I have created a separate document library for all Land Rover electrical towing information. The instructions are for Land Rover OEM towing kits only. If you have an after market or non OEM kit, please refer to the instructions with that kit. Note: Copyright for all these documents resides with JLR Ltd.
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Land Rover Freelander 1
Land Rover 12S Factory ELectrics Fitting Guide YWJ 5000071 Freelander up to 2006
Land Rover Freelander Electrical Library’s
Freelander Electrical Library (2002) | Freelander Electrical Library (2003) | Freelander Electrical Library (2004)
Land Rover Freelander Electrical Circuit Diagrams
Freelander Electrical Circuits (2002) | Freelander Electrical Circuits (2003) | Freelander Electrical Circuits (2004)
Land Rover Freelander 2
Note: If you install a towing kit yourself to a Freelander 2 you will need to visit a dealer to get the vehicle ECU reprogrammed otherwise some functions will not work.
LAF 0091 (10)-1E-Towbar Electrics-13 Pin-VPLFT0077
LR003106 – Towing Kit – Electrics
LR003107 – Towing Kit – Electrics – LR003107
Land Rover Discovery 1 (1995 – 1999)
STC50178-612 – Towing Electrics – 13 Pin
STC50180-611 – Towing Electrics Supplementary Type
STC50179-610 – Towing Electrics Supplementary Type-Twin Split Charge
Land Rover Discovery 2 L318 (1999 – 2004)
STC50178-612 – Towing Electrics – 13 Pin
STC50180-611 – Towing Electrics Supplementary Type
STC50179-610 – Towing Electrics Supplementary Type-Twin Split Charge
Land Rover Discovery 3 L319 (2004 – 2009 )
Land Rover Discovery 4 L319 (2010 – )
Land Rover Defender L316
LR005919 – Towing Kit – Electrics – 13 Pin
LR005920 – Towing Kit – electrics – 12N
Range Rover L322 (2002 – 2012)
VUH000020:30:40-355 – Towing Kit
Range Rover L405 (2013-2015)
LAF0151 (10)_1E – Tow Bar Electrics (ROW) VPLGT0073
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Caravan Chronicles 
I’d checked Rimmer and they only offer an aftermarket part! I decided that I’d just get the towbar suppliers to provide it as at least there’s some comeback if everything doesn’t work as they say!
We shall see!
Thanks again
Simon
Hi Simon
LR Technical Services have confirmed that in relation to those Freelander 2 vehicles that require it (prior to 2012 I believe) the recoding does not affect the engine or transmission and, when the towbar electrics are connected, the rear fog lights on the car are turned off, the rear parking sensors are disabled and the trailer warning light in the instrument panel is activated.
Yes, it clearly is a bit of a minefield. Unlike my previous Volvo where I used a genuine Volvo kit, my local LR dealer says that the LR wiring kit is no longer available so I’ve bought a vehicle specific kit along with the towbar.
We’ll just have to wait and see what happens!
Thanks again
Simon
The original kits are still available from LR specialist companies like Rimmer Bros etc. As soon as any LR model goes out of production, LR dealers seem to always have a hard time getting parts!
Thanks, Simon. There seems to be a lot of uncertainty over this with people repeating the assertion, so it must be true! It seems unlikely that the simple act of connecting up a set of additional lights would alter anything to do with braking or gear changing since the lights could be, at one extreme, a light board for a bike carrier, and at the other extreme, the lights on a fully laden car transporter.
The owner’s handbook simply states:
Hill ascent, towing, and high altitude
The lower gears are selected, and maintained for longer than usual. This helps overcome the loss of momentum when towing, or ascending hills. It also helps overcome the loss of engine torque when the vehicle is operating at high altitudes.
There’s nothing there to suggest that this is affected by connecting the lights, unlike the references to the fog lights and reversing sensors.
More investigation needed!
It’s not quite that clear. For example, My VW Amarok… if I connect a trailer of any description I cannot select some off road 4 x 4 modes and a couple of other things alter that when towing a 2000Kg caravan I can see make sense… but towing my 750Kg garden trailer doesn’t really make sense. As the vehicle can’t tell what is hitched up, the vehicle makers have to assume you’re towing the max permitted and the gross train weight is the vehicle max. So everything has to be adjusted for that.
The other thing that you need to note is not all towing packages are the same. Some electrical harnesses although seem to work, do not communicate correctly with the vehicle and some function changes are not available.
Simon,
Is there any evidence (as opposed to hearsay) that the dealer recoding of the Freelander 2 tow electrics alters the auto gearbox or ABS? I’ve seen this frequently claimed but can find no Land Rover documentation to support it. My local LR dealer says that the recode only sorts out the parking sensors and fog light.
Hi Simon
I can only go off what I have seen. I watched a tow bar installer sort out a messed up install on a 2008 FL2 using a “Lynx” diagnostic tool and Westfalia’s own tool. The Westfalia re-coded everything and it was checked on the Lynx by confirming the block codes. From memory, the Vehicle Dynamics Control Module was updated and this included, again from memory…..rear fog, parking sensors, HDC and reversing lights. The vehicle was a manual. I’m not sure about ABS as this is tied into HDC so may be altered when HDC is updated.
Thanks for the info, I have fitted a genuine Land Rover towbar and control box my gray socket works fine but I have no lights on the van, you said it had to go on the computer does this tell the car a towbar has been fitted?
Hi Jim
Yes, the vehicles ECU needs to have the tow package activated. This will also let the vehicle know when it detects a trailer connected to de-activate the vehicle rear fog lights and only turn on the trailer fog lights, the same with the reversing lights. )It stops glair from lighting up the front of the trailer at night). It also adjusts the ABS and ESP (where fitted) while towing. If you have an Auto box, the shift patterns also get altered when towing.
I think Land Rover main dealers used to charge about £100 for doing this, but there are independents that have the required computer and software that will be able to do it for much less.