caravan road lights on all the time Xc60

[bazwilson]

I have just towed for the first time with my 2011 xc60 and to my dismay I find the caravan road lights are on all the time the engine is running, due acording to my Volvo dealer, to a volvo dictact that the rear lights are always on when the engine is running.

Is there any way that the caravan lights can be turned off, but the car still detect a caravan is connected.

[volvo145]

Originally Posted by bazwilson

I have just towed for the first time with my 2011 xc60 and to my dismay I find the caravan road lights are on all the time the engine is running, due acording to my Volvo dealer, to a volvo dictact that the rear lights are always on when the engine is running.

Is there any way that the caravan lights can be turned off, but the car still detect a caravan is connected.

Have I read this correct you want to switch caravan lights off while leaving you vehicle lights on?
Why?

[xc70jason]

Because your Volvo has DRL's (daytime running lights) your caravan lights will be on because your lights are on!!.

Why on earth do you want too switch the caravan lights off?.

In three and a half years of towing with my Volvo i've changed one bulb on the caravan.

Jason

[moncman]

I think you may have a problem with your towing electrics (13 or 7 pin sockets). AFAIK the DRL only illuminate the front supplementary lights and not the tail lights although you talk about the rears. Also I believe the caravan lights only come on when your light selector is not at off. DLR are independent of this and so providing your lights are at auto/off the caravan should not be on.

[S60D5-185]

Originally Posted by moncman

I think you may have a problem with your towing electrics (13 or 7 pin sockets). AFAIK the DRL only illuminate the front supplementary lights and not the tail lights although you talk about the rears. Also I believe the caravan lights only come on when your light selector is not at off. DLR are independent of this and so providing your lights are at auto/off the caravan should not be on.

On my 06 S60, with the DRL's on and the caravan coupled, all of my Caravan road lights are correctly illuminated.

Never once regarded it as a problem and certainly not a fault.

[Stevepvolvo]

Originally Posted by S60D5-185

On my 06 S60, with the DRL's on and the caravan coupled, all of my Caravan road lights are correctly illuminated.

Never once regarded it as a problem and certainly not a fault.

Same on my 2009 XC60 and my previous 2007 XC70 both using Volvo wiring loom and also never considered it a problem

[moncman]

Well you learn something new every day

[Ian21401]

I think that there is some confusion here. I may be wrong but it is my understanding that DRLs were required to be fitted to all cars first registered on or after February 2011. DRLs are only fitted to the front of the vehicle and are intended to only operate when the car's obligatory lights are switched off and are supposed to extinguish (or on some cars dim) when the obligatory lights are switched on. If the DRLs are on and the obligatory lights are off then the caravan lights should also be off. Many Volvos registered prior to 2011 have obligatory lights which illuminate whenever the engine is running but these are not DRLs. They could be termed "Daytime Driving Lights" hence if the vehicle obligatory lights are lit then the caravan lights will also be lit.

[moncman]

I think that's what I understood as DRLs. They don't illuminate the back lights and so the caravan would not have tail lights on either.

As an aside, I've seen a number of people with really bright LED DRLs failing to notice they haven't got their lights on at night. Not surprisingly the road in front of them is well lit (especially in a built up area) but no tail lights. An unfortunate and undesirable feature of this so called safety nonsense.

[only1bonez]

what you will find regarding volvos and DRL is over here in sweden its law to have headlights on all the time (which most will know anyway)
so volvo light the DRL and side lights at the rear as well.
my guess is they dont change the wiring loom so only the fronts are on for the UK. waste of money i guess.

other car makes even over here only light the fronts but not the rear.
every new volvo i've seen has front and rear lights lit.