How do I connect spot/riding lamps without having to have bike programmed?

Stevie4scoops

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Does anyone know if it's possible to connect two 10watt LED spot/riding lamps to a 2014 GS1200LC so they are either always on with the ignition or dipped beam without needing to have the bike re-programmed by a BMW dealer.

Connecting them to come on with the dipped beam is straight forward but this will affect the load/resistance of the circuit, be 'noticed' by the Lin/Bus wiring system and therefore likely to show a fault.

Any tips would be much appreciated.

I can't wait until the GS911 Wi-Fi is fully operational!

Thanks
 
Do some DMM probing on the Aux power sockets to see what you get there.....you could easily switch a relay on with the feed but I think the issue is going to be how long that feed remains live when you turn the bike off.
 
If you don't have the LED headlight you can connect to the low beam via a relay. The system won't care about the extra load of powering a relay. You can't do this if you have the LED headlight though since it is only 12v and CANbus that goes to that.
 
Thanks for that. Good idea re relay with the coil (electric switch) connected to the aux socket. Unfortunately this stays live for around 20 minutes after the ignition's been switched off so I can't use this.

What about the rear light? Is this LED?

My bike is the TE model so does have a LED headlamp. I guess this operates at 12 volts which I could find the feed to but I don't know how sensitive the LinBus detection system is and if it would detect the additional few watts a small relay would use to power the coil.

If it's not too sensitive and wouldn't detect the load of a small 12 volt relay coil, I could pick up an ignition switched feed from the rear of the aux socket to power the lights and feed the relay coil from either the feed to the dipped headlamp or rear light.

Has anyone got any experience of adding additional load to existing circuits on a GS LC LinBus system?

Thanks
 
I used the sat nav feed to tricker the relay, that way there's a delay before it turns the trigger feed off (and relay) so I'm able to park up, turn ignition off, hit the 10w Crees switch and it lights up my path for 30 secs, works in the same principle as follow me home lights . (until the canbus delay turns the sat nav feed off)
 
I wouldn't go near the headlight wiring if you have the LED light. Even if you did you would still need a relay but for all I know it could have permanent 12v and the ecu tell the light to turn off and on.
Using the rear light for a trigger is an idea bit if it was me I wouldn't use the aux socket as the main power. I would come straight off the battery via a fuse for the main power and say your rear tail light as the trigger.

Note I don't really know the wc bike and although the older bikes were LED tail lights they were wired like a normal bulb tail light. BMW could have done something crazy like the front light. I doubt it but it's would be worth checking before you start cutting into the wiring.
 
Great ideas, thanks.

Thanks for that. Battery for the power and sat nav for the relay trigger sounds favourite. My sat nav tells me it's shutting down as soon as I switch off the ignition so I guess this is triggered by the power being taken away from it. If this is the case this is just what I need.

Great ideas, thanks.
 
DON'T DO IT!

I wouldn't go near the headlight wiring if you have the LED light. Even if you did you would still need a relay but for all I know it could have permanent 12v and the ecu tell the light to turn off and on.
Using the rear light for a trigger is an idea bit if it was me I wouldn't use the aux socket as the main power. I would come straight off the battery via a fuse for the main power and say your rear tail light as the trigger.

Note I don't really know the wc bike and although the older bikes were LED tail lights they were wired like a normal bulb tail light. BMW could have done something crazy like the front light. I doubt it but it's would be worth checking before you start cutting into the wiring.

As Marki says.

When I first got my LC, extra light was top of the priority list.
I did some careful digging, and though BMW would probably deny it, bikes with the LED headlights are deliberately designed to make fitment of non-BMW aftermarket aux lights as difficult as possible.

There are either 4 or 5 wires running from the main harness to the headlight control unit. At least one is an earth, at least two are ignition-switched 12V+, and the remaining wire(s) are LINBUS signal wires. There is no wire you can splice into that actuates the main-beam LEDs with 12V current that's either 'on' or 'off'. :mad:
Also, the LED light unit itself is sealed. Opening it up will invalidate your warranty.

There is an American firm that makes a plug-in spotlight controller for BMW LINBUS+CANBUS systems, allowing you to control spotlights any way you please (apparently, it can also be programmed to remove the 0.5-second delay between flicking the switch, and your brights/horn activating). I sent them a mail some time ago, but I can't find it, or remember the firm's name.
 
I'm running a set on mine to a separate bar switch, but I'm running them from an ignition switched live on my PDM 60 which adds to the expense, but does also allow fitting of more accessories (I have my heated gear going through it and a pair of USB chargers)
 
Does anyone know if it's possible to connect two 10watt LED spot/riding lamps to a 2014 GS1200LC so they are either always on with the ignition or dipped beam without needing to have the bike re-programmed by a BMW dealer.

Connecting them to come on with the dipped beam is straight forward but this will affect the load/resistance of the circuit, be 'noticed' by the Lin/Bus wiring system and therefore likely to show a fault.

Any tips would be much appreciated.

I can't wait until the GS911 Wi-Fi is fully operational!

Thanks


Under the riders seat, there are two fuses on the LC TE.
One of them is an ignition live, can't rember the colour without checking.
This does stay live for about 45s after the ignition is turned off. Probably you could get away with connecting the lights direct to the non live side of the fuse. However I would fit a relay to this wire then a handle bar switch. No programming alterations are required.
This is how I fitted extra lights to a friends TE.
PM me if I can be of any further help.
SMB
 


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