HEX ezcan troubleshooting

[Pittsdriverwes]

I'm trouble shooting a problem with my accessory lights and would love to know the failure modes you guys have seen, if any, with this nifty little device. Searching around the inter webs people report failures but there's little information on how they fail. Does it just stop working entirely or does it look like it's working but does not provide power to the accessory? Do you see anything specific using the Hex diagnostic tool on your computer?

The behavior I'm seeing is that when testing in the diagnostic mode for either light circuit it seems to supply power to the lights and responds as you'd expect to increasing or dimming the light in the diagnostic screen. Exiting the diagnostic screen, and cycling the power on the bike the lights will either not work at all or they'll flash once and go off - sort of like you'd expect if something was shorted or overloaded - but no overload condition is reported in the Hex diagnostic tool.

Any thoughts from the collective wisdom here before I call Hex or replace it? I've been through all the wiring and the lights and it all checks out.

[802Mike]

I'm not familiar with the Hex EZ, I use the Clearwater CanOpener.
Do you run the lights through a fuse block? Could there be too
much draw on it?
I have a PDM60, but after all these years I'm not sure how it's
wired and where the Clearwater lights are powered from.
EricM has the EZcan though.

[Pittsdriverwes]

I use a PDM60 to supply power to all my electric gadgets but I want the lights controllable from the CANBUS. I have a PDM60 circuit that goes to the exCAN and it snoops on the can bus for my use of the bike's controls. I have a couple more inexpensive eBay driving lights due in a week or so and I'll dig back in to it when they arrive.

[EricM]

[justjoe]

Sorry cannot help. I use the Motoscan app. I'm not sure if that software can do what you are trying to do.

[ZATO]

https://www.hexezcan.com/select-your...n-install-bmw/

I did the HEX EZcan install more than a few years ago on the 2014 R1200GS. I remember having one port left open for future use. Don't remember which one, now I want to install lights on the front. Always kept thinking I may have used the wrong ports for the accessories installed. The 3 ports used have always applied power and operate ok.

The installation narration from this video is generally simple to use. It has a few schematics, easy depiction for the accessory being installed and clear directions for port selection. Limiting factors are "continuous or alternating power use" and power required for the accessory.

The bike's control inputs for certain accessories can terminate the accessory or system when being activated. This appears to be a power input error. The AMPs can be adjusted for individual accessory port use with the EZcan system. There is good narration on this subject, which seems to be the most important installation note.

Guess I will find out more with the light installation. I remember calling Twisted Throttle for an installation question, they were very knowledgable and helpful. Good luck.

[Pittsdriverwes]

My new cheap-cheap driving lights arrived and I finally got a chance to go sort this out. I had installed two pair of lights and neither of them were working so the first thing I did was decide I only needed one pair and cleaned up all the wiring for all but the new pair I installed. I'm pretty sure there was a short in the wiring hack job I did up near the lights so I started fresh with new posi-tap connections and new solder joint connectors for the black and red wires off the lights. I'm not sure I know exactly where the problem was but now with it all freshened up it's back to working as it should and the ezCAN is playing nice.

The lights are clear so I bought a pair of yellow covers from RubyMoto for better conspicuity (my SAT word for the day):





I run them at 50% power on low beam daytime/ 20% power low beam at night and 100% high beam day or night.

[ZATO]

Good to hear, Hope I install as well as you. Looking to buy the RubyMoto lights. Any major difference between them and the Amazon set-up?

[Pittsdriverwes]

I wouldn't think so. Last I checked RubyMoto did not have their own CANBUS solution so you'd use something like the HEX ezCAN or the Denali thingamabob. I've heard really good things about the quality of the RM lights and there's a few threads on ADVRider about them with the owner chiming in.

[Pittsdriverwes]

These are the lights I snagged off eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/394546806746

Hard to beat <$30 for the pair. I think the yellow lens caps I bought from RubyMoto cost more than the lights

[ZATO]

Bargain of the century! A last question... What is the overview regarding the yellow lenses? When riding to or from work, I always ride in the dark one way or the other. Thanks Wes.

[Pittsdriverwes]

The lights are a very white, very bright light but I'm bought in to the notion that this color of yellow is very noticeable to the folks out there trying to kill me.It turns out the RubyMoto yellow covers are almost a perfect fit - just a little big but after I wrap a rubber band around the light housing they fit securely.

https://www.rubymoto.com/products/r8...pr_seq=uniform

It's an interesting story they tell about these lenses.