Changed harness, now the bike acts funny

[dan cata]

It all started when my friend's R1100GS '99 started to burn, from under the tank, on the L/H side, while riding. We concluded that the issue was the front Touratech double H4 lights, there were 2x H4 5w bulbs instead of the OEM one piece, running on the OEM harness.

 

What I did was to replace the harness from a donor '94 R1100GS, both bikes having ABS.

Now, changing a harness is a lot of work, the rear frame needs to be lifted as for clutch changing, but I managed to do it all and put it all back together.

 

When switching it on, the hi beam gets turned on even if the R/H side lights button is not even in parking position. The ABS lights never start lighting up the dash, tested with two units. Changed the green ABS relays and no luck.

 

It gets worse. The starter motor has 2 wires, the thick positive one and the thinner one that moves the bendix. With the thinner one connected, when ignition is switched on and off, the dash does not go out unless I press the starter button. With the thin wire not connected, it looks like working fine, except for the ABS never working.

 

The wiring is complete, no cut off wires, connectors looking good, sprayed some contact cleaner before putting it all back together, etc.

I saw that there is just one part number code for the wiring harness, 61112306487, so we can rule out different harnesses for different mfg. years.

 

Dan.

[dirtrider]

It all started when my friend's R1100GS '99 started to burn, from under the tank, on the L/H side, while riding. We concluded that the issue was the front Touratech double H4 lights, there were 2x H4 5w bulbs instead of the OEM one piece, running on the OEM harness.

 

What I did was to replace the harness from a donor '94 R1100GS, both bikes having ABS.

Now, changing a harness is a lot of work, the rear frame needs to be lifted as for clutch changing, but I managed to do it all and put it all back together.

 

When switching it on, the hi beam gets turned on even if the R/H side lights button is not even in parking position. The ABS lights never start lighting up the dash, tested with two units. Changed the green ABS relays and no luck.

 

It gets worse. The starter motor has 2 wires, the thick positive one and the thinner one that moves the bendix. With the thinner one connected, when ignition is switched on and off, the dash does not go out unless I press the starter button. With the thin wire not connected, it looks like working fine, except for the ABS never working.

 

The wiring is complete, no cut off wires, connectors looking good, sprayed some contact cleaner before putting it all back together, etc.

I saw that there is just one part number code for the wiring harness, 61112306487, so we can rule out different harnesses for different mfg. years.

 

Dan.

 

Morning Dan

 

If you are sure/positive/absolutely-sure that the wire harnesses are the same (don't totally rely on the parts book) then we will need a LOT more info to guide you through troubleshooting this. Your problem isn't an easy troubleshoot while leaning over the bike actually ringing out the circuits and it is WAY more difficult trying to do it over the internet with very limited info.

 

I can shed some light on your --It gets worse. The starter motor has 2 wires, the thick positive one and the thinner one that moves the bendix. With the thinner one connected, when ignition is switched on and off, the dash does not go out unless I press the starter button. With the thin wire not connected, it looks like working fine, except for the ABS never working.

 

The load relief relay in the fuse box uses the starter solenoid (smaller wire) as the ground path for it's pull-in coil so with the small solenoid wire disconnected from the starter the load relief relay contacts stay open.

 

 

 

 

[dan cata]

I have swapped the starter from the donor bike and also the ABS unit from the donor bike, and nothing changes...

Also swapped the yellow relays and once again, nothing changes...

 

Dan.

[dirtrider]

I have swapped the starter from the donor bike and also the ABS unit from the donor bike, and nothing changes...

Also swapped the yellow relays and once again, nothing changes...

 

Dan.

 

Morning Dan

 

OK, lets start with only one thing/

 

Exactly, what are you trying to do first? Or put another what ONE THING do you need fixed first (only one thing at a time on this please)

 

[dan cata]

First of all, the ABS is not working, the lights in the dash do not come ON. But I am guessing that there is just one root cause that generates all my problems...

 

Dan.

[dirtrider]

First of all, the ABS is not working, the lights in the dash do not come ON. But I am guessing that there is just one root cause that generates all my problems...

 

Dan.

 

Morning Dan

 

OK, good place to start.

 

Now we need to know IF the ABS is actually not working or JUST the ABS dash lights not working. (ABS can function fine even though the dash lights are not working correctly).

