Admore LED Lights on Givi Top Case

[Dave39]

I ordered a set of Admore LED lights for my Givi e52. The installation was pretty straight forward. I tapped into the various wires into the tail light assembly and found a good close-by frame screw for the ground. The running lights and stop lights on the LED panels work fine, but am at a loss about the turn signals. I tapped the Admore turn signal wires directly to the left and right turn light wires in the bike's tail light assembly as I did with the running lights, but no go. The turn signal function does not work. I contacted Admore and they have been incredibly supportive, the best support I've ever experienced. I have been on the phone with them a couple times and they talked me through several tests, including connecting the Amore harness turn signal wires directly to the +12v battery but nothing worked. There seems to be no current at all between the turn wires and the LED light panels. They sent me a new harness and mini-controller after concluding that the one I had must be defective. The new harness would not work either. Admore is amazed as they apparently have never seen this problem. I am bedeviled because I keep trying to think of something that I might be doing wrong, but after endless testing and consultation with Admore, I am at a loss. Again, the running and stop lights both work fine and I might have to settle for just that. Has anyone else experienced such behavior or maybe have a hint as to what might be wrong?

[Dave39]

I'm still struggling with this dilemma. Admore called me again with more advice. Instead of tapping the ignition activated power to the tail light, they suggested that I tap into the rear power socket. I did so and amazingly one of the turn signals worked, only one, but the stop light then only lit up 1/2 the rear light panel on the top case instead of the whole array. Regardless of whether you have the Admore lights, or not, can anyone enlighten me as to what is the difference in the rear running lights and the rear power socket (other than the delayed shut off for the latter)? I am definitely not electrically talented and the strange electronics on this RT make matters even more confusing.

[ESokoloff]

I tapped into the various wires into the tail light assembly and found a good close-by frame screw for the ground.

....... I keep trying to think of something that I might be doing wrong,.....

Has anyone .. maybe have a hint as to what might be wrong?

 

I would try tapping into the tail light ground wire or try running a temporary dedicated ground wire back to the battery or to a good ground wire.

[dirtrider]

Evening Dave

 

Not sure what you have going on there but a couple of thoughts on possible problems.

 

First off - use a test light or voltmeter and verify you are tapped into the power side of the turn signal circuits. Verify you are getting turn signal power (to) the LED array.

 

If you are definitely getting power TO the LED turn signal LED’s then possibly the LED’s in the Admore set-up are wired incorrectly. With LED’s they are polarity sensitive so if you don’t have power to the correct side of the LED they just won’t light up.

 

[leeinmemphis]

I tapped into the various wires into the tail light assembly and found a good close-by frame screw for the ground.

....... I keep trying to think of something that I might be doing wrong,.....

Has anyone .. maybe have a hint as to what might be wrong?

 

I would try tapping into the tail light ground wire or try running a temporary dedicated ground wire back to the battery or to a good ground wire.

 

This is exactly what I did.....picked up the ground off of the tail light. I had a small problem with my right side not working quite right and it turned out to be that I didn't plug the harness in to the circuit board(totally my fault). I reinstalled everything and it worked properly.

 

I don't remember if I mentioned it to you or not Dave but I used some clear RTV silicone to seal up the lenses to the box to prevent water from being able to get inside the lenses. I don't know if it will make a difference but on my box the lenses didn't fit close to the case so I added the RTV .

[jskene]

On the late model 'RTs, there is no switched power going to the tail light, because there is no tail light bulb.

 

On this bike BMW uses 2 brake light bulbs, and runs them at low voltage when the brake is not on, so they light up with the brightness of a tail light. When the brakes are applied, the voltage goes up to 12 volts, and they become brake lights.

 

To power auxiliary lights, you should instead use either the green wire in your diagnostic plug or the parking light wire. The parking light wire gives you the advantage of having the circuit come on with the parking lights, in the event that you want to leave your bike somewhere with the lights on and remove the key.

 

Instructions and a photo of how to access the parking light wire can be found here:

 

http://www.skenedesign.com/lights/R1200RT.shtml

 

 

[Dave39]

I thank you all very much for your input. Jskene your clarification does explain why power connection to tail light doesn't work correctly. I'm going to continue to fiddle with all this. I confess, however, I'm more than a little befuddled, i.e. some say the power must be connected to the back power socket. Another says connect to parking light wire. Don't they both provide 12V switched power? Somebody told me just connect ground to good place on frame, another says, "No connect directly to -12v on battery". Another says connect to ground on tail light. Again I really appreciate the feedback. I've got a few permutations and combinations to test.

[jskene]

Both the parking light and the rear accessory socket provide switched power.

 

The only difference is that the parking light comes on when you activate the parking light function, and you can then remove the key and have it stay on.

 

The accessory socket goes off about 30 seconds after you switch off the ignition.

 

For low current loads like your LEDs, any ground on the bike will work. The easiest would likely be the brown wire going to the tail light.

 

A high current load like a 100 watt driving light should be connected back to the battery, so it does not overheat a wire that was designed for a much lower current.

[Dave39]

Admore sent me yet a third harness and mini controller and everything works! Here's how I hooked it up after the support I have gotten here and from Admore:

 

- fused blue to rear +12v ignition-activated power socket

- black to ground wire in rear lights

- red to powered tail light wire in rear lights

- green to right turn signal in rear lights

- yellow to left turn signal in rear lights

 

Admore is a great company. I've never experienced anyone who supports their products as well as they do, and thanks also to those here who gave me some feedback. Yes, Lee, I picked up some RTV.