• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

voltage draw on stock 2014 R1200RT? "meep meep"

K

kunkies

New member
In the process of upgrading the pitiful stock horn on a 2014 R1200RT to a Denali Soundbomb mini from Twisted Throttle. Denali rates the Sfoundbomb mini @ 6 amps

Anyone know the amps draw on a 2014 R1200RT stock horn?

Stock Horn Nomenclature:
Clarton Horn 00.1163 70/388.1163 Made in Spain 12V 335Hz

Sympton: short bursts the Soundbomb mini works like a champ @ 113db, yet when I hold down the horn it goes from a consistent BEEP to intermittent bursts almost like Morse Code, eventually it just shuts down, then nothin'. After I turn the bike off, the horn works again, repeat. Sounds like the Canbus is shutting down the circuit because of a difference in draw.(?) I don't have a '911 to check, so I'm guessing, thus my question

I have confirmed through Twisted Throttle and Denali the horn is installed properly. I also used a "plug & play" custom wiring harness from twisted throttle.

Thanks in advance. . .
 
The stock horn uses somewhere between 3 and 5 amps. An air compressor type horn can use up to 20 amps. You will need a relay to drive one.
 
I don't know the amp draw, but pretty sure the current horn is drawing more then the ECM likes. Either wire in a relay off the battery, or run the stock horn.
 
HEX ezCan

Another alternative to a basic relay is the HEX ezCAN.

When I put two FIAMMS on the OEM circuit on our 2016 R1200RS, even without the OEM horn, I got the same results - a good honk, then a beep, then nothing.

I put a HEX ezCAN on and connected two horns, leaving the stock horn in place, and added some rear lights. Works as advertised.

https://hexezcan.com/
 
This forum is turning out to be quite valuable; thanks for all the great advice fellow Beemers'. . . I'm likin' that HEX EzCAN contraption. :thumb

My two options, please chime in. . .

1. I have an extra Neutrino Bluetooth power distribution module (PDM) I can install, and run Denali SoundBomb mini through it, here: https://www.neutrinoblackbox.com/

or,

2. Relay (if Relay, can someone recommend a trigger wire, color, and specific location?)


Kindest regards,

-Bob
 
kunkies said:
This forum is turning out to be quite valuable; thanks for all the great advice fellow Beemers'. . . I'm likin' that HEX EzCAN contraption. :thumb

My two options, please chime in. . .

1. I have an extra Neutrino Bluetooth power distribution module (PDM) I can install, and run Denali SoundBomb mini through it, here: https://www.neutrinoblackbox.com/

or,

2. Relay (if Relay, can someone recommend a trigger wire, color, and specific location?)


Kindest regards,

-Bob
Click to expand...

The wire that terminates at the OEM horn, just run that to the coil terminal of the relay. The relay will take less current that the OEM horn so the ECM will not care. The relay is the cheapest, simplest way to do it. The various Canbus controllers will work to , but over kill unless you have other items you want to control.
 
kunkies said:
In the process of upgrading the pitiful stock horn on a 2014 R1200RT to a Denali Soundbomb mini from Twisted Throttle. Denali rates the Sfoundbomb mini @ 6 amps

Anyone know the amps draw on a 2014 R1200RT stock horn?

Stock Horn Nomenclature:
Clarton Horn 00.1163 70/388.1163 Made in Spain 12V 335Hz

Sympton: short bursts the Soundbomb mini works like a champ @ 113db, yet when I hold down the horn it goes from a consistent BEEP to intermittent bursts almost like Morse Code, eventually it just shuts down, then nothin'. After I turn the bike off, the horn works again, repeat. Sounds like the Canbus is shutting down the circuit because of a difference in draw.(?) I don't have a '911 to check, so I'm guessing, thus my question

I have confirmed through Twisted Throttle and Denali the horn is installed properly. I also used a "plug & play" custom wiring harness from twisted throttle.

Thanks in advance. . .
Click to expand...

This is a case of not doing the homework you need to do when modifying electrical circuits. Your treating this problem like many others do , thinking that replacing one electrical device with a different one is like changing a lightbulb in a socket with a brighter lightbulb. You couldn’t be more wrong. Even on old bikes you should install any high energy component in place of a smaller device by employing an interfacing relay to operate the new higher capacity component. One capable of handling a 10 amp load @ 12 vdc in your case. You actually need the extra capacity because the voltage in the horn circuit will actually drop below the rated 12 vdc and draw more than the rated 6 amps you quoted when that happens. The small load the new relay will pull should keep you below the stock horn rating and the CANBUS system may not have an issue with the new relay. The new wiring you will need to run from your battery ( with a new fuse in line with the + side) should also be rated for a 10 amp load. After that you will be able to blow your ears off with your new horn. One more thing, make sure you use some automotive split wiring duct to protect the wires from the battery.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top