Hard Wiring Autocom To GS

I haven't a clue where or what accessory socket is, unless it's the small power socket on the left side of the riders seat?

No offence, but I think you might be a lot better off taking the bike to Autocom (or a qualified automotive electrician) and letting them do the job! While this isn't brain surgery, it appears that you're running a very high risk of cutting or connecting the wrong wires...
 
Well to all you nay sayers who think I'm useless - I've actually got my Autocom all hardwired up. Thanks to all who tried to help rather than criticise!
 
Well to all you nay sayers who think I'm useless - I've actually got my Autocom all hardwired up. Thanks to all who tried to help rather than criticise!

Excellent.

Now's your chance to do something positive.

Write an article on how best to do it, with pictures if you like and post it up.

It's a question that comes up time and time again, along with where to finally site the box of electrical trickery. I have mine where the Owner's manual would normally sit. Despite GSRich's worst fears it seems to be immune to water (jetted and God given) though I did take the precaution of making a small plastic hat for it, in a rather pleasing Blue Peter'ish kind of way.

It would, I'm sure, be genuinely helpful to other site subscribers.
 
If you had looked at the Owner's manual and / or the Autocom instructions you would have learned:

(a) Where the accessory socket was. You have had the bike for months.

(b) That there was no conventional fusebox. Ditto.

(c) Where the sub-fuses for the auxiliary lights lived.

(d) The suggested easiest way to wire the Autocom in.

You say you want to do things for yourself. That's not true. What really want is for other people to do everything for you, except wield the screwdriver. Look at your threads, every one of them is take, take, take, not one bit of contribution or anything of interest or assistance to anyone but yourself.

You have rebuilt gear boxes, brakes, master cylinders. Why not contribute towards some of the threads where other people ask for help? Surely when doing all the work you gleaned some sort of basic mechanical aptitude? Why then do you struggle with everything? Is it because you spend so long enquiring you have actually forgotten what it is you wanted to do?

Surely it's easy to work out that to get switched power to an electrical item you need to find a switched live feed? There are loads of posts, threads and websites on the subject, but you couldn't find one? Why? Apparently because you used the wrong word to search or you didn't look.

Think for yourself. What are you trying to do? What is live with the ignition?

The lighting circuit, you can't turn driving lights off, except with the ignition switch. Which wire is easy to trace? The rear light. Don't use the brake light feed, that will only power when you brake. Which of the wires? Disconnect one and find out what no longer works. What else is switched live? The accessory socket, under the seat, surely you know it's there? Which is the live wire? The one that lights a simple bulb - make a circuit tester - or flicks a volt meter.

I will reply to all and any of your questions in any style I like. You set yourself up for a pisstake. You like pictures, so you get a picture of the plug some kind soul suggested to ease your woes, it being a farly safe bet you didn't know (or couldn't imagine) what one was. Where to get one from? Why didn't you take the name, 90 degree powerlet plug, and Google it to find out where to get one from? No, it's easier to let somebody else do it for you.

Mate - I don't have time to be constantly on this website offering advise I have a life outside of this forum. I have contributed to some threads without the so called take take take as you put it but I consider myself a newbie and I don't feel I have much to offer people yet! On another website in regard to my RD I do give but there again only if I can contribute.

There are many ways of getting info. I did look at the manual for a fuse box but none was mentioned. The Autocom instructions just said wire positive to ignition live feed or something like that. I needed answers specific to my bike - if you read my opening question I made it clear what I had done and what I needed to know! I don't see the harm in opening a thread in the hope someone who reads it can tell me where a specific wire is otherwise what's the point of this website? Asking questions is not wanting others to do jobs for me is it - it's about sharing information - I'm not asking for a theisis on subjects just quick answers from people who know?

I don't think I struggle with everything but I have a £12000 bike, months old and don't want to bugger it up, so I ask questions I need answers to, maybe I'm a bit more cautious but thats my nature I'm a perfectionist and want things right or want to know the full picture before I start a job!

And lastly, I asked the question in regard to the plug but then tried a search and found that they sell in the USA. On this forum when you post a reply you can't delete it! Anyways, you have a habit of posting half an answer, if your answers were full and clear I wouldn't have to ask more questions! If I answer questions I either go out of my way and take pictures or I post where I got the info from.

You sarcasm isn't welcome and unnecessary most of the time, it's why some people don't bother posting on forums like these because for fear they will get slammed from people like you - I know cause some have PM'd me and told me! I tend to give as much as I get hence this reply and won't be bullied by anyone.

Now I hope we can be buddys on this forum, I take some of your points, but come mate don't be so judgemental it causes friction! :tears
 
Excellent.

