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Changing headlight setup on an '09

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:25 am
by markgr1nyer
Hi


I have an '09 rt-p currently with HIDs (reflector design) for dipped and LED for my main beam.


What I was wondering is if I was to change all 3 lights to Projector LED headlights, but switching the 2 outer beams to Main beam LEDs and one dipped LED in the middle, emulating the '14 RT and K16s, with angel eyes as side lights around the main beam projectors.


On a traditional wiring set up it would just mean splicing and dicing a wires together but I'm not sure on the CANBUS system how difficult/different it would be, as the Canbus needs to be told there will only be one return for the dipped rather than 2, and 2 for main beam instead of 1.


Can I reprogram the CANBUS computer to just send the electrical signals to the other bulb (also changing the destination of the main beam switch - so the canbus computer decides which bulbs to turn on and the switch just tells it to light the extra circuit) or will it be a bit of programming and modifying the wiring setup too.


I know this is likely to cost a lot but I'm just trying to find out if its possible. The headlight unit side of it (projector and angel eyes) won't be a problem if I go ahead with it, just worried about the bike side of it


Many thanks
Mark

Re: Changing headlight setup on an '09

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:48 am
by guest2360
Whatever you have on your bike it would appear not to be BMW Authorities kit as they didn't make such a set up.  I would leave well alone.

Re: Changing headlight setup on an '09

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 8:19 am
by guest3074
Having successfully fitted both HID and LED to both pre and post water cooled RT's my suggestion would be this.

You cannot modify what load the Canbus expects to see, before making the physical changes to the bike connect the lights up to see if it works with the Canbus.
I don't know what the upper and lower limits are for the Canbus, but if the load is too high (drawing too much current) it will assume a fault and turn off that circuit and will attempt to power it again next time you run the bike. If the load is not enough (too little current drawn) it will assume the bulb has failed and put a warning on the dash.

Re: Changing headlight setup on an '09

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 1:36 pm
by markgr1nyer
RTman10


The HID and LED set up I have currently is my own doing, from halogen, both HIDs and the LED are specific for the CANBUS system and have so far worked well, but having the LED in a reflector housing as present means I get a fair bit of scatter rather than a focused beam on main, even though it lights up signs miles away.


Benchmark
I was hoping there was a way of hacking the canbus to change the values (as they are just computers there normally is these days, you just need a program that talks the same 'language'). Looks like I'll have to settle for a similar lighting system as I have now with 2 dipped and one main beam then. I don't mind messing with physical wiring but sounds like there's too much risk in trying to trick the CANBUS system (if only LEDs drew 50% of halogens then I could just put a resistor on the dipped and switch the wiring over, but I believe the power saving is more like 70%, so even leaving the CANBUS controller module out I'd still only be reaching about 60% of what the system would expect to see)