I have a 2002 R1150 rs with a modulator and a self canceling turn signals. When I bought the bike in 2005 they were already installed. 3 weeks ago while I was riding not too far from home, the horn went crazy and smoke started coming under the gas tank. The dealership says the modulator burned the whole wiring harness. It is a fact that the harness is burned as the insurance saw the damage and is paying for the repairs ($2,000)
The question is can the modulator really burn the system? should the fuses take care of any over voltage or amp issue? if this has happened to anyone else, should be a head's up to anyone thinking on installing one.
Modulator burned the wiring harness
Moderator: Moderators
I've had a headlight modulator in all of my bike for a few years, and as far as I can tell there is no way for that unit to burn a wiring harness! I do believe that the overtightened zip ties could cause this broblem. I undid all of them on my 2002, made them just hold the harness as they twisted and tugged on full lock right and left. No problems. Many have posted about the overtightening and there have been many reported wire shreddings.
Michael
MG 78 LeMans
2002 R1150R
78 R100S
MG 78 LeMans
2002 R1150R
78 R100S
I agree 100%. I would take the modulator and test it on another bike. Or send it back to the manufacturer for testing. The dealer is just using the modulator as a scapegoat.mcollect wrote: as far as I can tell there is no way for that unit to burn a wiring harness! I do believe that the overtightened zip ties could cause this problem.
On the other hand, if you've installed a higher wattage bulb, that could cause the wiring to overheat and subsequent harness damage. If not, the most likely cause is the zip ties. It's a common problem with these bikes.
I just stumbled onto this post and ohhhh does it bring back bitter memories. Back in '03 I bought a brand new '02 R1200C and immediately began to add safety-enhancement upgrades, one of which was a headlight modulator.
One Saturday a month or so after I installed the modulator I was pulled over because my headlight was not working. Cop was a nice guy and just wanted me to know. I flicked it to low beam (modulator was on high) and the headlight came on. Bad lamp, no problem. Or at least I thought until I got home and began to replace the lamp. To my horror the insulation was burned off the wires all the way back to that rat's nest known as an electrical connection box, where every wire that a headlight lead crossed was also burned.
Since the modulator assembly was a "plug and play" affair which all fit in the headlight shell, I can only guess that the exposed connectors on the back of the factory H4 socket came in contact with the headlight shell and caused a dead short. So I dove into the wiring harness and was able to tape up the burned spots and replace the wires that were completely burned up. But I continued to smell a burning eletrical smell and ultimately ordered a new harness from Chicago BMW. It wasn't too big a hassle to install and gave me peace of mind.
The most important lesson learned from that experience is that the headlight circuit on these bikes has no protection whatsoever!!! So be very, very careful when installing ANYTHING on the headlight circuit, or any circuit for that matter, unless you are sure the circuit is protected. In the end, I installed 15 amp fuses on both the high beam and low beam circuits just in case. I never replaced the headlight modulator.
Recently I learned about headlight relay circuits and purchased one from Eastern Beaver for my R1100R. This takes the electrical load completely off the factory headlight circuit and transfers it to a separate, FUSED circuit connected directly to the battery. Not only does it provide protection, it also offers less electrical resistance than does the stock headlamp circuit, thereby making your headlight brighter. I would have no problem installing a modulator on this bike with the relay circuits in place.
One Saturday a month or so after I installed the modulator I was pulled over because my headlight was not working. Cop was a nice guy and just wanted me to know. I flicked it to low beam (modulator was on high) and the headlight came on. Bad lamp, no problem. Or at least I thought until I got home and began to replace the lamp. To my horror the insulation was burned off the wires all the way back to that rat's nest known as an electrical connection box, where every wire that a headlight lead crossed was also burned.
Since the modulator assembly was a "plug and play" affair which all fit in the headlight shell, I can only guess that the exposed connectors on the back of the factory H4 socket came in contact with the headlight shell and caused a dead short. So I dove into the wiring harness and was able to tape up the burned spots and replace the wires that were completely burned up. But I continued to smell a burning eletrical smell and ultimately ordered a new harness from Chicago BMW. It wasn't too big a hassle to install and gave me peace of mind.
The most important lesson learned from that experience is that the headlight circuit on these bikes has no protection whatsoever!!! So be very, very careful when installing ANYTHING on the headlight circuit, or any circuit for that matter, unless you are sure the circuit is protected. In the end, I installed 15 amp fuses on both the high beam and low beam circuits just in case. I never replaced the headlight modulator.
Recently I learned about headlight relay circuits and purchased one from Eastern Beaver for my R1100R. This takes the electrical load completely off the factory headlight circuit and transfers it to a separate, FUSED circuit connected directly to the battery. Not only does it provide protection, it also offers less electrical resistance than does the stock headlamp circuit, thereby making your headlight brighter. I would have no problem installing a modulator on this bike with the relay circuits in place.
Ron Jenson
Houston, TX
Houston, TX