Now's your chance to do something positive.

Write an article on how best to do it, with pictures if you like and post it up.

It's a question that comes up time and time again, along with where to finally site the box of electrical trickery. I have mine where the Owner's manual would normally sit. Despite GSRich's worst fears it seems to be immune to water (jetted and God given) though I did take the precaution of making a small plastic hat for it, in a rather pleasing Blue Peter'ish kind of way.

It would, I'm sure, be genuinely helpful to other site subscribers.

OK I will :thumb2
 
Right then - where do you want this tutorial posted?

Continued on this thread or a new thread?
 
Here's How I Hard Wired My Autocom 300 to my GSA1200

What I needed

1.Stanley Knife
2.Wire Cutters
3.Amalgamating Tape
4.Scotch Plugs & Pliers
5.Cable Ties
6.Soldering Iron & Solder
7.Philips Screw Driver

step1.jpg


step2.jpg


step3.jpg


step4.jpg


step5.jpg


step6.jpg


step7.jpg


step8.jpg


step9.jpg


step10.jpg


step11.jpg
 
Top stuff!

Good clear pic's and yellow pointy things, too. :thumb2

Copy it and stick it into the 1200GS section. It's better use of bandwidth than, "What helmet do you wear?" or "Am I true biker?" or was it, "Should I wear a burhka?"

:beerjug:

A couple of quick tips or suggestions.

(1) You see the Autocom out lead, stuck on the tank, down towards your wedding tackle? Move it.

Try running it up so that it exits on the beak's 'shelf' (near side of the bike, where the optional power outlet sits, sort of thing). So much easier. You may need to get an extension lead, I cannot remember.


(2)You can neaten up the passenger lead a lot. With a bit more poking you can get it to exit further back, hiding the lead all the way. I will do a picy, when I next go into the garage.


(3) Get an Airclick to control your ipod. Velcro the control onto the near side screen support. Mine has got boiled, soaked, dusty and never missed a beat. Buy one in preference to a silly lockable oil cap.
 
Shocked and stunned.

Is this the best 'Love hate' relationship you have ever seen or what????:hug:hug
 
Just needed a bit of encouragement....:augie.... That's all.

A decent report on a job well done.

Go in peace.
 
Easiest way i came up with was to buy the aux power socket lead from BMW.
this simply plugs into your existing power socket under the seat then cut the other end off and you have a power lead for anything you want.
your not chopping into wires and you can remove it when ever you like.
or and you get a couple of mins power when you turn ignition off before it cuts power to your sat nav so if you only want to open a pannier or fill up if your quick with the key you sat nav has no need to reset . SIMPLE IS BEST.
Well works for me anyhow
 
Easiest way i came up with was to buy the aux power socket lead from BMW.
this simply plugs into your existing power socket under the seat then cut the other end off and you have a power lead for anything you want.
your not chopping into wires and you can remove it when ever you like.
or and you get a couple of mins power when you turn ignition off before it cuts power to your sat nav so if you only want to open a pannier or fill up if your quick with the key you sat nav has no need to reset . SIMPLE IS BEST.
Well works for me anyhow

Do you mean this this little monkey:

splitter.jpg


There is an excellent article: Here It is made a little complicated as it brings in relays (in reality just automatic switches) - which a simple splice or splitter avoids, providing the load attached is not too great. The terminal blocks are cheap but, to some, untidy. Probably a fuse bock from Centech or Blue Sea would be neater but obviously more money.

Centech: http://www.centechwire.com/index.html

Blue Sea http://bluesea.com/
 
Top stuff!

Good clear pic's and yellow pointy things, too. :thumb2

Copy it and stick it into the 1200GS section. It's better use of bandwidth than, "What helmet do you wear?" or "Am I true biker?" or was it, "Should I wear a burhka?"

:beerjug:

A couple of quick tips or suggestions.

(1) You see the Autocom out lead, stuck on the tank, down towards your wedding tackle? Move it.

Try running it up so that it exits on the beak's 'shelf' (near side of the bike, where the optional power outlet sits, sort of thing). So much easier. You may need to get an extension lead, I cannot remember.


(2)You can neaten up the passenger lead a lot. With a bit more poking you can get it to exit further back, hiding the lead all the way. I will do a picy, when I next go into the garage.

(3) Get an Airclick to control your ipod. Velcro the control onto the near side screen support. Mine has got boiled, soaked, dusty and never missed a beat. Buy one in preference to a silly lockable oil cap.

and I thought this was a brilliant idea? Saw similar on a BMW bike for sale at Oceon! I did think about placing it on the beak shelf but I don't know how to remove the tank covers to hide the cable? If I remove the 2/3 fixing screws holding the black outer covers around the tank, will it reveal more screws where the tank covers can be removed?

