Trailer Usage Guidelines
1. Trailer Recognition
When using a trailer, it’s essential to ensure that it is recognized by the towing vehicle. This recognition triggers various safety systems and is legally required in many places. The following systems are affected when a trailer is recognized:
- Anti-Lock Brakes
- Stability Control
- Traction Control
- Autonomous Emergency Braking
- Smart Cruise Control
- Blind Spot Detection
- Lane Change Assist
These systems may adjust their operations to ensure the safe handling of the vehicle-trailer combination and provide necessary information to the driver.
2. Power Train Control
The powertrain of the towing vehicle may undergo adjustments when a trailer is connected, affecting aspects such as engine fuelling, throttle response, automatic transmission shift points, and dynamic engine braking.
3. Suspension
At higher speeds, automatic changes to the vehicle’s ride height are disabled to prevent directional instability during lane changes and cornering.
4. Vehicle Rear Lighting
To eliminate glare from the front of the trailer, the vehicle’s rear fog and reversing lights will be temporarily disabled when a trailer is connected.
5. Trailer Lighting
Any pulsing of turn signals, parking lights, or brake LEDs on the trailer will cease, as this is considered illegal and potentially hazardous.
6. Parking Sensors
Please note that not all vehicles have all the features mentioned above, so it’s important to refer to your vehicle’s manual for specific information regarding trailer recognition and its impact on your vehicle’s functions.
In summary, ensuring proper trailer recognition by your towing vehicle is crucial for safety and compliance with legal requirements. It affects various vehicle systems to maintain safe operation when towing a trailer.
Introducing the Busta 4.2: Advanced 12-Volt Vehicle Trailer Lighting Solution
The Busta 4.2 is a cutting-edge solution designed to cater to all 12-volt negative earth vehicles compliant with E/ECE/324 -E/ECE/TRANS/505 regulations as recognized by LAB Electronics at the time of this writing. If your vehicle is equipped with a single park/license plate lighting circuit for your trailer and does not require turn signal monitoring (Rest of World), the Busta 4.2 is the perfect choice.
State-of-the-Art Design
Our Busta 4.2 boasts an entirely new design incorporating state-of-the-art 21st-century solid-state electronics and production techniques. This innovation results in significant cost savings and a reduction in assembly time. As a result, the Busta 4.2 is available at a price approximately 15% lower than its predecessor.
Easy Installation
The Busta 4.2 comes equipped with 600mm (2ft) of 3mm 7-core cable, making installation a breeze. You can mount it in or on your trailer and effortlessly connect it to your vehicle’s lighting circuits. If you require custom connectors for your specific needs, you have the flexibility to adapt it accordingly. Additionally, some trailer manufacturers may offer the option to install the Busta 4.2 during the trailer’s manufacturing process.
Universal Compatibility
One of the standout features of the Busta 4.2 is its universal compatibility. It can be seamlessly utilized by any vehicle to tow a trailer, irrespective of whether the vehicle complies with European lighting regulations or not.
Upgrade your trailer lighting system with the Busta 4.2 for an enhanced, cost-effective, and universally compatible solution that meets the highest standards of quality and performance.
Ready-made adaptors
If you’re looking for ready-made adaptors for Busta 4.2 trailer connectors, we offer a range of options to suit your specific needs:
- Busta4.2-A: Busta 4.2 adaptor fitted with a 7-pin large round plug and a 7-pin flat socket.
- Busta4.2-B: Busta 4.2 adaptor fitted with a 7-pin large round plug and a 7-pin large round socket.
- Busta4.2-C: Busta 4.2 adaptor fitted with a 7-pin flat plug and a 7-pin flat socket.
- Busta4.2-D: Busta 4.2 adaptor fitted with a 7-pin large round plug and a 7-pin small round socket.
- Busta4.2-E: Busta 4.2 adaptor fitted with a 7-pin large round plug only – allowing you to connect the trailer connector you need.
- Busta4.2-F: Busta 4.2 adaptor fitted with a 12-pin flat plug and a 12-pin flat socket. It comes with a 5-pole side wired with 4mm cable (1.84mm²).
