Wiring in PIAA 1100X driving Lights

[RenoDan]

Hi, I am a new member to the Hexhead forum, Been reading some interesting subjects. I am about to install the PIAA lite kit to my 09 RT and was wondering if anyone could give me a hint or two. My big ? I am aware of the can-bus and know nothng about it, where does on pick up the current to the relay? Someone sujected to tie into the parking light circut, but I noticed it is somewhere in the forward fairing. Thanks in advance for your help.

Best Regards

RenoDan

[Groanup]

I'm considering the same kit for my 07 RT...

[RenoDan]

Hi Don,

An ideas from your prospective?

[Chris H.]

Hi - Did this myself along with a few other electrical things on my '08. The one thing I found through reading here and in other places, and used was going to a triggered off rear power socket, wired direct to battery fuse block. I talked to the guy at eastern beaver and he's a number of kits and is very helpful.

 

So far I still have the switch which comes with the PIAAs, though I'd like to eventually go with the tirn signal cancel, CanBus compatible autoswitch.

 

My undertstanding of canbus is that it is both current and "control" in that it will report back draw to various devices and if there is over or under draw report to the computer an either indicate failure or turn off the circuit. I think that the general outcome of using a fuseblock w/ a trigger off the power outlet is that the current running through to the outlet is sufficient to trigger a relay which then allows the fuseblock to use the power coming direct from the battery. However, it doesn't draw sufficient current to +- the max/min the system expects.

 

Not an expert, just was in your shows and wanted to know a bit about my bike - hope this helps (and, that any clarifications and/or corrections will be forthcoming)!

 

Chris

[RenoDan]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for explaining the Can-buss sys. for me, hat helps me somewhat. Been going over what you explained, Questions regarding the fuseblock and aft. power socket. Did you actually pick your power for the relay off of the aft power socket and if so where did you tap into it? Are you talking about the inline fuse that comes with the light kit, or are you talking about an additional fuseblock like the Centech aux. power fuse panel I see advertized alot?

Regards

[johnlt]

I've done several of these installs and I got my "power" directly from the batter through a relay that was triggered by my high beam line. I kept the PIAA switch in the circuit also such that when the switch was off, the lights were always off but when the switch was on, the come on and off with the high beams. That way if I come around a corner and there is oncoming traffic, I don't have to search for any other switch but my high beam dimmer. This has worked great on several bikes as well as a couple cars.

[Jack90210]

I used the included switch, took my light power directly from the battery, and took my relay power from the GPS lead near the front fork lower clamp. Mounted my 1100s under the mirror with a bracket kit (the name of which I forget). In my opinion, the 1100s are disappointing for night use because they scatter so much (hard to aim them high enough to be useful without blinding oncoming traffic) but for daytime conspicuity they are hard to beat.

[Chris H.]

Dan, I just used the rear power outlet to act as aa trigger for the relay in line with the fuse block. The fuse block runs through the relay to the battery.

 

Let me do this, I can take some cell phone cam pics and do a rough sketch as to how this is layed out. A few of these will be worth more than the words I can use to try and describe what I did.

[Ken H.]

RenoDan– If you search this (or other BMW) forums for Canbus (with various spellings, such as can-bus) you will find a wealth of reading, but to expand on Chris H.’s explanation just a bit... The actual Can-Bus is the communications network between the various control/computer modules on the bike. It carries data back and forth between the modules, nothing more. Think of a home or business (wired) computer network, it is nothing more than that.

 

Various modules on the bike (there can be up to six depending upon options) do various things; ABS, engine management, etc., and one of them is the ZFE module that controls things like lighting, seats, horn, and more. It is this module that does the current limiting activities, replacing old style fuses, that Chris H. refers to.

 

The implication with accessories is that a good general rule is don’t use the bike’s systems to power anything, do that directly from the battery, preferably through an auxiliary power distribution block of some sort. Use the bike’s circuits only to trigger (usually via a relay) things on/off. There can be exceptions to this ‘rule’ but with this approach you likely never have issues. Some of us have dozens of additional ‘stuff’ wired into our can-bus equipped bikes with this approach with no issues.

 

[RenoDan]

Thanks Johnlt, John K, Ken H, and Chris for the information.

Ken for your expansion on what Chris said really helps me understand the can- bus alot better.

Chis, I like your offer to take some cam pictures and a rough sketch on the layout. You are right a picture is worth a thousand words.I should be getting the PIAA kit today.

Cheers to all for your helpful information.

Regards

[Chris H.]

Dan,

 

Sorry as I'd sent a couple of PMs but didn't see you'd gotten them...

 

Please take a look at the photos and desctiptions here: http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm200/chrish3k/R1200RT%202008/

 

I think this provides some visual aids for the written description, but, am happy to try to clarify anything which may come up!

 

Chris

[RenoDan]

Chris,

Is it possible to send some reg. diginal pictures to my email address dsmarshall65@charter.net. I tried to bring up that long photobucket with no luck. When I went back to this forum, your messege was gone.

Got the PIAA kit for the RT, it has been snowing all night and lots of shoveling. Bike is on the rack waiting for me to start.

Thanks