BOSCH Trailer Safety Control Must Have Safety System Owner’s Manual
- June 13, 2024
- Bosch
Table of Contents
BOSCH Trailer Safety Control Must Have Safety System Owner's Manual
SYSTEM OVERVIEW
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ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU)
The “brain” of the system is the control unit which receives all the data from wheel speed and trailer
motion sensors.
Automotive grade microprocessors use advanced mathematical algorithms and cutting-edge vehicle logic decides upon the best way to keep the trailer safe. When the ECU detects the trailer in a critical safety situation, it individually controls each brake to intelligently bring the trailer back under control. -
WHEEL SPEED SENSORS (WSS)
Wheel-speed sensors detect the speed of rotation of the wheels and pass the electrical signals to the ECU. The speed signals are used to accurately calculate the degree of slip between the wheels and the road surface.
The position of the sensor may vary depending on the brake and axle manufacturer.
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STATUS LAMP DISPLAY MODULE
The Status Lamp Display Module informs the driver of the status of the TSC system. The lamp will use a combination of colours and flashes to indicate operational status and fault warnings to the driver.
TRAILER SAFETY CONTROL TSC
No matter how experienced a driver may be, unexpected safety events can occur while on the road. These events could range from sudden braking by the vehicle in front, strong winds, or even unexpected obstacles like animals crossing the road.
Trailer Safety Control (TSC) is an advanced braking modulation system specifically designed for trailers and caravans. TSC incorporates essential features such as Anti-lock Braking (ABS), Sway Mitigation, and Lane Change Control, ensuring the highest level of safety.
TSC constantly monitors crucial factors like speed, traction, and movement of the trailer, ready to activate instantly when it detects a critical safety situation. With precise control over each wheel, TSC swiftly and intelligently brings the trailer back under control, providing an enhanced level of safety and peace of mind for drivers like never before.
BRAKE CONTROLLER COMPATIBILITY
BOSCH Trailer Safety Control does NOT replace the Electric Brake Controller in
the tow vehicle or on the trailer/caravan. The primary trailer braking control
remains the responsibility of the Electric Brake Controller and the vehicle
driver.
It is the responsibility of the end user to ensure that their Electric Brake
Controller is compatible with the Bosch Trailer Safety Control.
BOSCH attempts to provide compatibility with most controllers available but is
unable to anticipate design changes that might be introduced by the various
controller manufacturers.
The TSC Compatibility Guideline is attached to this manual in Appendix A.
Up-to-date information is in instruction sheet F005EP0086 available at:
www.bosch.com.au/products-and-services/mobility/trailer-safety-
control/
Scan to view
HOW IT WORKS
TSC uses an advanced network of sensors to monitor your trailer’s speed, direction, lateral motion, grip – up to 1,000 times a second. This information is then sent to the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) – the “brain” of the system – where intelligent algorithms accurately determine what kind of critical safety event (emergency braking, sharp swerving, trailer sway) you are experiencing. The ECU responds by sending detailed instructions to each individual wheel to apply the exact amount of brake force needed for optimum stability and stopping distance. All of this happens in the blink of an eye.
ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS)
The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) works by continuously monitoring the
rotational speed of the trailer wheels during braking. When a wheel is about
to lock up, the ABS system intervenes by rapidly modulating the brake force to
that specific wheel. This modulation prevents wheel lock-up and maintains
optimal braking effectiveness, allowing the wheels to maintain traction with
the road surface. By preventing wheel lock-up, trailer ABS enhances stability,
control, and steering responsiveness, ensuring safer and more controlled
braking manoeuvres.
TRAILER SWAY MITIGATION (TSM)
Trailers and caravans can be susceptible to sway which can be easily triggered
by side forces from high winds, rough roads or even a passing truck. When this
occurs, the trailer begins to sway from side to side, building sway momentum
with each oscillation and can end in the trailer jack-knifing or even rolling.
Trailer Sway Mitigation intervenes at the earliest stages of trailer sway,
gradually increasing the trailer braking level to match the severity of the
trailer oscillation with the aim to settle the trailer sway as quickly as
possible and bring the trailer back to a steady condition. Trailer Sway
Mitigation will only activate above 65km/h when critical events occur.
LANE CHANGE CONTROL (LCC)
Lane Change Control activates when it detects a sharp, sudden change in
direction. This works differently from TSM as there is no gradual build- up of
instability and there is usually a sudden, corrective steering input from the
driver. The Lane Change Control algorithm identifies this situation and uses
intelligent braking patterns to keep the vehicle combination as steady as
possible during the manoeuvre. Lane Change Control will only activate above
65km/h when critical events occur.
TRAILER ODOMETER
TSC uses wheel speed sensors to track exact mileage. This means you can keep
track of when your vehicle needs maintenance.
DIAGNOSTICS
TSC offers advanced diagnostics to inform the driver the moment the TSC system
detects an issue or is not working optimally. TSC even detects issues with the
trailer brakes, that would have gone undetected previously.
OPERATION
POWER ON / INITIALISATION
- TSC will start-up when power is first applied to the ECU.