 

Can you do an ABS code read-out & an ABS re-set?

 

Or, if the bike will run do you hear the ABS initialize as you ride off from a stop.

 

Also check that fuse #1 has 12v into & OUT of it with key on.

 

Keep in mind that I can't see, test, or hear that bike over the internet.

 

 

 

 

 

[dan cata]

Right, the bike does not yet have the tank on, so I am just guessing the ABS does not work as I cannot see any ABS lights on the dash OR hear the relay under the seat.

Like I said, I have also plugged the old abs unit in the harness and it still does not work.

 

Will test what you indicated and report back here...

 

Dan.

[dan cata]

Not sure that I am going on the right path here.

After further testing last night, I have tried to check if the turn signals work, so I have started them. After cancelling them, I noticed some smoke coming out of the new harness - the smoke comes out when pressing the turn canceling button.

Turns out that the brown - ground wire from the R./H side button cluster got red hot and melted...

 

The ABS not working, I think it has something to do with this, that I saw in my manual...

 

https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D2331532_223_6180040139

 

I have another harness off a R1100R that is in good condition. Will now have to re-do all the work, take out the current harness, test this one on.

If this does not work out, I could have a r1100gs sans ABS harness that I will try out.

 

Dan.

[dirtrider]

Not sure that I am going on the right path here.

After further testing last night, I have tried to check if the turn signals work, so I have started them. After cancelling them, I noticed some smoke coming out of the new harness - the smoke comes out when pressing the turn canceling button.

Turns out that the brown - ground wire from the R./H side button cluster got red hot and melted...

 

The ABS not working, I think it has something to do with this, that I saw in my manual...

 

https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D2331532_223_6180040139

 

I have another harness off a R1100R that is in good condition. Will now have to re-do all the work, take out the current harness, test this one on.

If this does not work out, I could have a r1100gs sans ABS harness that I will try out.

 

Dan.

 

Morning Dan

 

You definitely need to find that problem (short back through the T/S cancel switch) so you don't do more wiring harness damage & burn up another harness or burn up a switch.

 

Are ALL your brown wire grounds hooked up properly, especially the ground (earth) connection back to battery negative post?

 

Also verify that you don't have a connector with the wrong circuit plugged into that connector. (especially look for highs plugged into lows).

 

Are the battery cables hooked to the correct battery posts?????????

 

 

 

[dan cata]

Morning Dan

 

You definitely need to find that problem (short back through the T/S cancel switch) so you don't do more wiring harness damage & burn up another harness or burn up a switch. Agreed, will connect another set of buttons and check if also starts burning with those.

 

Are ALL your brown wire grounds hooked up properly, especially the ground (earth) connection back to battery negative post? Yes, pretty sure, also I have cleaned the ground wire to the gearbox.

 

Also verify that you don't have a connector with the wrong circuit plugged into that connector. (especially look for highs plugged into lows). I don't think you can plug in wrong connectors... Will double check anyway.

 

Are the battery cables hooked to the correct battery posts????????? Yes, can't have them reversed, the red one goes to the +...

 

 

 

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

Dan.

 

Edited January 8, 2019 by dan cata

[dan cata]

Managed to put over the bike a harness from a r1100r that I had. This one, sadly, lacks the RID connector and the rpm meter connector, because these instruments were missing on the street bike.

 

All working fine except for the ABS again. Both sensors are connected, I am able to reset the alternating flashing light, but when I switch it back on, the lights again flash in error mode.

 

So I now have 3 harnesses: the burnt one, the GS 94' one and the r1100r one. This is how the connectors look:

 

https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D2331532_223_6180270831

https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D2331532_223_6180270828

https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D2331532_223_6180270802

 

The difference is within the 3 pins on the L/H side, in the middle. Will have to open them and make the new harness work as the GS burnt one. Must be a coding thing, related to the info in the printed manual.

 

Also, the error code that gets spit out is #8, which, according to this page - http://www.largiader.com/abs/absfault.html - means " 8. sensor gap front or rear, or other outside influence". The sensors themselves have not been tempered with, so it must be the "or other outside influence" causing the error to reappear.

 

Other than that, this harness works great!

