Dynamic Driving Light Kit - Hooking to Hi Beams Question - 2019 RTL

[EdMat]

Mini review - Complications and Question

Item # Description
SM14652 TricLED Dynamic Driving Light Kit for the Can-Am Spyder F3 & RT Models (2019+)

Love the results but it took a while to get there, and it’s not finished yet.

The kit as it comes should be for 2020+RT not a 2019. As shipped it will not allow full steering throw on a 2019 RT.

Pictures below. First pic is per instructions. Second is reversing part of the bracket and it got better but still hit the body before full steering throw. Third is after they supplied an additional set of brackets.

Breaking this down into 3 messages due to picture count. Main question in message 3.

Location as directed in instructions


Top bracket reversed


Final with additional bracket


All Lights ON

 

[EdMat]

Difference in lighting.

Low beams


Hi beams


Hi with fog


Hi, Fog and Driving

 

[EdMat]

The driving lights are controlled from an additional switch. What I would like to do is have a relay after the switch that is controlled by the hi beams. That way I could have the driving lights always off or if I turned the switch on the they would come on or off with the Hi beams. What is the best way to activate the relay based on the condition of the Hi beams? Don't want to mess something up. ray:

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

The driving lights are controlled from an additional switch. What I would like to do is have a relay after the switch that is controlled by the hi beams. That way I could have the driving lights always off or if I turned the switch on the they would come on or off with the Hi beams. What is the best way to activate the relay based on the condition of the Hi beams? Don't want to mess something up. ray:

Connect to the wire that feeds the shutter. The bulb has only one filament. You get high beam by activating the shutter. If you haven't already, get a copy of the service manual for about $30. It has a wiring diagram. www.canammanuals.com.

 

[EdMat]

Connect to the wire that feeds the shutter. The bulb has only one filament. You get high beam by activating the shutter. If you haven't already, get a copy of the service manual for about $30. It has a wiring diagram. www.canammanuals.com.

That's what I thought, but wanted to make sure it would not cause a problem if I tapped into it. Hate to drop all lighting on a backroad on a moonless night.

Have you tapped into that wire?

 

[CloverHillCrawler]

Check the laws of the state you are in, some require driving/aux lights off if the high beam is on.

 

[EdMat]

Check the laws of the state you are in, some require driving/aux lights off if the high beam is on.

That's one of the reasons for having the switch before the relay. :agree:

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Check the laws of the state you are in, some require driving/aux lights off if the high beam is on.

The use of shutters for hi/lo beam complicates achieving that, particularly when you want to have it such that in a failure mode the default is off.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

That's what I thought, but wanted to make sure it would not cause a problem if I tapped into it. Hate to drop all lighting on a backroad on a moonless night.

Have you tapped into that wire?

No, but I have tapped into the other headlight wires to install a modulator. The headlight circuit is one of the few circuits on the Spyder that is pretty much plain old fashioned plain wire, switch, relay, fuse type of circuit. The relays that control the headlights are driven by the computers, but the power side is old fashioned electrical design.

 

[BajaRon]

Connect to the wire that feeds the shutter. The bulb has only one filament. You get high beam by activating the shutter. If you haven't already, get a copy of the service manual for about $30. It has a wiring diagram. www.canammanuals.com.

I was going to mention this. Very good advise. The shutter system completely eliminates the classic Hi-Beam, Low-Beam configuration. But still allows for a circuit which should do exactly what you're looking for. It will be a very nice touch. Having auxiliary Hi-Beam lights that are on or off all the time is a hassle. As would be a separate switch which necessitates having to flip every time an oncoming vehicle is encountered. This is why many auxiliary light kits are Fog and not Driving beams.

I would think you could tap into the back of the Hi-Low Bean switch on the handlebars. There shouldn't be enough additional draw there to crate any issues.

I like the way you think on this one, EdMat!

 

[Peteoz]

I was going to mention this. Very good advise. The shutter system completely eliminates the classic Hi-Beam, Low-Beam configuration. But still allows for a circuit which should do exactly what you're looking for. It will be a very nice touch. Having auxiliary Hi-Beam lights that are on or off all the time is a hassle. As would be a separate switch which necessitates having to flip every time an oncoming vehicle is encountered. This is why many auxiliary light kits are Fog and not Driving beams.

