What is a 7-pin plug?
Every object that you attach to your vehicle must have electricity nowadays. This ensures that an essential component can come into operation, namely the lighting. The lighting ensures greater road safety for you and your fellow road users. The connection between car and object is made by a plug and a matching socket.The most common connections are the 7-pin and 13-pin plugs. 7-pin plugs are used less frequently nowadays, because they only supply the basic lighting. These plugs can still be found on older trailers and boat/horse trailers. 13-pole plugs are used with caravans and more modern objects. A caravan always has a 13-pole connection.
7 pin trailer wiring diagram
- Direction indicator left | yellow
- Rear fog lamp | blue/brown
- Massa (t.b.v. contacten 1 t/m 7) | wit
- Direction indicator right | green
- Rear/rear light and number plate right | brown
- Remlichten | rood
- Rear/rear light and number plate right | brown
What is the difference between a 7 and 13 pin plug?
A 7-pin connector only provides the basic lighting. This includes fog lights, turn signals, reverse lights, and brake lights. Over the years, more lighting has become mandatory, making the connector no longer meet all requirements. The difference between a 7 and 13-pin connector is that the 13-pin connector can provide more than just the basic lighting.
Installation of a 7-pole plug
A 7-pin plug is quite simple to use as it can only be connected in one way. At the bottom of the plug, there is a small notch that fits exactly onto the connector of the socket. When you have multiple items, such as a trailer, bike rack, and horse trailer, you may find that you need connections for both a 7-pin and a 13-pin plug. For this, adapter plugs are the solution. With adapter plugs, you can switch between the connections. There are adapter plugs available with connections from a 7-pin socket to a 13-pin plug and from a 13-pin socket to a 7-pin plug.
Connecting a 7-pin plug to a 13-pin socket
Het is mogelijk om een voertuig met een 7-polige stekker aan te sluiten op een aanhanger met een 13-polige aansluiting door gebruik te maken van een 7-pin to 13-pin adapter.
This situation occurs, for example, when a vehicle with an older 7-pin connection needs to tow a trailer with more advanced electrical functions, such as reverse lights and fog lamps.
Meaning of the black wire on a 7-pin trailer plug
The black wire in a 7-pin trailer plug is usually connected to pin 7 and is responsible for the left rear lights of the trailer. This ensures that the left rear lights function correctly when the trailer is connected to the towing vehicle.
Replacing a 7-pin plug with a 13-pin plug
Yes, it is possible to replace a 7-pin plug with a 13-pin plug, especially if you need extra functions such as reverse lights or a constant power supply. This may be necessary if you have a more modern trailer with more advanced electrical functions. You can use an adapter for this, or replace the entire plug and wiring to ensure compatibility with the towing vehicle.
What color is the brake light?
In a 7-pin trailer plug, the color of the wire responsible for the brake lights is red. This wire is connected to pin 6 of the plug and ensures that the trailer's brake lights function correctly when you brake with the towing vehicle.