Turning On / Off
TowBrite wireless light duty tow lights have a primary power switch which turns the unit on and off as indicated on the switch. This disconnects and reconnects the power to the unit.
Tow lights which have a strobe function will also include a second switch to turn on and off the strobes. You must turn on the tow light itself, before turning on the strobes.
Bootup sequence
TowBrite wireless tow lights give a little information when they start up. The left turn signal flashes to represent the current firmware version. The right turn signal flashes to display the battery voltage.
- 1%-25% = 1 flash
- 26% to 50% = 2 flashes
- 51% to 75% = 3 flashes
- 76% to 100% = 4 flashes
Note that lithium battery powered tow lights will only provide 3 flashes when fully charged.
Pairing
All TowBrite wireless tow lights have a one-way pairing feature. Each transmitter is equipped with a unique ID which is learnt by the tow light receiver. When turning on the wireless tow light receiver it enters into a learning mode for 30 seconds; if it detects a left turn signal it will forget about any previously learnt IDs and write to memory the new one which it just detected. If no left turn signal is detected, the receiver will stay in learning mode.
- Plug transmitter into your tow truck
- Engage the left turn signal of your truck
- Turn on the wireless tow light
- Wait until you see the wireless tow light start to flash in sequence with your truck.
Wireless
The range of your wireless tow light should be around 1000ft. This may seem like a lot, but trailers and broken down trucks are excellent blockers of wireless signals, so sometimes the wireless waves need to bounce off objects in the distance to reach the tow light.
If you are getting poor wireless performance, you may wish to relocated your transmitter. It is generally not a good idea to place your transmitter inside any steel or aluminum tool boxes. Operators will often install an auxiliary trailer plug on the light pylon since all the necessary wires are already there and it's high up and unobstructed. This may also help prevent your transmitter from getting stolen or damaged by chains as compared to being accessible at ground level.
Transmitters
TowBrite transmitters come in several formats. 7-pin round (heavy truck) and blade (RV style) will typically contain the transmitter within the housing of the connector. 4-pin round and 6-pin round will all have the transmitter PCB encapsulated in plastic resin and attached to the connector. 4-pin flat and hardwire have the transmitter encapsulated in plastic resin with attachment wires coming out and visible.
Receivers
All TowBrite products use the same receiver. It will be typically fully encapsulated in plastic resin and is not serviceable or re-programmable. If you feel your transmitter is not working and needs replacement, please send us a video of the receiver when it is powered up. We may be able to diagnose any problems by the LEDs' flashing sequence.
Note: Some newer 17" and 22" tow lights now have the receiver integrated into the LED light)
Charging
Ideally you should charge your wireless tow light whenever it is stowed in your truck. Under most conditions, your tow light should last for for more than 24 hours. It really depends if you're in stop-and-go traffic or rolling down the highway. (more turn signals and brake lights consume more power).
Use only an original authentic TowBrite Lithium Battery charger for your light duty tow lights. Other chargers could easily damage your battery or cause a fire.
Batteries
Lithium: All TowBrite light duty wireless tow lights now come equipped with lithium batteries. There are a few different models available depending on when you purchased and the options selected at time of purchase. These batteries have been made specifically for TowBrite and cannot be purchased at any local retailer. Please contact TowBrite for a replacement, should it be required.
TowBrite's lithium batteries are much longer lasting than their lead acid counterparts - both by way of runtime and life span.