Relay trigger wire

[IanC]

I'm fitting a Fuzeblock (Nippy Normans) with integral relay, and need an ignition-on trigger.

Any suggestions of the easiest wire (I'm fixing to the airbox just behind tank)? On my last GS I spliced into a wire by the diagnostic socket but it ended up looking a bit tatty! Something under the tank maybe?

 

[GS_or_bust]

How about running a wire forward to the plug under the beak normally used to power the satnav. You can buy a connector for a few quid to make a proper plug in job.

 

[IanC]

Good idea - or even closer, the auxiliary socket which is right in the tool tray Dunno why I couldn't work that out myself

 

[tanneman]

Trigger wire from CANbus controlled DIN plug in tool tray. Not sure of the colour wire but all explained in Haynes manual. Measured everything then made a separate loom to power accessories using heat shrink and self amalgamating tape. Routed it next to bike harness (where else) so now it looks like factory fitted.

 

[GS_or_bust]

The thing about using the gps connection is that it doesn't involve splicing to any of the bikes wires, just plug it in.

 

[RobertG]

Using the Canbus controlled trigger is fine once you are happy to let an unknown algorithm written by a German engineer decide when it's OK to shut off the power. See plenty of threads on dead batteries like this one*http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=313072*

There seems to be two reliable (as in they go off when YOU decide to switch them off with the key) trigger wires. One is in the diagnostic plug. This is not recommended as, although there are no reports of it causing a problem, you open a door for a warranty argument by BMW for anything electrical. The second, which I have my fuzeblock linked to, is the parking light. It comes on when the key is on (before engine start) and goes off when I tell it to - every time ;-) If you want it on after engine start, tap the low beam.

 

[tanneman]

There is more than 1 way to skin a cat. My relay is controlled by an Autoswitch so no problem running it from the CANbus wire. Parking light is a good start. I've chosen the CANbus wire due to its proximity to the mounting of the relay and fusebox. The only problem is that the Autoswitch is the earlier AS5B model and has been known to switch off by it self or stay on after the bike has been switched off. It interferes with the CANbus for some reason, sometimes not allowing the switch to go open circuit, had a flat battery once because of that so now check that the LED has extinguished before leaving the bike. Takes about 20 sec to complete the shut down. Newer model is the AS7 so hopefully the problems been solved. Horses for courses but next time I wouldn't bother with the Autoswitch and use a switched power supply like the park light. More tricks and tips with the lights here.

 

[EggChaser]

BMW do a connector/splitter lead that is part of the kit to add a second auxiliary (DIN/Hella/Powerlet) socket near the front of the bike. This lead piggybacks onto the back of the socket in the tooltray and gives you a removable extension that can be cut into that means you have not touched the main wiring loom.

 

[Bobbin-Man]

I received my Fuzeblock yesterday from NN's and need to do the same .... except my Zumo has been previously wired into the canbus connector at the front and has been a problem.
The canbus remains live after the iginition has been switched off and also appears to provide intermittent power for a short while - the Zumo would turn off then come back to life again, eventually draining it's own battery. I've bought the Fuseblock to create a reliable ignition switch supply which doesn't have a mind of it's own! Preference currently is to use a lighting circuit - probably the rear light if is doesn't confuse the canbus.

 

[(RIP) Miff]

I would imagine that if you take the trigger from the tail light, then it shouldn't confuse the canbus, as the trigger only takes a tiny draw of current.

 

[IanC]

Now got mine temporarily rigged to the accessory socket via a plug, but not totally satisfactory as there is an extended delay before it cuts off, about a minute or so longer than the dash display. Annoying, because when I'm filling up etc I like to catch my Zumo before it switches itself off. With this, I'd already be in the shop paying!

So I've ordered the plug from BMW dealer to plug into the GPS plug at the headstock, and use this as a trigger. Hopefully this has the correct time delay? (The diagnostic socket cuts at the same time as the dash display).


EDIT: Just re-read Bobbie-man' s post, so maybe it won't work as I want I'll report back.

 

[Beemerman59]

Tap into the parking light or tail light circuit then it will go on and off with the ignition straight away.

 

[Bobbin-Man]

Update ...

All change!

Using the headstock feed for assessories is definitely an issue due to it remaining live after the ignition has been turned off ... it doesn't only remain live but it appears to switch off then comes back on again! To combat this I swapped the Fuzeblock trigger wire to the live feed to the rear tail-light - works great, iginition on/off causes the Fuzeblock to switch on/off .....

... Except, my bike has a factory-fitted alarm and I've discovered that when turning the alarm off there must be a momentary feed to the rear light, not long enough to illuminate the light but enough to trigger the Fuzeblock and start the draining process on my Zumo This doesn't happen if the alarm is turned off immediately after arming, but leave the bike a while then disarm it and the Zumo comes to life!

A little more research and I found a thread on AV Rider which suggests using the green/blue wire in the under-seat diagnostic plug. I checked and sure enough there's current with ignition on, and immediately nothing when switched off My bikes from 2006 so no warranty issues to worry about, so I've broken into the loom running under the underseat tray, found the green/blue cable and tapped into it to provide a feed to the Fuzeblock trigger relay. The result is that the Zumo comes on with the ignition, and a couple of seconds after the ignition is turned off it goes into the 30 second power-lost auto switch-off. Job done

Stu.

 

[rce]

It is not the bike causing these issues as such, it is the load.

The autoswitch has an high input impedance, when not charging so will the satnav.

The bike has a transistor output that will leak a small amount of current, with a high impedance load this current will produce a small potential difference (voltage) across the load. If the load has a capacitor across it's input over time that capacitor will charge.... some time later the voltage is now high enough for the device to say, "hang on I have power switch ON". This increased load almost instantly kills the voltage because the current leak through the bikes transistor is tiny.

The answer is to either have nothing connected = no problem

Or have a small load connected at all times to prevent the potential difference rising by sinking the leakage current.

The load could be,

a small relay

LED marker lights (bikevis bullets or similar)

A suitable size resistor, 1k ohm would probably do for what we want.

 

[Bobbin-Man]

Whatever the cause, wiring via the front can-bus accessory socket caused my Zumo to repeatedly turn itself on and drain its' battery. Never had an issue with the bike's own battery. Wiring via the Fuzeblock with the switched live from the diagnostic plug and all is fine

Stu.

 

[Mr Bean]

On my RT12 there is a spare power plug that I assumed was for the secondary aux socket. I fed the switching wire from the Fuzeblock to it and it powers it fine.