Radio interference from DRLs on 1200RT

[Roymundo]

My motorcycle...2015 BMW R1200RT LC.
I have fitted some cheap LED after market additional DRL lights to my bikes engine bars. A kit from Amazon complete with wiring harnes, relay and switch.
They work fine, however if the DRLs are turned on they interfere with the bikes factory fitted radio, as in no radio stations just interferance noise.Turn the DRLs off and the radio reception is fine. If I disconect the DRLs the radio reception is fine.
I assume the cheap LED lights are the problem.
Has anyone had the same problem and resolved it?
If I were to purchase some better DRLs, without buying the BMW lights (out of my budget) what do I need to look for? I assume quality LED chips but some are a Cree type, is that what I need?
All I need is to have DRLs on and listen to the radio.

 

[Mzokk]

Could try a couple of these??

Clip-on Ferrite Ring Core RFI EMI Noise Suppressor Cable Clip 3mm or 5mm Inner Diameter

RF Interference can be caused by ignition circuits and also the layout of your wiring in your vehicle. This can affect the performance of your electronic flasher unit or you may have some radio interference having installed LED bulbs. Each is a rare occurrence with our products but in some cases...

www.classiccarleds.co.uk

Not too expensive.

 

[Bigcats]

Could try a couple of these??

Clip-on Ferrite Ring Core RFI EMI Noise Suppressor Cable Clip 3mm or 5mm Inner Diameter

RF Interference can be caused by ignition circuits and also the layout of your wiring in your vehicle. This can affect the performance of your electronic flasher unit or you may have some radio interference having installed LED bulbs. Each is a rare occurrence with our products but in some cases...

www.classiccarleds.co.uk

Not too expensive.

This!!

 

[Roymundo]

This!!

I have tried the ferrite clips, put them on cables to the radio and the LED lights with no differance.

 

[Bigcats]

I have tried the ferrite clips, put them on cables to the radio and the LED lights with no differance.

Did you put it on the antenna cable of the radio?? That is what is picking up the interference.

Are the two cables running next to each other? try and separate.

Are you absolutely sure that with the LEDs off the radio works?? Could you have dislodged the antenna/cable?

Did you put the cable through twice (so creating a loop) so in effect you get x2 the reduction of interference

 

[casbar]

I had the factory fitted radio on my 2014 RT, which I kept until 2019, I had the factory fitted aux lights and Denali D2 spots mounted under the mirrors, which are now on my 1250RT. There was no interference at all and the lights were on all the time. Lights were run from a cansmart and are 3 wire not two wire.

 

[Roymundo]

Did you put it on the antenna cable of the radio?? That is what is picking up the interference.

Are the two cables running next to each other? try and separate.

Are you absolutely sure that with the LEDs off the radio works?? Could you have dislodged the antenna/cable?

Did you put the cable through twice (so creating a loop) so in effect you get x2 the reduction of interference

Three ferrite clips were put on the antenna cable....still have interference.
Cables are separated as much as possible.
The radio works fine with the drl/LEDs turned OFF.
I am using Ferrite clips that tightly wrap around cables, some cables have 2 or 3 clips on.

 

[Engineer]

Cables normally act as antennas for the type of radiation you are experiencing, but if multiple ferrites have not reduced the interference then it might be direct radiation from the LED modules themselves - if this is the case then there is not much you can do about.

It is not possible to predict in advance of purchasing whether or not you are going to have a problem.

There is a reason some DRLs are expensive and some cheap

One assumes that the BMW ones have been tested to work with their radio, or at least if they cause a problem you can return them.

 

[Roymundo]

A separate battery was placed on the floor adjacent to the bike. separate wires connected to this battery and the drls/LEDs, radio turned on and NO radio interference. Move/turn the battery and wires in all locations and directions....still NO radio inerference.
Connect this same separate set of wires to the bikes battery and drls (so not through any wires on the bike) I then get radio interference.

 

[SBD]

do they have a brightness control, if so, it will be the culprit at a guess?
try putting them on 100% and at other values and see if the noise changes. Is there a particular freqency of the interference - a drone, hum or whistle?

If they are simply on-off via the relay, then the lamps themselves are generating the noise. Put the ferrite on the wire as near the lamp as possible.

It may also be possible to ground one side of the lamps to the bike frame.

If it is still a problem, throw them away, or use them as reversing lamps

 

[Bigcats]

do they have a brightness control, if so, it will be the culprit at a guess?
try putting them on 100% and at other values and see if the noise changes. Is there a particular freqency of the interference - a drone, hum or whistle?

If they are simply on-off via the relay, then the lamps themselves are generating the noise. Put the ferrite on the wire as near the lamp as possible.

It may also be possible to ground one side of the lamps to the bike frame.