 

Dan.

[dirtrider]

Managed to put over the bike a harness from a r1100r that I had. This one, sadly, lacks the RID connector and the rpm meter connector, because these instruments were missing on the street bike.

 

All working fine except for the ABS again. Both sensors are connected, I am able to reset the alternating flashing light, but when I switch it back on, the lights again flash in error mode.

 

So I now have 3 harnesses: the burnt one, the GS 94' one and the r1100r one. This is how the connectors look:

 

https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D2331532_223_6180270831

https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D2331532_223_6180270828

https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D2331532_223_6180270802

 

The difference is within the 3 pins on the L/H side, in the middle. Will have to open them and make the new harness work as the GS burnt one. Must be a coding thing, related to the info in the printed manual.

 

Also, the error code that gets spit out is #8, which, according to this page - http://www.largiader.com/abs/absfault.html - means " 8. sensor gap front or rear, or other outside influence". The sensors themselves have not been tempered with, so it must be the "or other outside influence" causing the error to reappear.

 

Other than that, this harness works great!

 

Dan.

 

Afternoon Dan

 

On the wheel sensor gap code possibility-- If it was a sensor gap problem that failure doesn't show up until ride-off so if it fails before bike is ridden away then probably not the sensor gap.

 

The GS ABS switch should allow ABS to be temporarily disabled & the 1100R switch only allowed disabling the dash light not temporarily disabling the ABS so the harness connector pin-out could very well be different.

 

 

 

[dan cata]

Yes, agree with you on the sensor gap thing, plus, before all this, the bike was perfectly ride-able.

 

Will check the differences between harnesses tonight, I plan to open all 3 abs connectors and check the wire color difference, against the manual electrical diagram.

 

Dan.

[dirtrider]

 

Will check the differences between harnesses tonight, I plan to open all 3 abs connectors and check the wire color difference, against the manual electrical diagram.

 

Dan.

 

Morning Dan

 

You might be better off validating the present harness connector & pin-out against the original harness connector & pin-out. You KNOW that one was correct but sometimes the BMW SLP wire diagrams are not perfect, or there might have been a slight change in pin-out location after manual publication due to manual publication lead time.

 

[dirtrider]

Morning Dan

 

Something kept bothering me about your problem & I couldn't put my finger on it. Last night I must have run it through my subconscious while sleeping as (I sometimes do my best engineering in my sleep).

 

In any case this morning it kept bothering me so I went out to my shop & shuffled through a pile of old service bulletins & I think I found what I was thinking about.

 

The service bulletin basically covers incorrect ABS connector pin-out's (pin positions) between different harnesses (some were apparently built wrong or were different any how).

 

If you have found your problem then disregard this post.

 

If you are still having problems let me know & I will lend (PM) you a picture of the pin-out changes (I won't post BMW proprietary info that I don't have rights to on the internet).

 

 

 

 

[dan cata]

In my previous 3 images related to the pins in the ABS connector, 2 of the blades have the same pin layout and one blade had an extra pin.

The extra pin was on the r1100r harness. I opened both the r1100r and the burnt 1100gs connectors and noticed that the extra pin was indeed brown, so a minus.

 

I cut it out, put some heat shrink tubing on it, plugged the harness, reset the ABS and voila! The lights not flash together as they should.

 

After informing my friend, the owner of the bike, he decided that we do not go ahead with the r1100r harness because it lacks the RID functionality, and buy a functional gs harness that would restore all dash functions as before the fire.

 

Dan.

[dirtrider]

In my previous 3 images related to the pins in the ABS connector, 2 of the blades have the same pin layout and one blade had an extra pin.

The extra pin was on the r1100r harness. I opened both the r1100r and the burnt 1100gs connectors and noticed that the extra pin was indeed brown, so a minus.

 

I cut it out, put some heat shrink tubing on it, plugged the harness, reset the ABS and voila! The lights not flash together as they should.

 

After informing my friend, the owner of the bike, he decided that we do not go ahead with the r1100r harness because it lacks the RID functionality, and buy a functional gs harness that would restore all dash functions as before the fire.

 

Dan.

 

Morning Dan

 

That fits as my service bulletin shows ABS connector pin 9 grounded on the 1100R & open on the 1100GS.