamp functions as well as trailer flasher failure and additional supplementary electrics installed into caravans. Being equipped with a number of switches, you can switch functions using the same warning lamp.  For example:

• Switching over from REVERSE lamp indicator to 12V live
• Switching over from FOG lamp indicator to IGNITION switched live

Add to this, the additional function and bulb failure monitoring required by law, our tester is equipped to switch off either flasher lamp in order to test the failure notice which is required under UNECE R-48 law and the UK Construction & Use regulation.  Listed below are the ‘additional’ test functions and facilities equipped on the ‘Pro-Tow’ tester:

• Trailer flasher failure monitoring operates exactly as it should both legally as well as technologically. The failure notice can be activated or de-activated, provided the tester is equipped with this facility.
• Reverse lamp function is tested
• The rear fog lamp cut-off system can be tested effectively as bulbs draw the correct load through the trailer module (if fitted) and therefore perform this test function.
• Is equipped to test other 13 pin functions such as:  +12v live and ignition switched live.

SO, ALL-IN-ALL, THE ‘PRO-TOW’ TESTER HAS IT ALL.   BUYING THIS TESTER COULD NOT BE EASIER SO WHY NOT CLICK ON THE   ‘HOW TO BUY’   LINK NOW!

VOSA requirements for trailer tester (17KB)

MOT Towbar Test (3MB)