- After start-up, the TSC lamp will remain off until a valid Trailer Service Brake Signal is detected. A brake signal is generated by the driver pressing the brake pedal or pressing the brake override button of the electric trailer brake controller. By waiting for this signal, TSC ensures it has detected a valid trailer braking signal and the driver has correctly connected the tow vehicle to the trailer
- Note: During TSC start-up / wake-up, audible clicking maybe heard from the TSC performing a self-check. The lamps will flash briefly as part of the self-check.
LAMP MODES ON START-UP
- Display of only a green operational lamp indicates the system is good and fully operational.
- Display of only an amber warning lamp indicates the system has a fault and is shutdown. It will not operate in this state.
- Display of an operational and warning lamp on together (green & amber) indicates the system is operating in a reduced state due to a detected fault.
- Anytime the lamp module is not illuminated, the driver must assume the TSC system is off and not operational.
SHUT DOWN / SLEEP
- TSC will turn off the lamp module illumination after 20 minutes of trailer standstill without a braking signal detected.
- TSC will go into a low power sleep mode after 120 minutes of trailer standstill without a braking signal detected.
- TSC will shut down if power is removed from Positive Supply of the ECU.
WAKE-UP FROM LOW POWER SLEEP
When the TSC is in low power sleep mode, it will only awake when it detects an
electric brake controller signal from a connected tow vehicle. Drivers should
connect the trailer and press the brake pedal or manual override (of the
trailer brake controller) to ensure the TSC wakes, and lamps are visible.
SYSTEM TROUBLESHOOTING
A correctly working TSC displays a green lamp ON and amber warning lamp OFF. If the amber warning lamp is on, follow steps below to determine the failure.
- Wait for 5 minutes after power on at standstill for the system to re-check the failures.
- Power-cycle the TSC system, via disconnecting & reconnecting power supply, followed by waking up the TSC.
- If the warning light persists, perform fault diagnosis using one of the following methods.
NOTE: The TSC system will continue to perform fault checks at standstill. Periodic checks are sequential at 5 minutes after standstill, then at 15 minutes after standstill and then every 30 minutes until such time the fault is corrected and no longer detected.
FAILURE DIAGNOSIS
METHOD 1 – PHONE APPLICATION METHOD
The preferred method is to use the TSC phone App which contains a diagnostic
feature that identifies and provides the cause and repair for each fault. To
extract the diagnostic fault codes from the TSC, the user must use a supplied
Bluetooth® OBD2 adapter and a linked TSC phone App on an Android or iPhone
device. For more information about the App see chapter ‘Trailer Safety Phone
App’. Contact your trailer manufacturer if the OBD2 connector is not easily
visible. See the images below for reference. Remove the diagnostics adapter
when not in use to protect from environmental extremes and to not drain the
trailer/caravan battery.
METHOD 2 – LAMP FLASH METHOD
A back-up method to check failures if the Phone App is not available is to
determine the active faults from a count sequence of green/amber lamp flashes.
These flash counts can then be compared against the description of the
possible diagnostic codes, which is listed in the chapter Diagnostic Reference
of this manual.
Activating Lamp Flash Diagnostics:
Ensure the trailer is stationary, the electric brake controller is connected
and the TSC is powered on (i.e. lamps illuminated). Set the electric brake
controller level to greater than 50% of its scale. Ensure the brake pedal is
not pressed. Apply 10 short presses (approx. 2 per second) of the manual
override switch on the trailer electric brake controller within a 15 second
period to commence the Lamp Flash diagnostic mode.
Reading/Decoding Lamp Flash Diagnostics:
Each active fault will flash a code in sequential order. The process for
recording each fault is as follows:
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First the amber lamp flashes multiple times (record this count), then the green lamp flashes multiple times (record this count). These recorded numbers represent the code (Amber/Green count) for the active fault.
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If there are multiple faults active there will be further flash codes after a short pause (both lamps off) and the above flash recording process should be performed for all faults.
NOTE: Don’t worry if you miss the count sequence or need to re-check your count, the fault flash sequence is repeated 10 times with a long pause (lamps off) between each loop before stopping. -
Once you have recorded and confirmed the fault count codes, refer to the diagnostic tables below in this document to determine the fault cause and possible solutions to the problem.
TRAILER SAFETY PHONE APP
APP INSTALLATION
The Bosch Trailer Safety Control App is available for iOS iPhone and Android
compatible smart phones. Installation of the Trailer Safety Control App can be
performed via the Google Play store for Android devices and Apple App Store
for iPhone devices.
CONNECTING / DISCONNECTING TO TSC
After opening TSC Phone App, it indicates that it is not connected with status
“Not Connected”. Tapping
on this status will start the communication with the Bluetooth/TSC and change
the status to “Connecting”. During the connecting process the app will display
a in progress graphic and a progress bar along the bottom of the app. Once
connection has been made and all data has been read the status will update to
“Connected”. If the connection process fails, the app will indicate with a
warning and return to “Not Connected”.
USER PERSONALISATION
A newly installed phone app will display a default Bosch trailer image and
trailer name “Trailer Safety Control”. If preferred the user can replace this
image and text with an image from the phone camera/gallery and text which
identifies their trailer. This can be performed by clicking on the current
image or text.