If it is still a problem, throw them away, or use them as reversing lamps

I think SBD has mentioned something that could be the issue

Grounding of the LEDs....do not connect to the battery but as he says somewhere else on the bike

 

[Roymundo]

do they have a brightness control, if so, it will be the culprit at a guess?
try putting them on 100% and at other values and see if the noise changes. Is there a particular freqency of the interference - a drone, hum or whistle?

If they are simply on-off via the relay, then the lamps themselves are generating the noise. Put the ferrite on the wire as near the lamp as possible.

It may also be possible to ground one side of the lamps to the bike frame.

If it is still a problem, throw them away, or use them as reversing lamps

No brightness control. They switch on or off. I have put ferrites on wires upto both lamps....Makes no difference. The interference noise is a crackling sound.
Problem is, if I throw them away, what do I go for that dosen't give the same radio interference. And I'm not paying BMW prices.

 

[Roymundo]

I think SBD has mentioned something that could be the issue

Grounding of the LEDs....do not connect to the battery but as he says somewhere else on the bike

Not sure what is required here.....Grounding of the LEDs.....Could you expand some details if possible?

 

[Mzokk]

I think SBD has mentioned something that could be the issue

Grounding of the LEDs....do not connect to the battery but as he says somewhere else on the bike

Yip stick the ground wire onto the engine bars won't cost you a button

 

[Bigcats]

Not sure what is required here.....Grounding of the LEDs.....Could you expand some details if possible?

I am assuming you have a live and a ground wire (Pos and Neg - normally red for pos and black for neg) for the LEDs

Most people connect directly to the battery but the ground wire can be connected to any part of the frame (and shouldn't have paint on it) as this is also ground (so normally a black wire)

 

[Steptoe]

Have you tried changing radio stations .. a lot of drill and grime music does sound like radio interference

 

[beemerboy9]

My motorcycle...2015 BMW R1200RT LC.
I have fitted some cheap LED after market additional DRL lights to my bikes engine bars. A kit from Amazon complete with wiring harnes, relay and switch.
They work fine, however if the DRLs are turned on they interfere with the bikes factory fitted radio, as in no radio stations just interferance noise.Turn the DRLs off and the radio reception is fine. If I disconect the DRLs the radio reception is fine.
I assume the cheap LED lights are the problem.
Has anyone had the same problem and resolved it?
If I were to purchase some better DRLs, without buying the BMW lights (out of my budget) what do I need to look for? I assume quality LED chips but some are a Cree type, is that what I need?
All I need is to have DRLs on and listen to the radio.

I can tell you that many folk has similar problems when fitting LED headlights into the RT. Cyclops brought out a special kit for the RT to get around the problem. Can't help any further as I have BMW lights.

 

[Roymundo]

I think SBD has mentioned something that could be the issue

Grounding of the LEDs....do not connect to the battery but as he says somewhere else on the bike

Grounding the LED wires made no difference, still get radio interference.

Would like to know more about the Cyclops special kit that gets over this problem. Anyone used this kit with a good outcome?

 

[Engineer]

A separate battery was placed on the floor adjacent to the bike. separate wires connected to this battery and the drls/LEDs, radio turned on and NO radio interference. Move/turn the battery and wires in all locations and directions....still NO radio inerference.
Connect this same separate set of wires to the bikes battery and drls (so not through any wires on the bike) I then get radio interference.

Then the interference is not radiated, it is conducted.

It is noise current generated by the DRLs 'pulling' pulses of current from the bikes battery at a relatively high frequency, maybe 10's of kHz. The battery is normally a low enough impedance (at low frequencies at least) to remove this noise, however at higher frequencies the battery will not be a good capacitor. Try adding a small polyester type capacitor - say 1uF/50V for starters across the DRL power wires, try at the battery end first, but you may need to add it the DRL end, but I guess you might have to break into the wires, which is awkward.

I would guess that the Cyclops kit would be some sort of power filter that goes in series with the DRL power leads.

 

[Roymundo]

Then the interference is not radiated, it is conducted.

It is noise current generated by the DRLs 'pulling' pulses of current from the bikes battery at a relatively high frequency, maybe 10's of kHz. The battery is normally a low enough impedance (at low frequencies at least) to remove this noise, however at higher frequencies the battery will not be a good capacitor. Try adding a small polyester type capacitor - say 1uF/50V for starters across the DRL power wires, try at the battery end first, but you may need to add it the DRL end, but I guess you might have to break into the wires, which is awkward.

I would guess that the Cyclops kit would be some sort of power filter that goes in series with the DRL power leads.

Thanks and all very interesting.

Before I start cutting into wires, could you clarify locations of capacitors please.
Battery end......On the positive wire between the battery and in-line fuse OR between in-line fuse and relay OR between relay and DRLs??
DRL end.....On positve wires as close as posible to each of the DRLs?
This is all new to me and something I wouldn't normally touch but willing to learn, however are the capacitors SAFE ?? not wanting to set the bike on fire??