Lights and Accessory Socket

[Shep]

The most wonderful "er indoors" has given me a Chrismas present of a pair of Wunderlich micro flooter spot lights and a front accessory socket

She was gonna get the shop to fit them but they quoted £150 to install??? Seems a bit steep, so i'm under instructions to fit them myself.

When I asked the dealer why so much money and could I fit them myself, there was sucking of teeth and a mention of plugging into the GT1 to reset the system to recognise the new parts, is this true? Surely the accessory socket will just plug in the back of the rear one, and the lights direct from the battery?

Anybody done it themselves??

Shep

 

[Wizard]

Lights through a relay which is connected to the battery, relay operated via ignition relay/headlamp supply and an inline switch. There's a few threads about it if you do a search.

Accessory socket you can either wire in to the gubbins (wouldn't bother myself) or direct, via a fuse, to the battery. I'd go for the second option with a switch somewhere so it's either on permanently if you need it or off and no-one can poke things in it.

HTH

 

[munchyboy]

Yeah - thats a load of cobblers. I did exactly the same two jobs not so long ago - see this thread

Happy flooting !

 

[Mouse]

You don't need any extra "programming" of the bike to recognise either another accessory socket or extra lights. I've done both of these mods on my bike with no problems whatsoever, I think your dealer is trying to boost next years xmas party fund.

As Wizard said, the lights should be connected via a relay, the relay can be switch by whatever circuit you choose, mine is switched from the full beam - so the extra lights come on with full beam. This is the correct way to do it really with "driving lights". For fog lights you'd probably want to fit some sort of extra switch so you can control them independently.

If the extra socket is the BMW kit, it comes with everything you need to connect it in parallel with the existing socket. This is fine unless you need either more than 10A current in total, or the use of the socket when the ignition is off. in which case, again what Wizard says, wire the second socket direct to the battery via a fuse and optional switch or relay.

 

[Shep]

Thanks Chaps

The lights come with a switch & relay so I'll take the feed from the taillight or dip beam as I think I need the extra light on dip mainly.

The accessory socket is just for the heated vest, I'm fed up with fiddling around trying to find the original socket (Not made any easier by the Boxer-Design side panels)

By the way, do the extra lights help with the lights dimming when the brakes are operated (seems to happen at low revs on dark shitty nights, on nasty bits of road just when you need the lights the most!) I hope the direct feed for the flood lights through a relay will improve matters a bit. Or do they all dim (eg low batt voltage)

Thanks Shep

 

[Mouse]

The servo brakes do seem to drop the battery voltage a little when operated. But 95% of three lights will always be better than 95% of one light Some of the dimming may be due to a voltage drop on a particular circuit because I think my extra lights don't dim as much as the OE ones. Kinda hard to say though.

As far as wiring to the dip beam goes - obviously it's your choice but I would raise a couple of concerns:

1 - Are these extra lights fogs or spots? Either way, having them on constantly is probably technically illegal - as I understand it, driving lights have to be wired to main beam, and fog lights have to be switchable.

2 - These "micro flooters" are the ones that hang off the front indicators? Again, having these on permanently may (and I confess I've never seen any in the flesh) drown out the light from your front indicators, with obvious safety implications.

3 - Again with respect to fog lights, I think there are regulations saying they can't be fitted more than a certain distance from the ground. So hanging them off the indicators could fall foul of that. You might also be dazzling other road users and be on the receiving end of a lot of angry headlight flashing. This may or may not bother you

I'd read around the subject a little before cutting into your bike

If you do decide to go with the permanently on idea, I would not use the tail light circuit. There have been reports (admittedly on older bikes) of people frying their ABS controller by fiddling with the tail light / brake light circuit. I've tapped into the dip beam circuit on my 1200 (via a switch to a relay to drive fog lights) with no ill effects.

Hope this helps

(edit - just reread your post and see that the lights you have come with a switch - so some of my points above are less of an issue.)