I would think you could tap into the back of the Hi-Low Bean switch on the handlebars. There shouldn't be enough additional draw there to crate any issues.

I like the way you think on this one, EdMat!

Yes, out here in Oz, we are only allowed to power our driving (spot) lights when high beam is on and they must have a separate switch, Ron. Because we have two separate lights for high and low beam, that meant I could get the feed from the low beam cable (the high beam cable is very difficult to access), and through the “miracle of modern science”, (being my Neutrino intelligent fuse box), I was able to allow a feed to the spot lights only when there was zero draw through the low beam cable. It worked a treat. I suppose that following the “letter of the law”, that cabling method is illegal, but hey…………

Pete

 

[BajaRon]

Yes, out here in Oz, we are only allowed to power our driving (spot) lights when high beam is on and they must have a separate switch, Ron. Because we have two separate lights for high and low beam, that meant I could get the feed from the low beam cable (the high beam cable is very difficult to access), and through the “miracle of modern science”, (being my Neutrino intelligent fuse box), I was able to allow a feed to the spot lights only when there was zero draw through the low beam cable. It worked a treat. I suppose that following the “letter of the law”, that cabling method is illegal, but hey…………

Pete

Are you saying that your Spyder does not use the shutter system? But 2 separate headlight beams?

 

[EdMat]

Here is what I have in mind. I don't see a need to have the driving lights on unless the high beams are also on. I also wanted a way to cut them off without having to hit the high beam and driving light switches separately.

 

[2dogs]

Yea, hook them into the shutter circuit so they'll come on and off (with our so called high beams) and then have another separate switch hooked up to the driving light themselves. Simple? Note, keep that switch hidden so the cops can't find it when you tell them, "nope, those lights don't work."
:banghead: nojoke :roflblack:

 

[Peter Aawen]

Are you saying that your Spyder does not use the shutter system? But 2 separate headlight beams?

Exactly!! :thumbup:

We get Hi Beams ONLY from the Upper Headlight Assemblies - where you have those single filament globes with a shutter arrangement, we just have a single filament Hi Beam globe & no shutter! I believe that's the case for all AUS/EU Spec RT's too - that shutter system is apparently a 'North American Spec' Spyder RT ONLY thing...

Our Lo Beam lights are provided by the single filament globes fitted in the Lower Light Assemblies where your US Spec Fog Lights go - so on the 2010 thru 2019 RT's here in Oz, there is NO facility for on-board OEM Fog Lights, cos that's where our Lo Beam Lights are situated! I don't know about the 2020+ RT's yet, so can't say about them - I haven't fitted/upgraded any lights on them so far... :dontknow:

Maybe recognising that fundamental difference between our lighting systems will help you understand why our Oz spec Lo Beam lights are so pitiful (think of it being like you running on just your Fog Lights! ) But then, our OEM Hi Beam lights aren't all that great either - well, not for doing anything except maybe Possum Spotting in the trees just ahead, cos there's little real distance to the beam & absofreakinlutely NO sideways spread of the Hi Beam at all!?! :banghead:

 

[2dogs]

Exactly!! :thumbup:

Maybe recognising that fundamental difference between our lighting systems will help you understand why our Oz spec Lo Beam lights are so pitiful (think of it being like you running on just your Fog Lights! ) But then, our OEM Hi Beam lights aren't all that great either - well, not for doing anything except maybe Possum Spotting in the trees just ahead, cos there's little real distance to the beam & absofreakinlutely NO sideways spread of the Hi Beam at all!?! :banghead:

Can you manually adjust your high beams the same way we can up here with our North American spyders? Just wondering.

 

[BajaRon]

Exactly!! :thumbup:

We get Hi Beams ONLY from the Upper Headlight Assemblies - where you have those single filament globes with a shutter arrangement, we just have a single filament Hi Beam globe & no shutter! I believe that's the case for all AUS/EU Spec RT's too - that shutter system is apparently a 'North American Spec' Spyder RT ONLY thing...

