Towing

[familymangreg]

Originally Posted by Haldex

You have a factory (folding..) towbar? The bike rack has auxiliary lights- ie. it’s plugged in?

Sorry, bit late with reply. Yes, proper electronically retracting towbar, fitted from new. Cycle carrier is 4 bike Thule carrier which sits on the towbar and plug in to the electrics for the lights. The lights are a 7 pin plug which go through an adapt to to the 13 pin socket.

:wq

[Haldex]

Thanks! Wander if you left the bike rack u plugged if it would still disable BLIS and all other stuff as if you were towing.. I know, it!s not a solution- but a workaround.. I’m an IT guy

[Quacker]

If the bike[s] obscured any of the factory installed rear lights or the numberplate then that it would be illegal. For the lights it would be for safety reasons and for the plate it needs to be seen for identification purposes.
So whenever a bike is carried, the rear carrier mounted light bar/number plate carrier should be plugged in. I cannot imagine that any but a tiny child's bike would not obscure at least some legally required [to be clearly visible] parts of the car's posterior.
If no bike was carried, then the bike carrier can and should be removed, because it sticks out behind the car and presents a hazard to others parking behind it and to pedestrians walking past the parked car.

[familymangreg]

Originally Posted by Quacker

If the bike[s] obscured any of the factory installed rear lights or the numberplate then that it would be illegal. For the lights it would be for safety reasons and for the plate it needs to be seen for identification purposes.
So whenever a bike is carried, the rear carrier mounted light bar/number plate carrier should be plugged in. I cannot imagine that any but a tiny child's bike would not obscure at least some legally required [to be clearly visible] parts of the car's posterior.
If no bike was carried, then the bike carrier can and should be removed, because it sticks out behind the car and presents a hazard to others parking behind it and to pedestrians walking past the parked car.

Yes, I wouldn't every use without lights plugged in, like you say even a single bike starts to obscure the lights.

The car detects a trailer through the lighting circuit.

:wq

[Whyman]

If I remember correctly then the rear lights have to be on the rear of the vehicle.

With the bike rack fitted then the rear of the vehicle is the rear of the bike rack so the lights must be fitted and used there even if no bike is being carried.

[Quacker]

Originally Posted by familymangreg

Yes, I wouldn't every use without lights plugged in, like you say even a single bike starts to obscure the lights.

The car detects a trailer through the lighting circuit.

:wq

Yes, it is indeed a nuisance that the towing mode can't be switched off for use with bike racks. I'm not aware of any car or SUV that has a towing mode where that mode can be switched off. They all seem to work by detecting that the socket is connected.

[Desseardo]

I tow my twin wheel elddis superstorm 1850 kg caravan with my 2018 XC90 d5.
It does seem to get pushed around a little bit with the van but have towed trailers for 29 years so know what to expect.
My previous discovery was much better at towing!

[Haldex]

Originally Posted by familymangreg

Yes, I wouldn't every use without lights plugged in, like you say even a single bike starts to obscure the lights.

The car detects a trailer through the lighting circuit.

:wq

Thanks, yes that's exactly what I've been wandering.. Yeas, clearly one cannot/should not disconnect the lights where car's tails are obscured.. I was wandering about smaller towhook-mounted racks- such as the Thule Tram ski rack.. It would be a bummer if the car would go into "towing mode" over a small accessory such as this..

[dhr90]

I think I would want lights on that ski rack given how far out it sticks from the rear of the vehicle! Obscured number plate so an additional plate would be required at least.

[renesis]

Occasionally when I connect the electrics for the bike rack it causes the tailgate to operate. I’ve had a few bumps on the head because of this. Does anybody know why this is?