All pre-wired Busta 4.2 adaptors come with NARVA trailer connectors. You can learn more about NARVA trailer connectors here.
Before Ordering
Before placing your order, we recommend checking with your vehicle manufacturer to determine whether your vehicle can monitor a trailer’s stop and park LEDs for lamp failure. If you can’t obtain this information from the manufacturer, you can connect a trailer with LEDs and start the engine. Turn on the park lights, operate the brake lights, and check for any lamp failure warnings related to the trailer. In the latest version of Busta 4.2, internal load resistors have been added for stop and park circuits to address this issue. Previous versions did not have these load resistors connected.
Product Guarantees
We offer a 2-month money-back satisfaction guarantee along with a 2-year limited warranty on our adaptors.
Assembled in Australia and Sealed to IP-68 Rating
All our adaptors are assembled by hand in Australia and sealed to an IP-68 rating to ensure durability and reliability.
Load Resistor Installation for Trailer Recognition
If you notice that the trailer LEDs are not functioning correctly, particularly with the latest Land Rovers, you may need to install load resistors to enable trailer recognition by the vehicle. These resistors are typically mounted on the trailer’s metalwork, but they can get hot during operation, so handle with care. Here’s how to install them:
- Solder one end of each load resistor to the trailer’s yellow and green turn signal wires.
- Solder the other end of both load resistors to the white earth wire.
- Insulate the solder joints to prevent electrical issues.
Additional Load Resistors
If you encounter bulb failure warnings when your vehicle’s lights are turned on or when you use the brakes, you may need to add a third and/or fourth resistor:
- For a bulb failure warning with vehicle lights on, install a third resistor between the brown park light circuit and the white earth.
- For a bulb failure warning when the brakes are used, install a fourth resistor between the red brake light circuit and the white earth.
Note on Load Resistor Placement
While it’s possible to install load resistors on the vehicle, you must find a suitable location that allows for heat dissipation without damaging the paint or plastic. Additionally, consider fitting a heavy-duty double-pole switch to deactivate the resistors when a trailer is not connected to avoid issues with reverse lights, parking assist, rear fog lights, etc. The same switching arrangement applies if you need to install additional resistors for other circuits.
We hope this information helps you make an informed choice and successfully install your Busta 4.2 adaptor for your trailer needs. If you have any questions or require further assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
PulseBusta Safety Guidelines
Important: PulseBustas are NOT Plug and Play
When using PulseBusta with your vehicle and trailer, follow these guidelines for a safe and trouble-free experience:
- Ignition Off: Always turn off the vehicle’s ignition before connecting or disconnecting the PulseBusta and the trailer. Failing to do so may cause issues with your vehicle’s computer systems.
- Trailer Recognition: After connecting the PulseBusta and turning on the ignition, your vehicle’s Body Computer will recognize the trailer. In compliance with legal requirements in many jurisdictions, the Trailer TellTale will be enabled when you operate your turn signals.
- Effects on Vehicle Systems: The recognition of a trailer by the Body Computer will trigger various changes in your vehicle’s systems:
- Safety Systems: Systems like Anti-Lock Brakes, Stability Control, Traction Control, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Smart Cruise Control, Blind Spot Detection, and Lane Change Assist will adjust their strategies for the vehicle/trailer combination, affecting the information sent to the driver.
- Powertrain Control: The engine’s fueling, throttle response, automatic transmission shift points, and engine braking may see alternate strategies applied.
- Suspension: At highway speeds, the automatic changes to ride height are disabled to enhance stability during lane changes and cornering.
- Rear Lighting: Your vehicle’s rear fog and reversing lights will be disabled to prevent glare from the trailer.
- Trailer Lighting: Any illegal pulsing of turn signals, park lights, or brake LEDs on the trailer will be rectified.
- Parking Sensors: The rear parking aid sensors are disabled when a trailer is connected.
- Vehicle Variations: Not all vehicles have all of the above-mentioned systems, functions, or features. However, it’s crucial to turn off the ignition when disconnecting the PulseBusta to prevent confusion among the vehicle’s computer systems, which can lead to issues or faults.
