Fault code and possibility of ignoring of faults ?

[RobertW]

Hi,

 

While installing the HID lights on the 2016 RT the high-beam lights came out with odd behavior. With the HIDs installed the right high-beam light always stays on, irrespective of the high-beam switch setting.

 

After much pulling of hair and gnashing of teeth and use of the GS-911 code reader I have determined that the bike’s controller believes the low-beam headlight is burned out, 800E81: Low-beam headlights, open circuit, and so does the rider the favor of illuminating the right high-beam light

 

(It does the same with the stock halogens installed if the low-beam is disconnected, simulating burn out)

 

It believes the light is out because HIDs draw much less current that halogens. My 2015 RT believed the same but did not do the favor of automatically illuminating the high-beam. It just kept showing the burned-out-light indicator on the dash – easy to ignore. The right high-beam staying on is not so easy to ignore.

 

Typical fix for this is to put a monster resistor, that gets hot as Hades, in the low-beam circuit to cause it to pull enough current to not raise the signal. Hot as Hades means catch on fire hot. Very dangerous component! And an unfortunate waste of horse power.

 

I saw on a BMW car forum that some will program the car’ ECU to ignore the condition and not raise the error code. That is a cool idea.

 

Does anyone know if it is possible to do such programming on the ECU in a BMW RT?

 

Thank you,

 

 

 

Edited December 10, 2016 by RobertW

[dirtrider]

Hi,

 

While installing the HID lights on the 2016 RT the high-beam lights came out with odd behavior. With the HIDs installed the right high-beam light always stays on, irrespective of the high-beam switch setting.

 

After much pulling of hair and gnashing of teeth and use of the GS-911 code reader I have determined that the bike’s controller believes the low-beam headlight is burned out, 800E81: Low-beam headlights, open circuit, and so does the rider the favor of illuminating the right high-beam light

 

(It does the same with the stock halogens installed if the low-beam is disconnected, simulating burn out)

 

It believes the light is out because HIDs draw much less current that halogens. My 2015 RT believed the same but did not do the favor of automatically illuminating the high-beam. It just kept showing the burned-out-light indicator on the dash – easy to ignore. The right high-beam staying on is not so easy to ignore.

 

Typical fix for this is to put a monster resistor, that gets hot as Hades, in the low-beam circuit to cause it to pull enough current to not raise the signal. Hot as Hades means catch on fire hot. Very dangerous component! And an unfortunate waste of horse power.

 

I saw on a BMW car forum that some will program the car’ ECU to ignore the condition and not raise the error code. That is a cool idea.

 

Does anyone know if it is possible to do such programming on the ECU in a BMW RT?

 

 

Morning RobertW

 

Possible= yes, probable=no.

 

You can't do it at home with any sort of device & the dealer will more than likely tell you that they can't or won't do it as BMW is very specific in what they will allow the dealer to do.

 

The easy way is to just use a resistor, or add additional lighting on each light circuit.

 

Keep in mind that on the 1200WC motorcycle the alternator is a full output system so anything the bike's electrical system doesn't use is just turned into heat in the voltage rectifier/regulator. If the lighting system doesn't use it the regulator will just turn it into heat at the regulator.