13 Pin Wiring Details

Beware that there is more than one colour scheme but pins 1 to 7 inclusive are colour coded the same in each. The two shown on the right seem to be the most popular at the moment (2008)

Pin
Function
Old colours
New Colours
1
New colours
2
1
LH indicator
Yellow
Yellow
Yellow
2
Rear fog light
Blue
Blue
Blue
3
Common return for pins 1,2 and 4-8
White
White
White
4
RH Indicator
Green
Green
Green
5
RH rear position, + end-outline light, + rear reg. plate
Brown
Brown
Brown
6
Stop lights
Red
Red
Red
7
LH rear position, + end-outline light, + rear reg. plate
Black
Black
Black
8
Reversing light
Orange
Pink
Pink
9
Continuous power supply
Brown / blue
Orange
Purple
10
Power via ignition switch (used to power the fridge & habitation relay)
Brown / red
Grey
Grey
11
Common return for pin 10
White / blue
White / black
Clear
12
Signalling connection to trailer (alarms etc.)
No allocation
White / blue
Buff
13
Common return for pin 9
White / green
White / red
Black / red

13 Pin Wiring Blues - footnote Aug 2006

A couple of our members with new Volkswagen Audi Group (VAG) cars found that their caravan’s fridges did not work whilst towing. The reason for this was that the relevant pins (10 & 11) in the cars’ 13 pin continental sockets were missing. Older VAG cars with 13 pin sockets did not suffer this problem and, so far, the car dealers have been unable to explain the change.

Up to now I am only aware of new VAG cars being affected in this way. I do know that recent Volvos have been fine.

If you have a new car with a 13 pin socket and suspect that all is not well, then contact your dealer for advice. The solution in one case was for the dealer to call in a towbar specialist to sort it out!

13 pin connector from
cable end (old colour scheme)