Connector for heated grips

[Miguel!]

My 2001 R1100RT did not have heated grips installed. I have purchase BMW grips and a switch. I've tested everything and it all works but I need help finding a connector.

 

There are two connectors associated with the heated grips. One is just about the left handgrip behind the dashboard. That one connects to the switch to 12 V power and selects between hi and lo heat settings. See the first first photo for the power connector. 

 

However, the handgrip wires go to another connector, the squarish connector in photo 2&3. I don't have the hand grips wired to it yet. That connector mates with another connector someplace on the bike and I can't find it. Hints please!

 

I will document all this and post in in this forum once I get it all working for anyone else in the future trying to figure this out. Its surprising that I haven't found a  procedure showing how to add heated grips to the R1100RT, on this or other BMW-focused sites,  given that  R1100RT has  been around the last 20-ish years.

 

Anyway, help appreciated. 

 

Cheers. Miguel

 

[Still CAL]

Here:

Image rotated on me, but this is looking down, left side of fairing frame, you can see the fork and red fender below the connector. So it's behind the fairing on the left side.

[Still CAL]

[Miguel!]

Thanks Cal. I'll look. I was going to take off the front fairing today/tmw to look around but the weather is so nice, I'm going for a ride both days.

 

I was able to access the switch connector by just removing the dashboard so haven't removed the fairing yet. I'll let you know. 

 

Thanks!! 

Miguel

[Tri750]

50 minutes ago, Still CAL said:

Here:

Image rotated on me, but this is looking down, left side of fairing frame, you can see the fork and red fender below the connector. So it's behind the fairing on the left side.

 

So the fairing has to come off it appears ? 

[Miguel!]

Tri750, I'll look more closely. It might be accessible by just removing the dashboard (hopefully) but its so nice, I'm going riding instead of repairing today and tmw! Miguel

[Tri750]

Ive had the dash off and followed the wires for the right grip and front brake switch* all the way up when changing out the front master on a R1100RT.

I snipped a lot of ties and by the brail system didn't find the plugs. 

It appears I may have "missed by this much!" 

 

*The brake switch took off to the right into oblivion. 

 

[Still CAL]

It's fairly simple to get the fairing off, windscreen, four big Phillips screws, plus the headlight connector. There's a slot in the headlight housing where the pilot light goes, easy to get to. There are three locating studs that look like they should have nuts on them; mine didn't.

[Still CAL]

I hereby revise my bs advice: you can access the plug my removing the left side Tupperware. 

[Miguel!]

Cal, I'll give it shot tmw. That looks more like I was expecting. There are clearly two cables, with two wires each going into the connector. Each heated grip has two wires coming bundled into a single cable. I wonder if I can can just reach up there. Looks like its just to the left of the heat vent. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks!! Miguel

[Mike1997 RT]

On 11/9/2019 at 7:24 PM, Miguel! said:

Cal, I'll give it shot tmw. That looks more like I was expecting. There are clearly two cables, with two wires each going into the connector. Each heated grip has two wires coming bundled into a single cable. I wonder if I can can just reach up there. Looks like its just to the left of the heat vent. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks!! Miguel

I’ll be interested on how this goes!

i just tried the grips today on my 1997 RT and the left one does not seem to be working.

 I hate to pull all the panels off on the left side just to ohm out the grip to see if it’s a broken wire or defective grip as I rarely use them, but if my son gets the bike I want everything to be working for him!

 

[Miguel!]

Mike 1997RT, 

It can caused by at least three items and likely more: 

1. The heating wire has a break in the wire under the grip in which case you have to pull the grip and repair it. Chris Harris has an easy-to-follow YouTube video on repairing the grip heater wire. You'll have to pull the wires from under the dashboard to test that. I was able to just pull the dashboard (12 screws plus windscreen) to access that connector. The grips measure about 9.5 ohms. 
2. The connector from the grip is not plugged into the connector behind the dashboard or 12 V is not getting to the heater grip. You should measure for 12 volts at the connector
3. The grip wires aren't connected to the connector beside the left heat vent shown in Cal's photo. That does require pulling the left fairing. 

There's also one thing I don't understand between the connector behind the dash and the connector behind the left fairing. There is some piece of electrics that senses the switch is in the "low" position and reduces the power to the grips. I don't know what or where that is but I don't think that's you problem if you don't get heat on both hi and low setting. There may be some other wiring issue but I don't know what it would be. 

 

Hope this helps. Keep us informed here.

Best

Miguel

[Still CAL]

Dirtrider said the wire itself is of a higher resistance on the low side, reducing the amperage to the grips. Mine appeared to have chafed to the point where bare wire touched a metal bracket and shorted to ground. It melted the low-side wire and the insulation of several others in that bundle, necessitating a replacement of the entire harness to repair it.

[Miguel!]

1 hour ago, Still CAL said:

Dirtrider said the wire itself is of a higher resistance on the low side, reducing the amperage to the grips. Mine appeared to have chafed to the point where bare wire touched a metal bracket and shorted to ground. It melted the low-side wire and the insulation of several others in that bundle, necessitating a replacement of the entire harness to repair it.

What a PITA that must have been. Glad you got it done!! And thanks for the reminder on the higher resistance wire on the low setting. I'd forgotten his comment until you reminded me. Miguel

[Still CAL]

Major pain, lots of work involved. Took a bunch of pics but still needed more. The important part was getting the left side correctly positioned so the upper frame would sit right without crushing wires, and proper routing of the throttle cables past the harness. Then it was just finding where the majority of the zip ties went.

[Mike1997 RT]

22 hours ago, Miguel! said:

Mike 1997RT, 

It can caused by at least three items and likely more: 

1. The heating wire has a break in the wire under the grip in which case you have to pull the grip and repair it. Chris Harris has an easy-to-follow YouTube video on repairing the grip heater wire. You'll have to pull the wires from under the dashboard to test that. I was able to just pull the dashboard (12 screws plus windscreen) to access that connector. The grips measure about 9.5 ohms. 
2. The connector from the grip is not plugged into the connector behind the dashboard or 12 V is not getting to the heater grip. You should measure for 12 volts at the connector
3. The grip wires aren't connected to the connector beside the left heat vent shown in Cal's photo. That does require pulling the left fairing. 

There's also one thing I don't understand between the connector behind the dash and the connector behind the left fairing. There is some piece of electrics that senses the switch is in the "low" position and reduces the power to the grips. I don't know what or where that is but I don't think that's you problem if you don't get heat on both hi and low setting. There may be some other wiring issue but I don't know what it would be. 

 

Hope this helps. Keep us informed here.

Best

Miguel

 

TIA, I’ll be working on ‘this issue in the near future. I have another project to complete first, besides, it’s too cold in the shop now: lower 60’s!!!

[Miguel!]

Keep us in the loop and let us know if you need help interpreting your diagnostic measurement. Miguel

[Mike1997 RT]

Finally got to tear into the bike to trace down the left heated grip not working.

Took apart the 4 pin connector under the fairing and found one black male pin recessed up in the connector not making contact with the other half. 
A small screwdriver pushing on the metal connector seated back in the housing fixed the problem. I don’t know how long it was this way, almost looks unmolested from the factory!

Everything working as it should now, thanks for all the help.

[Miguel!]

Hey Mike1997rt, Good on you for tracking it down, diagnosing and fixing it! Nice work. Miguel