[hansong]

CooCase Astra S48 wiring

Greetings all,
Got a sweet deal on a used Astra S48 and have a question on running/brake light wiring.
Have power supplied through my FuzeBox, lock, alarm, remote all work properly and the LED's flash when alarm is active.
Question is how to wire running/brake lights. Previous owner used it on a BMW and had the yellow wire from the mounting plate split into two wires. I'm assuming one should go to a brake light wire (black with white) and the other limb to switched power (gray)
Was planning on using posi-taps like I did with my hyper-lites, which worked out well.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Greg

 

[Hoologan]

Just tap the yellow into the brake light wire. I'm pretty sure the gray wire is for BMW CANBUS systems and is not needed. I did not use a gray wire when I installed both of my coocase cases on my DL>

 

[skyguy]

From Twisted Throttle's website...

Coocase topcases include a wiring harness with the following wires:
Black – ground, attach to battery terminal negative (-)
Red – unswitched permanent power, attach to battery terminal positive (+) via a fused connector
Yellow - LED brake/running lights, attach to the yellow wire in our blue/green/yellow subharness
(If present, the gray wire is unused)

Non-CANbus running/brakelights
Your motorcycle has a non-CANBUS running/brakelight if 3 wires come out of it.
Our blue/green yellow subharness should be connected on non-CANBUS bikes as follows:
Blue - brake light wire (+)
Green - running light wire (+)
Yellow - attach to Coocase harness yellow wire

CANbus running/brakelights
Your motorcycle has a CANBUS running/brakelight if 2 wires come out of it. Most late model BMW bikes, as well as the Kawaksaki GTR1400, are configured in this way. Do not use our blue/green yellow subharness on bikes with CANBUS running/brake lights*. On such bikes, just connect the Coocase yellow wire direct to single hot wire on the CANBUS running/brake light.

*A few customers have reported that using the blue/green/yellow subharness on CANBUS bikes, with only the yellow and green wires connected, allows proper light operation on some models where the standard CANBUS installation does not achieve the proper result.

 

[Stoopy]

And some more info in this thread re: mounting and wiring:

http://www.stromtrooper.com/general-v-strom-discussion/36118-coocase-mount-installation.html

 

[BigMan73]

I just installed a Coocase S50 - it is very similar to S48 from the picture at least. Colors are different - the lens is smokey white, not red. I think it is nicer.

I understand the wiring, but have two questions:
1. The blue and green wires go into the yellow wire, so from the coocase perspective there is only one wire. Is the only difference between those two (running, brake) is a different voltage? (Brake being stronger that running?)
2. The LEDs are wimpy/lame/weak. Disappointed with them really. Is there any known cheap way to modify the Coocase LEDs so they become really strong and bright, WITHOUT drilling or going into much expense? I'm looking for a cheap Radioshack/DIY mod.
EDIT: found a site that explains that - http://burgmanusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=37458

Thanks!

 

[hansong]

Thanks to all who responded. After trying every possible combination of wiring, nothing worked. I then checked the continuity of the yellow wire coming from the mounting plate, and nothing. I found what I thought was a slice a few inches in, under the plate, and figured it was bad, cut it out, hooked back up to the brake wire and now the brake lights work. Thought now for running lights all I need to do is splice back on a second wire and would be good to go. Before I did I opened the shrink wrap to inspect what I thought was the fractured splice only to find a resistor, and a second different one on the gray wire that should be used for the running lights. Continuity across both of them is no good. Could it be possible they are burned out?? and if so does anyone know what to replace them with. I'm afraid the LED's will burn out without them.
Greg

 

[BigMan73]

Thanks to all who responded. After trying every possible combination of wiring, nothing worked. I then checked the continuity of the yellow wire coming from the mounting plate, and nothing. I found what I thought was a slice a few inches in, under the plate, and figured it was bad, cut it out, hooked back up to the brake wire and now the brake lights work. Thought now for running lights all I need to do is splice back on a second wire and would be good to go. Before I did I opened the shrink wrap to inspect what I thought was the fractured splice only to find a resistor, and a second different one on the gray wire that should be used for the running lights. Continuity across both of them is no good. Could it be possible they are burned out?? and if so does anyone know what to replace them with. I'm afraid the LED's will burn out without them.
Greg

I need help - running into similar problems as you.

