Wiring LED Auxiliary Lights with Dimming Controller

[wordsmith]

12 hours ago, bigorangecntry07 said:

I probably don't, however I don't want to blind the hell out of oncoming traffic when used as running lights. The dimmer allows the lights to function as both running lights (0-100% power in 10% increments of my choosing) and high beams (100%). It also contains an alert feature that pulses the lights for better visibility when you flash high beams twice.

 

I feel your quandary, boc07!   But if dimming the LEDs so as not to blind oncoming traffic is a main objective, how about a much simpler solution of installing a simple on-off rocker switch, mounted in a handy position on the handlebar.   Just a thought - don't want to hijack your very interesting Thread...

Edited August 1, 2019 by wordsmith

[jdavis]

I used the blk/yl wire out of the LED controller under the headlights to tap into for my relay trigger. There are two coming out, pick the one on the HB side. 15 model.

[bigorangecntry07]

7 hours ago, wordsmith said:

I feel your quandary, boc07!   But if dimming the LEDs so as not to blind oncoming traffic is a main objective, how about a much simpler solution of installing a simple on-off rocker switch, mounted in a handy position on the handlebar.   Just a thought - don't want to hijack your very interesting Thread...

I have that as a back up plan but it's a 3 position switch, low - off - high 

[bigorangecntry07]

8 hours ago, skipperT said:

Good info. 

I’m not certain on how the ATwin runs the LED headlights, although I can research it - but the answer to one of their questions is NO - there isn’t a 12v signal between the LED control module and the headlamp. Yamaha uses the module to “step up” the operating current to between 24-28v on its way to the headlamp. Before the module lies the ECM which is responding to info from the LH Switch and telling the LED module what to do. 

At least one member of this board has smoked the channel of his ECM that was responsible for triggering the LED module. That’s why I’m warning you by jumping into this discussion.

If it were me, I’d tie into another 12v source, or pursue tying into the 12v signal (test it first for V) that fires the High beam indicator in the Instrument Panel as he suggested. 

Sorry if this “simple” install isn’t going as planned, but bikes are becoming more like cars in the sense that some of the tradional system wiring from years ago has been modernized. With all this advanced tech, it’s important to have a basic understanding of the circuits before cutting into them, IMHO. 

-Skip

Yeah that thread and post is the main reason I started this one and contacted them about the wiring! 

I am planning to tie into a different 12v source, likely turn signal for the switched 12v connection and like you said testing some wires for 12v with the high beam switch. 

Totally agree in the wiring being more and more complicated! I know enough basic circuitry to get me in trouble but by no means working on this kind of stuff on the regular! 

[skipperT]

6 minutes ago, bigorangecntry07 said:

Yeah that thread and post is the main reason I started this one and contacted them about the wiring! 

I am planning to tie into a different 12v source, likely turn signal for the switched 12v connection and like you said testing some wires for 12v with the high beam switch. 

Totally agree in the wiring being more and more complicated! I know enough basic circuitry to get me in trouble but by no means working on this kind of stuff on the regular! 

I’m glad you read through that one as well. 

Pulling switched 12v out of the front turn signals is easy because of the 3 wire running lamp circuit. Should be either Bu or Yw. Dk gn and Dk Bn are the signal sides, Bk is ground. 

-S

[bigorangecntry07]

According to the wiring diagram it's Chocolate - left, and Dark Green - right

and yes there apparently is a difference between chocolate and brown 😂

[jdavis]

Does this help at all?

[keithu]

On 8/1/2019 at 12:05 AM, skipperT said:

What’s unclear to me however is which electronics are using CAN.

I doubt the high beam is using CANbus because there is a separate yellow/black wire going from the high beam switch to the headlight module, and the schematic shows that the switch closes contact between yellow and yellow/black. The high beam switch doesn't do anything else. The whole point of CANbus is to eliminate direct wiring like this and send addressable commands over a network.

So I can't say it with 100% certainly, but the high beam wiring schematic doesn't look like CANbus to me.

What is the other thread where someone damaged their ECM? Does someone have a link? I searched but couldn't find it.

[skipperT]

11 hours ago, keithu said:

Snip

So I can't say it with 100% certainly, but the high beam wiring schematic doesn't look like CANbus to me.

What is the other thread where someone damaged their ECM? Does someone have a link? I searched but couldn't find it.

I’ll see if I can find it. I don’t think it was a thread by itself, more of a comment within a thread as “btw this happened to me” type of deal. The driver circuit within the ECM that triggers the headlamp control module was blown, IIRC. He had tied into the wiring to trigger driving lamps IIRC. 

-Skip

[bigorangecntry07]

Here's that link:

 

[skipperT]

Thanks Bigorange, that’s the one. 

Just re-read the thread and it gets a bit jumbled on page 3. I suspect some of the comments were deleted by whomever posted them originally. I may go back and edit mine as well as they now seem to be out of context. 

-Skip

[skipperT]

@keithu pretty sure you are right about the lack of CAN in the light circuit, but I haven’t compared a GT diagram to the urFJ diagram to confirm yay or nay. 

Only things Yamaha is running CAN on our bikes that I’m aware of, are ECM-ABS-Instrument Cluster.  Other models may have more CAN due to the sophisticated gyros, accelerometer, traction control, etc on the R1-M, or even the automatic headlamp adjustment while cornering on newer FJR’s. Higher tech/features usually dictates these changes IME. 

-Skip

[keithu]

A still open question is whether using the yellow/black wire to trigger an aux light relay is safe. The other thread suggests that some current feedback from the relay might damage the ECM. A number of people report they've used the yellow/black wire for triggering, and the only person who has reported a problem is FrankQC. He claims to be an "electronics engineer," and he generally seems to know what he's talking about. But anybody can make mistakes and/or experience bad luck. 

I suppose it's true that the high beam indicator light would be a safer trigger source. It's a light bulb, so it's switched on by voltage. But the light and wiring are inside the instrument cluster, which would make it pretty hard to get to. 

[bigorangecntry07]

10 minutes ago, keithu said:

A still open question is whether using the yellow/black wire to trigger an aux light relay is safe. The other thread suggests that some current feedback from the relay might damage the ECM. A number of people report they've used the yellow/black wire for triggering, and the only person who has reported a problem is FrankQC. He claims to be an "electronics engineer," and he generally seems to know what he's talking about. But anybody can make mistakes and/or experience bad luck. 

I suppose it's true that the high beam indicator light would be a safer trigger source. It's a light bulb, so it's switched on by voltage. But the light and wiring are inside the instrument cluster, which would make it pretty hard to get to. 

I haven't had the time since making this post originally to check on the power sources yet, but in my instance the trigger wire is sent to the dimming module before any type of relay so it may have less impact in my set up. I don't really know but I hope to tackle this soon and report back! I do have the wiring diagram though so I'll see if I can find or get to the indicator light wiring. 

[keithu]

I just ordered a Skene controller. This should improve safety, and I like the feature set anyway.