# Thanks to Hack to hosting TS 6.0.1 (E46 Tow Hitch Retrofit a Success!)



## teamdfl (Sep 24, 2002)

Here are some pics:

http://www.teamdfl.com/bmw/e46/hitchretrofit/

I am unsure if the frame I received is different but the cover itself is definitely different.

Raffi's cover:










My cover:










I'm waiting to hear back from the supplier now. Any pictures you guys can dig up would be greatly appreciated.

Ed


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## Mr Paddle.Shift (Dec 19, 2001)

Ed, what's the part number for the cover you have?


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## Raffi (May 18, 2002)

Ed, it looks like (based on a not-so-wild guess) you received the plastic frame and cover for the E39 Euro tow hitch kit... I don't have any pics other than the ones that were posted here before, since I did not take any myself.


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## teamdfl (Sep 24, 2002)

Mr Paddle.Shift said:


> Ed, what's the part number for the cover you have?


I left the parts at home but based on my earlier posts, I think I have 51 12 8 227 569. I'll check this evening when I get home.

Ed


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## teamdfl (Sep 24, 2002)

Raffi said:


> Ed, it looks like (based on a not-so-wild guess) you received the plastic frame and cover for the E39 Euro tow hitch kit... I don't have any pics other than the ones that were posted here before, since I did not take any myself.


Whatever I received, I don't think the cover and frame were meant for each other. The cover does not fit into the frame in any way. They sort of fit together as shown in the pic below but the grooves in the cover do not engage the frame on both ends.










Ed


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## teamdfl (Sep 24, 2002)

My supplier is going to go back to his supplier to find out what I'm supposed to have. I guess I'll have to hold off for another couple weeks.


Ed


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## Mr Paddle.Shift (Dec 19, 2001)

Ed,

I think the flap you need is : 51.12.8.244.380 (prime coated). I spoke to my supplier in Europe earlier today and found out that this flap is actually part of the the tow hitch electrical retrofit kit. You didn't order this kit right?

Anyway, keep us posted about this project. And next time you need anything "Euro", drop me a line first aye? 



teamdfl said:


> I left the parts at home but based on my earlier posts, I think I have 51 12 8 227 569. I'll check this evening when I get home.
> 
> Ed


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## teamdfl (Sep 24, 2002)

Mr Paddle.Shift said:


> Ed,
> 
> I think the flap you need is : 51.12.8.244.380 (prime coated). I spoke to my supplier in Europe earlier today and found out that this flap is actually part of the the tow hitch electrical retrofit kit. You didn't order this kit right?
> 
> Anyway, keep us posted about this project. And next time you need anything "Euro", drop me a line first aye?


Any idea if the "frame", "expanding rivets", and any other parts required for the hole in the bumper cover are also included in the electrical kit?

Ed


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## Mr Paddle.Shift (Dec 19, 2001)

Ed, here is a print-out of the parts included in the kit.


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## teamdfl (Sep 24, 2002)

Mr Paddle.Shift said:


> Ed, here is a print-out of the parts included in the kit.


The electrical parts list contains a hell of a lot more han just electrical retrofit parts. I didn't get the electrical kit because I knew I could wire my car with a power isolated trailer adapter for the typical flat 4 connector used on the trailers I'll tow. I'm sure the connector you get with the kit is a typical 13 (15?) wire european connector which isn't used in the US. Oh, well. I now have the electrical kit on order.

Thanks again for all your help. Where did you find the kit contents in the ETK? I crawled around 2 different ETK versions and could not find a thing.

Ed


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## Raffi (May 18, 2002)

Even though the electrical kit cost quite a bit, it is well worth it because the connections are now all stock BMW on my car. The 13-pin connector does NOT come in the kit, though, I bought it separately for about $65.


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## teamdfl (Sep 24, 2002)

I received the electrical parts kit (71 60 0 007 024) this week and it does not match the parts list above. Also, other than a template, no documentaion was included. Anyone care to print out the appropriate pages from the EBA?

The good news is that the flap in the kit seems to slide into a couple pieces that must make up part of the frame assembly. I don't know if I have the right parts but at least these parts seem to belong to each other.

