There's A Hitch
I have a new SUV, a Cayenne. I had a similar SUV, a Touareg. The first is made by Porsche, the second by Volkswagen. They are kissing cousins that share some of the same technology. Today I took my new Cayenne into the dealership to have the trailer connection installed. The wiring came on the car, as did the trailer hitch, but there was a trailer plug to put in and the car’s computer updated. At least that’s what I thought (and what they thought).
After they had installed the plug and programmed the computer, the service manager told me they needed to install a trailer brake controller under the dash so the electric brakes on my trailer would engage when I stepped on the car’s brake pedal. I am well acquainted with brake controllers having owned pickup trucks over the years. However, I was confused.
I told the service manager (and the car technician who was doing the work) my VW Touareg had not needed an additional trailer control, that the car’s computer triggered the trailer brakes. They showed me the Porsche service bulletin that talked about the need for an additional controller for trailers with electric brakes and even checked the Porsche service database online again to see what they could learn. All the data pointed to the need for a trailer brake controller.
We decided to check on my assertions about no need for an additional brake controller on my Touareg. While I called my VW dealer and talked to the service manager out there, the technician called another VW dealer (who is across the street) and talked to the technician there who actually installs trailer hitches and the like on Touaregs. We got two different answers.
The technician across the street said that he had to install trailer brake controls on Touaregs just like the Porsche service bulletin said about my Cayenne. However, the service manager at my VW dealer told me in no uncertain terms that the onboard computer handled trailer braking and no additional trailer brake control was necessary.
Being a curious sort, I called VW of America when I got home (and could dig through their web pages to find an actual number to call). I asked whether I needed an additional trailer brake controller for a trailer with electric brakes or whether the internal computer triggered the trailer brakes when I braked the car.
After many pauses, questions, and being put on hold several times, the answer came back: the vehicle is not designed for that. For what? Well, I was told, the internal computer was not set up to trigger the trailer brakes slightly before the car started its braking. Hmmmm. Now I was confused on a higher level. So, does this mean that one needs a trailer brake control in addition to the internal computer? I was told this was a logical conclusion. He also said he could understand how two different dealerships gave me two different answers. Well, I still don’t. Do you?
As my electrician says: “Ain’t nothing simple.”
After they had installed the plug and programmed the computer, the service manager told me they needed to install a trailer brake controller under the dash so the electric brakes on my trailer would engage when I stepped on the car’s brake pedal. I am well acquainted with brake controllers having owned pickup trucks over the years. However, I was confused.
I told the service manager (and the car technician who was doing the work) my VW Touareg had not needed an additional trailer control, that the car’s computer triggered the trailer brakes. They showed me the Porsche service bulletin that talked about the need for an additional controller for trailers with electric brakes and even checked the Porsche service database online again to see what they could learn. All the data pointed to the need for a trailer brake controller.
We decided to check on my assertions about no need for an additional brake controller on my Touareg. While I called my VW dealer and talked to the service manager out there, the technician called another VW dealer (who is across the street) and talked to the technician there who actually installs trailer hitches and the like on Touaregs. We got two different answers.
The technician across the street said that he had to install trailer brake controls on Touaregs just like the Porsche service bulletin said about my Cayenne. However, the service manager at my VW dealer told me in no uncertain terms that the onboard computer handled trailer braking and no additional trailer brake control was necessary.
Being a curious sort, I called VW of America when I got home (and could dig through their web pages to find an actual number to call). I asked whether I needed an additional trailer brake controller for a trailer with electric brakes or whether the internal computer triggered the trailer brakes when I braked the car.
After many pauses, questions, and being put on hold several times, the answer came back: the vehicle is not designed for that. For what? Well, I was told, the internal computer was not set up to trigger the trailer brakes slightly before the car started its braking. Hmmmm. Now I was confused on a higher level. So, does this mean that one needs a trailer brake control in addition to the internal computer? I was told this was a logical conclusion. He also said he could understand how two different dealerships gave me two different answers. Well, I still don’t. Do you?
As my electrician says: “Ain’t nothing simple.”
posted by Bud Hirsch at 5:42 PM
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