I already have a belkin Sport Command for my iPod but I'm still on the look out for some RAM mount of some kind!
 
Do you mean this this little monkey:

splitter.jpg


There is an excellent article: Here It is made a little complicated as it brings in relays (in reality just automatic switches) - which a simple splice or splitter avoids, providing the load attached is not too great. The terminal blocks are cheap but, to some, untidy. Probably a fuse bock from Centech or Blue Sea would be neater but obviously more money.

Centech: http://www.centechwire.com/index.html

Blue Sea http://bluesea.com/

Part Number: 611 323 16621 = £13.71 from BMW
Can anyone confirm this will fit the plug on the GS power socket as BMW could not confirm this?
 
Part Number: 611 323 16621 = £13.71 from BMW
Can anyone confirm this will fit the plug on the GS power socket as BMW could not confirm this?

The problem IIRC is that in about 2005, BM changed the plug on the back of the accessory socket from that that had neen on the oilhead and early hexhead :(
 
and I thought this was a brilliant idea? Saw similar on a BMW bike for sale at Oceon! I did think about placing it on the beak shelf but I don't know how to remove the tank covers to hide the cable? If I remove the 2/3 fixing screws holding the black outer covers around the tank, will it reveal more screws where the tank covers can be removed?

I already have a belkin Sport Command for my iPod but I'm still on the look out for some RAM mount of some kind!

You do not need to remove the tank cover itself, just the nearside trim. You can then feed it up and along. It's a bit of fiddle but not too bad. I run the audio lead from the my Garmin to my Autocom the same way.

From memory, there are some other cables running along as well, which I used to support the two leads with a cable tie or two. If there wasn't I must have used some other fixing points. It'll be obvious when you have a look-see. GSRich seems to think it may pick up interference. I certainly didn't and it's only a two minute job to move it all back if you do.

On pages 131 thro' 134 - sorry I'm looking at a 1200 GS Owner's manual online not a GSA but they are very similar - of the Owner's manual you will find the instructions how to remove the nearside small bit of trim (it's the bit about the fuse) and the larger offside trim (the bit about the air filter). The nearside trim is the same as the offside. From memory, I also had to loosen or unclip the trim that sits 'inside' or underneath the shelf itself in order to run the cables up the screen supports neatly.

Whatever, it was very easy.

Being a fellow who thinks something will probably go wrong if it can, in the dark when it's lashing down, or at 35c on a D road, I ran a bit of insurance, too.

The Nav III has audio out, via a jackplug. I ran a spare lead, terminated one end with a jackplug and the other with a female 7 pin DIN plug. I ran this back down and put the female end, next to the Autocom female end, both on the shelf. I hope you are with me? This way, if my Autocom ever packed up or lost power, I could still listen to voice instructions. It did once, I forget now why (nothing life threatening) so it was worth it. You cannot do this with the Zumo 550 as it has no audio out via a jackplug. Keep the jackplug ends neat and not flapping about (it breaks the inner cable) with a small piece of velcro.

I am open to debate whether it is worthwhile ever bothering to put an iPod into a box - having hunted for a box and used valuable bandwidth seeking endless contradictory opinions (see peoples' helmet recommendations, as a good example, just buy one that fits for God's sake) - and then having to support the box on a Ram-mount. I think it's just one more bit of clutter (and weight and expense) to festoon the bike with. Slip the Ipod into a pocket (it may break when you fall off but, hey, that's life) or better still into a tank bag where it will stay dry.

Of course the easiest way is to load the sounds onto a card and into a Zumo. But that's another topic (and thread) altogether ;)

One last tip:

With so many leads running into an Autcom and having them buried away, its easy to forget or lose track which cable is which. I got around this by attaching different coloured cable ties, one at each end. It makes life easier. You can buy little tags from Maplin but cable ties do not come off.
 
Part Number: 611 323 16621 = £13.71 from BMW
Can anyone confirm this will fit the plug on the GS power socket as BMW could not confirm this?

It looks very similar to the male terminal end of the fuel pump controller lead. I suspect it's a standard BuMW fitment. I do though admit that the words 'looks', 'suspect' and 'similar' are often fraught with internet induced twaddle and danger.

A possible answer is to call upon a bit of public spirited effort from you. Ask Ocean to order one in, explaining why you want it. When it arrives, take it into the showroom and have a look against a bike, or yours if it is parked outside. If it's no good, stroll back to the parts department and get your money back.

Look forward to the news.
 


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