Our Lo Beam lights are provided by the single filament globes fitted in the Lower Light Assemblies where your US Spec Fog Lights go - so on the 2010 thru 2019 RT's here in Oz, there is NO facility for on-board OEM Fog Lights, cos that's where our Lo Beam Lights are situated! I don't know about the 2020+ RT's yet, so can't say about them - I haven't fitted/upgraded any lights on them so far... :dontknow:

Maybe recognising that fundamental difference between our lighting systems will help you understand why our Oz spec Lo Beam lights are so pitiful (think of it being like you running on just your Fog Lights! ) But then, our OEM Hi Beam lights aren't all that great either - well, not for doing anything except maybe Possum Spotting in the trees just ahead, cos there's little real distance to the beam & absofreakinlutely NO sideways spread of the Hi Beam at all!?! :banghead:

Every model from the 1st Spyder to today has a shuttered headlight system. It's not just an RT thing. I am not able to find a separate headlight assembly for Australia. It used to list the different part numbers in the BRP OEM catalog for variations for different countries.

 

[Peter Aawen]

Can you manually adjust your high beams the same way we can up here with our North American spyders? Just wondering.

In 'from the factory' condition, AUS Spec Spyders get to manually adjust both Hi & Lo Beams Up & Down by the 2 brass knurled nuts down on each side of the frame supports under the tupperware; a knurled nut for each of the Hi & Lo Left headlight assemblies on the Left, another pair for the Right Hi/Lo pair of light assemblies over on the Right side, with their In & Out adjustment enabled by the individual Assembly mounting bolts; but due to the way they mount, the Hi's really only have useful adjustment movement Up & Down, they really don't have very much useful In & Out adjustment; while the Lo's do have some useful In & Out adjustment.... but due to how close those lights actually are to the ground, they really aren't much chop as Lo beam headlights anyway, being much better suited to Fog lights than they are to Lo beam - except that's all we've got, so we hafta make do!! Why they didn't just give us twin filament globes with proper adjustment screw fittings in the Upper HeadLight Assemblies is beyond me?! :banghead:

Every model from the 1st Spyder to today has a shuttered headlight system. It's not just an RT thing. I am not able to find a separate headlight assembly for Australia. It used to list the different part numbers in the BRP OEM catalog for variations for different countries.

I'm pretty sure that none of the AUS Spec Spyders have ever had the shutter type Hi/Lo selectors, and going from what I've seen on Spyders in both NZ & Europe, it looks like the same applies to them - I believe that it's ONLY the North American Spec Spyders that get or ever had that Shutter System.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Every model from the 1st Spyder to today has a shuttered headlight system. It's not just an RT thing. I am not able to find a separate headlight assembly for Australia. It used to list the different part numbers in the BRP OEM catalog for variations for different countries.

The parts catalog for 2018 RT, Section 10 - Electrical Accessories, Item #6000, shows the part numbers for N America and Australia. Another way to see clearly the difference is look at the wiring diagram. You will see alternate connections labeled for NA and Australia & Europe.

You are looking at https://epc.brp.com, right?

For 2023 RT Limited they have separate catalogs for each color and country. For the F3 they even one identified for China.

 

[askitee]

I am in Australia.

This is interesting. The Can-Am dealership where I have mine serviced installed the electrics for my extra lights. They installed the switch I provided (A waterproof Can-Am clone I bought/installed myself). They chose to not connect to the lighting circuit at all - mine can only operate by the switch - not the way I would have preferred. When I asked, the tech said they get too many Spyders back with Canbus issues due to tapping into the lighting circuit.

Our low beams are atrocious. I have wondered how to determine how my Canbus Bypass relay would cope with the lights (Baja Design S2 Pro combo's). My relay powers the 622 Trailer and my cameras.

Anyone know from these specs:

• S2 Pro 1.7amps
• Bypass relay specs = https://maypoleltd-my.sharepoint.co...k/Documents/390B instruction 04-2017.pdf?ga=1