I'm just about to have a towbar fitted on a new car for a caravan. I am unsure whether to have a 13-pin socket fitted, as up till now our old caravan and car had just the 7-pin sort for the tailboard and that was fine. The caravan internal electrics came off the 'vans own 12V battrey, which we used to charge from jump-leads off the car, if necessary. In short, what is the point of the extra pins?

Piggy back the new on to the old one.

have this done in a shop that fits tow bars as you need a modification plate after the job is done
They will also have the harness to go with the bar.

Just use a multometer to find them one at a time ,thats all i do but you must be in europe with a saxo and you do know that under the new europeon law which has been around for the last ten years at least and that is you cannot fit your own towbar or rire the socket into the cars electrics only a certified garage with a VAT number can do this and then sign for the work so the towbar is added to the cars papers at swansea same as the electrics .Sorry about this but this is EU law now and i only wished it had been in place when i passed my AMIRTE along with a lot of the other laws as i could have earnt a goood living signing bits of paper which my qualifications should entitle me to do just like a lawyer instead of being classed as grease monkey and being told what to do by some idiot who only got into work because their grandmother bought them a directorship .Or like the old points of view programme mr fed up of spain

CHECK FOR BLOWED 15 AMP FUSE TO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CONTROL OR YOU HAVE BAD CONNECTION AT THE 13 PIN SOCKET.COULD HAVE LOOSE OR BROKE WIRES GOING INTO THE 13 PIN SOCKET.

Hi, You haven't mentioned what age your Sportage is, it may have been fitted with self adjusting rear suspension which will lower the ball height after a few miles of driving with the caravan on. Please check the specification of your Sportage.
Is the kneck of the towbar (the part with the ball on it) like a swan kneck or a traditional bolted on ball? Swan kneck towbars are not usually height adjustable but bolt on balls can be adjusted by fitting a spacer plate which has three different heights. Ideally the caravan should sit level when hitched.

is there a mod kit to make the no 10 pin from a spare to a live when ignition switched on with a factory fitted towbar. vw giving the runaround

The connectors for towing wire harnesses on foresters are generally on the passenger side, below the rear taillight inside the cargo space. some require pulling up the foam block that is between the spare tire compartment and the taillight. Check where you replace the tailights from inside the car, if there isn't a matching connector hanging out there, check around the spare tire compartment, see if you can remove the carpeted foam block next to the compartment and find the plug under there.

black socket, black 7 core wire
pin 1 yellow left indicator
pin 2 blue, rear fog light
pin 3 white earth
pin 4 green right indicator
pin 5 brown right side/tail light
pin 6 red brake lights
pin 7 black left side/tail light

Grey socket grey 7 core wiring
pin 1 yellow, reverse
pin 2 blue, supplementary feed (ignition)
pin 3 white, earth
pin 4 green live feed (battery +)
pin 5 brown not connected
pin 6 red supplementary feed (ignition)
Pin 7 black earth

On the discovery there is a purpose made plug behind the panel on the drivers side rear, behind the rear lamp
i think the relay you have bought is for lamp failure you just need a normal 4 pin 30 amp relay.
Good luck Davelee

You can get an adapter that fits in to the 13 pin socket that give you a 12N socket, easily available on E-bay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/13-to-7-Pin-Adaptor-for-Euro-Style-Towbar-Electrics_W0QQitemZ110303426204QQihZ001QQcategoryZ36631QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I have one for my car and it does the trick

are you wanting to install a trailer hitch behind the volvo to tow the van?