- European Vehicles: European vehicles lacking an electric brake controller cannot tow a trailer with electric brakes without wiring modifications.
- Park Lights Warning: Some European vehicles have cross-wired park light circuits. When park lights are activated, one circuit may engage the trailer’s electric brakes. Deactivating the park lights sends a surge of electrical energy through the circuits, potentially damaging the PulseBusta and the vehicle’s lighting controller. To prevent this, disconnect the trailer’s electric brake wire (usually blue in Australia) from the trailer plug before using park lights.
- Reconnecting: Don’t forget to reconnect the trailer electric brake wire when you’ve finished towing.
- Load Resistors: Do not connect a PulseBusta to a trailer with load resistors, as they may draw more current than the PulseBusta can supply (maximum 4 amps). Disconnect load resistors on the trailer before connecting a PulseBusta and remember to reconnect them after towing.
- Non-LED Internal Lights: Some horse floats have non-LED internal lights connected to the park light circuit. These lights may overload the PulseBusta (max 4 amps), voiding its warranty. Replace non-LED lights with LEDs or modify the wiring to provide an alternate power source for the trailer’s internal lighting.
- Trailer Brake LEDs Pulsing: Some electric brake controllers emit pulses to the trailer’s electric brake solenoids for driver alerts. These pulses can continue after switching off the ignition, potentially draining the battery.
- Solution: Run a separate wire from the brake controller to the trailer connector, install an ON/OFF switch, or use a relay in the power supply circuit to turn off the controller when not in use.
- Note: Some trailers may have a diode that causes the brake LEDs to flash with these pulses. PulseBusta cannot stop this pulsing.
To test this, follow the provided steps to ensure your trailer’s safety and functionality. If you encounter any issues, contact your trailer manufacturer for guidance.
Technical Information
Understanding Lamp Check in Vehicle Lighting Systems
A Brief History of Lamp Check
In the early days of vehicle and trailer lighting systems, a method called “cold lamp check” was used to ensure the proper functioning of lamps. This involved applying a very low voltage and monitoring the current passing through the lamps. Notably, this method did not illuminate either incandescent lamps or LEDs. However, when LED technology was integrated into lighting systems, a challenge arose. LEDs required more current to operate correctly, which led to “lamp failure” warnings in vehicles, especially as electrical connections aged or became contaminated.
Challenges with Cold Lamp Check Systems
The low-voltage cold filament monitoring systems experienced frequent false “lamp failure” warnings, which frustrated vehicle owners and drivers. These warnings became more common as the connections within vehicles and between vehicles and trailers deteriorated.
Introducing Pulsed Cold Lamp Checks
To address these issues, the pulsed cold lamp check function was developed. This innovative approach aimed to reduce the occurrence of false “lamp failure” warnings. However, new challenges emerged when incandescent lamps were replaced with LEDs or when trailers incorporated LED arrays instead of incandescent lamps.
How Pulsed Cold Lamp Checks Work
Pulsed cold lamp check units continually emit short pulses of voltage close to the vehicle’s battery voltage on the wires connected to various lamps in the vehicle’s external lighting system and the trailer lighting connector. Notably, these lamp check units remain active while the vehicle is in motion and might continue to operate even after the vehicle is turned off. This system was originally designed for incandescent lamps, which have low “off” resistance and take time to emit light when voltage is applied. The short voltage pulses from the lamp check unit (lasting about 10 milliseconds) are typically too brief for incandescent filaments to heat up and emit light. However, LEDs and LED arrays have high “off” resistance, causing them to illuminate almost instantly when exposed to these short lamp check pulses.
The Solution: PulseBusta 4.2
PulseBusta 4.2 is an advanced solution equipped with sophisticated electronics to prevent lamp check pulses from reaching the LED arrays used for turn signals, parking lights, and brake lights on trailers.
Preventing False Warnings
PulseBusta 4.2 also incorporates low resistances within the system. This feature ensures that the vehicle will not indicate lamp failures when a trailer with LED arrays is connected. This improvement resolves the issues faced by vehicle owners and drivers when replacing incandescent lamps with LEDs or using trailers with LED arrays.