TRAILER ODOMETER
Whilst active (i.e. status lamp on) the TSC records all distance travelled and
stores it in a trailer odometer. This odometer value is accessible within the
TSC Phone App.
SERVICE DIAGNOSTICS
TSC provides service diagnostic features for the trailer braking system. The
TSC Phone App displays a summary and in-depth details about any active faults.
This feature allows service representatives to easily detect and repair
trailer issues.
IMPORTANT: Servicing and repairs must only be carried out by professionals. Defective parts must always be replaced with original parts.
Have your trailer/caravan system checked by an expert at least once a year.
Please have your trailer/caravan serviced and repaired by an authorised dealer
or service centre.
SYSTEM / TRAILER DETAILS
TSC Phone App provides information about the trailer and the TSC product
installed. Information provided includes TSC system identification data and
Vehicle Identification Number VIN (if programmed by trailer/caravan
manufacturer).
PHONE APP / BLUETOOTH
TROUBLESHOOTING
Phone App won’t connect to Bluetooth
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Ensure that the diagnostic adapter is plugged in and powered up (small light on diagnostics adapter is on).
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Ensure that the Bluetooth communications is enabled on your phone.
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On Android devices:
o Open the Bluetooth options in your phone and check for device “Veepeak”, if not available, check again that the diagnostics adapter is correctly plugged in, and it is powered.
o When “Veepeak” found in the Bluetooth device list, attempt to pair you phone directly with the device.
o Once pairing with the Veepeak is confirmed, open TSC Phone App and tap on “Not Connected” to start connection. -
If connection issues persist, refer to Veepeak OBDCheck BLE user manual.
Phone App won’t connect to Trailer TSC
If the phone is paired with the Veepeak device but fails to complete connection and download data, the TSC is not communicating. The TSC will enter sleep mode after 2 hours at standstill and no longer communicate via the Bluetooth link. If the ECU is asleep, connect to an electric brake controller to trigger it to awake (status lamp on).
DIAGNOSTICS REFERENCE
LAMP STATUS REFERENCE
DIAGNOSTIC SERVICE ACTION
- WSS = Wheel Speed Sensor
Note: All flash codes above represent active faults in the ECU. If a fault has been set previously and has since healed, a history flash code will be available the same fault code as listed below with an additional 5 flash counts added to the Amber Flashes (e.g. Front Left Brake Magnet active fault flash code = 2 & 2, Front Left Brake Magnet history fault code = 7 & 2).
APPENDIX A:
TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLER COMPATIBILITY GUIDELINE
AFTER MARKET
TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLERS
TIME BASED CONTROLLERS
Time Based Brake Controllers are typically brake controller options with
limited braking control and diagnostics. Although they will still brake the
trailer, they are not as effective as inertia based controllers. The Trailer
Safety Control TSC system can work with a time based controller, however this
brake control is not
optimised and will likely result in increased activation of the ABS system.
Bosch recommends that an inertia based controller is used with Bosch
Trailer Safety Control, NOT time-based brake controllers.
INERTIA BASED CONTROLLERS
The majority of controllers on the market offer an inertia sensor as control.
This allows the sensor to base its braking control level on the tow vehicles
stopping inertia. Therefore, lighter braking on the vehicle will not result in
heavy braking on the trailer. Matching of braking levels on the trailer and
tow vehicle are achieved more easily resulting in a more effective and
comfortable braking.
Bosch has sought to test with as many of the available aftermarket inertia
based brake controllers as possible, to ensure compatibility of the trailer
brake controller operation with the
TSC system. This guideline outlines the controllers which have been tested and
the resulting compatibility.
AFTER MARKET TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLERS COMPATIBILITY
- Compatible with external simulated load
VEHICLE INTEGRATED
TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLERS
Typically, vehicle integrated controllers have more advanced brake control and
diagnostics.
Inertia is often the main brake control parameter.
Additional signals such as driver braking level, vehicle ABS active and
vehicle brake modelling can be used to further adjust the brake signal level.
Vehicle Integrated Trailer Brake Controller
Compatibility
If the electric brake controller is not satisfied with the TSC internal load simulator, an external simulated load can be switched on to the brake circuit by the TSC (to be configured and installed by workshop or dealer).
BRAKE CONTROLLER AND VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS TYPICALLY UPDATE SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE AS ISSUES ARE FOUND, OR AS NEW FUNCTIONALITY IS ADDED. THESE UPDATES ARE NOT OPENLY PUBLISHED. AS NEW BRAKE CONTROLLERS ENTER THE MARKET OR CHANGES ARE DISCOVERED, BOSCH WILL TEST THEM FOR COMPATIBILITY AND UPDATE THESE GUIDELINES. FOR AN UP-TO-DATE GUIDELINE VISIT WWW.BOSCH.COM.AU. END USERS THAT UTILIZE A CONTROLLER NOT VERIFIED IN THIS GUIDELINE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR VERIFYING COMPATIBILITY.
Robert Bosch (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
1555 Centre Road
Clayton VIC 3168
AUSTRALIA
www.bosch.com.au