The included wiring harness looks frightening. One end obviously goes to the socket on the hitch. Another end has a large rectangular connector that plugs into the included white module marked 61.36-6 908 767. The harness is long enough to put this module somewhere in the front of the car. There are offshoots of the harness that have wires with pins, sockets, and contacts that look like the are to be inserted into exisiting connectors around the car. I'm going to have to find an EBA and a TIS to install this monstrosity. Do I have to find a euro version of these to look at the hitch related stuff?

Also, what is a GELB and an AHK?

Pictures will be up tonight.


Ed


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## teamdfl (Sep 24, 2002)

More pictures of the electrical kit:

http://www.teamdfl.com/bmw/e46/hitch_electrical/

I have a few e-mails out to people who may have access to the applicable euro installation info. Unfortunately, the random pins and connectors make me think the wiring harness will be impossible to install without instructions.

Ed


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## Raffi (May 18, 2002)

The electrical kit Vince got me came with wiring instructions/diagrams. Also, the white box (which should have Siemens printed on it IIRC) goes in the trunk, near where the alarm tilt sensor goes, and a majority of the wires get hooked up the fuse box above the glove box. Kaz and Vince can give you more info on this since they did the electrical connections.


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## teamdfl (Sep 24, 2002)

Raffi said:


> The electrical kit Vince got me came with wiring instructions/diagrams. Also, the white box (which should have Siemens printed on it IIRC) goes in the trunk, near where the alarm tilt sensor goes, and a majority of the wires get hooked up the fuse box above the glove box. Kaz and Vince can give you more info on this since they did the electrical connections.


I would give several vital organs and 51% of my first born son for copies or scans of the instructions and wiring info. I would also happily pay for FedEx shipment of the documents both ways so I could scan them.

Ed


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## Mr Paddle.Shift (Dec 19, 2001)

Ed,

I just got the message about your electrical kit. Sorry to hear what you've to go through.  You really need to talk to Maximillian about this. It's just not right to have missing parts in the kit. On the other hand, I should have taken a picture of the parts when I imported the kit for Raffi. From your picture, I only remember the wiring harness, some fasteners, the template and the flap. What's that aluminium bracket for?

Anyway, that aside, Raffi is the one who has the booklet. I am sure he will make a copy for you. As for the wiring harness, it was wired from the socket at the tow hitch and lined up all the way to the fuse box. There is a trick to get the contact into one of the fuse housing. If you have one of those long-nosed tweezers, it will help a lot. 

Keep us posted.


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## teamdfl (Sep 24, 2002)

The aluminum thing is probably a heat shield. There is also a bent sheetetal bracket thing (painted black) which sort of looks like a CD changer bracket. I wonder if this is for mounting the white module. Apparently the electrical parts kit part # is different for coupes, sedans, and tourings which might explain why my kit contents do not look exactly like the one you guys installed.

As of right now, it appears that I am not missing anything any more except for the wiring info/instructions for the electrical kit. I e-mailed my supplier and a couple other people and PMed Raffi about the documentation. I hope that working on parallel paths will result in me getting my hands on the info more quickly.

Ed


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## Kaz (Dec 21, 2001)

The wiring harness is big fun (I know; I installed most of it). The big rectangular connector has a overly long cable on it, considering that BMW wants you to mount that control box above the battery. There are about a half dozen or so wires that scotchlock (yuk) to the taillight clusters on both sides, and another 4 wires in a LONG harness that you need to run down the RH side of the car to the glovebox, where some fusebox disassembly is necessary to get the wires in there, and out of those one skinny wire (white/blue I think) needs to go all the way across the dash to the LCM, which needs to be removed for this wire to insert into its harness.

BTW, GELB is 'yellow.'


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## teamdfl (Sep 24, 2002)

Kaz said:


> ...There are about a half dozen or so wires that scotchlock (yuk) to the taillight clusters on both sides...


I vaguely remember thinking that there were a few black plastic cheapo wire splice things in one of the hardware bag. Ugh.

Ed


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## teamdfl (Sep 24, 2002)

I'm thinking about ordering a 4km/h bumper carrier just so I don't have to hack up my stock one. (51 12 8 195 314 ~$100?) I have a 13 amp Sawzall which will make quick work of the bumper but part of me wants to use the euro part. This must be some sort of disease.


Ed


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