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Topbox Central Locking Inoperative

stinkypete

New member
I've had my 2016 R1200RT for a couple of weeks now and overall am very happy with my purchase, and have just returned home from a three day tour with some mates. Initially the central locking worked very well with the BMW small topbox, but now it's stopped working, and I need to lock and unlock the top box using the key. The manual push puttom to open the top box works fine. The Pannier and Gloveboxes central locks are still working OK. Is there a battery concealed in the top box somewhere that the central locking uses to power the locking mechanism? Any suggestions would be appreciated, because in the very short time that I've owned the bike, I've come to appreciate the convenience of the central locking.
 
On my 2018 RT the top box connection is beneath the rear part of the passenger seat. It is a cylindrical-looking connector. Perhaps your connection is not securely fastened and you do not have a good electrical connection. Does your top box have an interior light? Is it working? Do you have a supplemental brake light in the top box (I don't know if this was an option for 2016)? If so, is it working? Might be the plug. As a matter of course, I disconnect all plugs and apply a dab (meaning small amount) of dielectric grease to help reduce corrosion, then I re-connect the plugs. Some of these plugs are a might stubborn and I have to use a little screw driver to help with the fastener do-dads.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. The top box doesn't have a brake or interior light, and there's no electrical connector or power cable to the top box. I also note that there are no connectors to the panniers, which come off without anything needing to be unplugged, and yet the central locking works with OK with the panniers. I therefore presume that the panniers and therefore the top box locks have their own internal power supply for the central locking.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. The top box doesn't have a brake or interior light, and there's no electrical connector or power cable to the top box. I also note that there are no connectors to the panniers, which come off without anything needing to be unplugged, and yet the central locking works with OK with the panniers. I therefore presume that the panniers and therefore the top box locks have their own internal power supply for the central locking.

And, what doess the owners manual say?
 
And, what doess the owners manual say?

I checked the manuals first. There's nothing in the installation manual for the topbox about batteries or electrical power, and the bike manual describes a plug under the passenger seat that needs to be unplugged before the topbox is removed. The manual shows a cable going from that plug to the topbox. On my bike, that plug is blanked off, and there's no cables going to either the top case or the panniers.
 
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I believe you are mistaken about the central locking working on the small top box in the past. Your case isn't connected. When I got my bike in 2014 the only case that had central locking was the large deluxe case. If you wish to check this remove the case if it dosen't have a wire with a barrel connection you'll know for sure. The barrel connection supplies power to an LED light, operates the lock and if you add it powers the additional brake light. I've attached a discription of the case, note can add a coded key (this can be coded to match the bikes keys).



Jay
 

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Thanks Jay. If that is the case and I am mistaken, then why is it that there is no cable connections to the side panniers, and the central locking certainly works with them?
 
Thanks Jay. If that is the case and I am mistaken, then why is it that there is no cable connections to the side panniers, and the central locking certainly works with them?

The bike is able to operate the locking mechanism in the case, note it only works when the case is properly fitted on the bike.

Jay
 
The panniers are operated by an electrical actuator inside the bikes panel adjacent to the pannier upper mount. The pannier lock is operated mechanically by a small square push rod next to the upper forward pannier mount. This is the reason the panniers don't require an electrical connection. If you operate the central lock with the pannier off you will see the push rod respond.

The deluxe large top case has the lock actuator built in and requires the electrical connection to work. To my knowledge there is no optional electrical lock for the small top box.
 
Thanks everyone, as my questions have now been answered. A memory lapse seems to have caused me to believe the top box initially would centrally lock :dunno and the "bike side" actuator button operates the central locking on the panniers. :thumb
Please forgive me some foolish questions as I continue learn my way around the new bike. :scratch
 
I wouldn't worry about it too much! This whole process will likely result in an answer for someone else down the line! :wave
 
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