R1200R - Dead accessory socket

[FredRydr]

Can anyone shed light on why an accessory socket on an R1200R would cease having power, even after shutting down and restarting the bike?

Tomorrow I will be checking for a loose connection, but if it's a computer software failure, I will tear out my hair.

Fred
'07 R1200R

[TR250Tom]

Fred,


I didn't pay attention to the dealer on this point during my "indoc", because it didn't apply to me. ISTR he said the socket would shut down if there was too high a draw (5 amps?). For example, he said the socket would not work reliably with a heated vest.

Now, how to reset? If it were my CAN-BUS car, I'd disconnect the battery for 20 minutes. YMMV...

Cheers, Tom

[deilenberger]

Fred,


I didn't pay attention to the dealer on this point during my "indoc", because it didn't apply to me. ISTR he said the socket would shut down if there was too high a draw (5 amps?). For example, he said the socket would not work reliably with a heated vest.

Now, how to reset? If it were my CAN-BUS car, I'd disconnect the battery for 20 minutes. YMMV...

Cheers, TomIt's supposed to reconnect as soon as you cycle the ignition. The limit is around 5-7A.

[DarrylRi]

That's how it worked on my '07 R1200ST. I tried out my Gerbings jacket on it -- no workee. (I was pretty sure that was the case, and I wanted to verify before going to the trouble of adding a direct-wired socket.) Then, I cycled the key and tried out my cell phone charger, worked fine. Now I have the original socket and the direct socket on the bike, and I can charge my phone and stay warm at the same time.

[FredRydr]

Now, how to reset? If it were my CAN-BUS car, I'd disconnect the battery for 20 minutes.Nope. Didn't work.

I have a separate circuit for my heated gear through a permanently mounted HeatTroller, so that's not the issue. I discovered this problem when I tried to recharge my mobile phone, which has low draw.

Fred

[TR250Tom]

Fred,

Do you have access to the controversial BMW CAN-BUS battery charger? It runs some diagnostics via a set of colored lights as part of the charge cycle. If it won't charge through the socket either, then you'd have another piece of data.

If you're near N.VA, you're welcome to try mine. ("Central" PA is a pretty wide swath of territory...)

Good Luck,

Tom
2007 R1200R

[lvaliska]

I have a 2008 R1200RT, and my Gerbing vest works just fine plugged into the accessory socket. I've plugged it in while the vest was turned on, I turn it on and off constantly, unplug it while it's still on, no problems at all....
Lvaliska

[FredRydr]

It was a loose connection. There is a rubber boot over the plug on the back of the socket, and the plug was out just enough to break contact. The boot held it in place. I must have knocked it out when I installed the rear shock.

Look, I was only upholding the tradition that BMW owners seek the most complex answers to simple problems.

Fred
'07 R1200R

[marcopolo]

I have a 2008 R1200RT, and my Gerbing vest works just fine plugged into the accessory socket. I've plugged it in while the vest was turned on, I turn it on and off constantly, unplug it while it's still on, no problems at all....
Lvaliska


That's probably because the RT's sockets will handle 10 amps. Not all hexheads are rated the same, insofar as accessory sockets are concerned.

[FredRydr]

That's probably because the RT's sockets will handle 10 amps. Not all hexheads are rated the same, insofar as accessory sockets are concerned.I wonder, "Why?" Perhaps smaller gauge wire to save money on non-RT bikes? If the wire is the same, it'd be cool if we could simply reprogram an R1200R to allow 10 amps to its accessory socket.

Fred

[Motorwerk]

Fred,

It may have something to do with charging system rated output. A lower available accessory port output would help to keep the overall output down.

RT - 720 watts
R - 600 watts

I would think the wire gauges are similar since they seem to use the same connectors on many of the models.

[swall]

I've been following this thread, as I have had problems with my Gerbing vest working when plugged into the socket. Finally got to poking around this weekend and noted a couple of things. 1--The wires to the socket on the R1200R are tiny, maybe 20ga. at the most. 2--The hydraulic hose from the shock to the preload adjuster is looped such that the hose loop, which is rather stiff, pushes on the back of the connector wires for the socket. This can't be good in the long term .At this point, I have removed the socket and will replace it with one of the older ones, then hook it direct to the battery.