I just go the EB Tail connector today, took apart tail and connected the EB connector.
The regular stock brake/running light still work so the connector is at least half working (the split connector is working).
When I connected the coocase unswitched wires (red/black) it also works - I can use the coocase remote control.
But the darn Coocase running/brake lights do not work.
I connected the yellow Coocase harness as instructed - the green goes to white (running lights) and blue goes to EB red (brake line). No lights on the coocase.
Should I tear open the coocase wires to find where a problem might be with the yellow?
What should be the voltage between the EB tail connectors line to ground (black) - 12V (12.6) volts?
Wasted 2 hours on that :headbang: (EDIT: and my multi meter was left running and died..waiting for 9V battery to charge)

 

[BigMan73]

I need help - running into similar problems as you.

I just go the EB Tail connector today, took apart tail and connected the EB connector.
The regular stock brake/running light still work so the connector is at least half working (the split connector is working).
When I connected the coocase unswitched wires (red/black) it also works - I can use the coocase remote control.
But the darn Coocase running/brake lights do not work.
I connected the yellow Coocase harness as instructed - the green goes to white (running lights) and blue goes to EB red (brake line). No lights on the coocase.
Should I tear open the coocase wires to find where a problem might be with the yellow?
What should be the voltage between the EB tail connectors line to ground (black) - 12V (12.6) volts?
Wasted 2 hours on that :headbang: (EDIT: and my multi meter was left running and died..waiting for 9V battery to charge)

Some findings with a fresh 9V battery:
1. EB connector seems to be working fine. Red to Black (Brake to Ground) gives 10.5V when switch on and brake pressed, White to Black (Running to Ground) gives 11.5V when switch on. Otherwise 0V for both cases.
2. I tried to test for yellow connectivity (without the Coocase yellow/green/blue sub harness) to (.) pole on coocase rack.
There is connectivity, but with a lot of resistance.
I measured the resistance and got 1.94 Mega Ohm.
Why is there resistance on that line? Probably to limit the current so the LEDs won't burn.
I = V / R.
I = ?
V = 12V
R = ~2MOhm
=> I = 12 / 2M = 6 micro amper

What? That seems to low!
If I remember correctly from my electronics studies 20 years ago, then LEDs are working with mili ampers not micro ampers.
Maybe somebody in coocase put the wrong resistor?
I'm going to call Twisted Throttle for some clarifications, but two Coocases with the same exact problem in proximity can't be just pure luck.

Now adding the yellow/blue/green TwistedThrottle harness, there is even more resistance..why?? I can't measure it, my multi meter is limited to 2MOhm.

Any ideas?
GreyWolf? ? Check my numbers?

 

[hansong]

BigMan,

I'm working with a Vee, not Wee, so I don't know about the wire colors in the tail you need to connect to.
What my problem ended up being was a bad diode that is in the yellow wire coming from the mounting plate. I originally thought it was a bad splice, but found a diode when I opened the shrinkwrap. I have no real knowledge of components such as diodes or resistors so I took it to a biomedical engineer at work who tested it for me. It was definitely bad. Replaced it with what he told me I needed. I'm waiting for the green/blue sub-harness from Twisted Throttle to hook up my running/brake lights, but i'pretty sure everything will work OK.
On the Vee, the running light wire taps into the gray (switched power) and the brake goes to the white with black stripe, same as my hyperlites.

 

[BigMan73]

BigMan,

I'm working with a Vee, not Wee, so I don't know about the wire colors in the tail you need to connect to.
What my problem ended up being was a bad diode that is in the yellow wire coming from the mounting plate. I originally thought it was a bad splice, but found a diode when I opened the shrinkwrap. I have no real knowledge of components such as diodes or resistors so I took it to a biomedical engineer at work who tested it for me. It was definitely bad. Replaced it with what he told me I needed. I'm waiting for the green/blue sub-harness from Twisted Throttle to hook up my running/brake lights, but i'pretty sure everything will work OK.
On the Vee, the running light wire taps into the gray (switched power) and the brake goes to the white with black stripe, same as my hyperlites.

Hansong - thanks for trying to help.
First, I'm using an EB Tail connector. So instead of using the original gray/black-white, I have black (Ground), White (Running), Red (Brake) and blue/yellow (Turn Signals).
Of these I tested, as mentioned before, the Black/White/Red and there is correct power in these lines (~12V).
So I think that at least my problem has nothing to do with the bike type, since I get already 12V properly out of the bike.
[I assume that] Coocase as a generic top-case (i.e. not just built for Vee or Wee, etc.) expects 12V for inputs. Perhpas not directly on their yellow line, but through the yellow/green/blue harness, which I suspect have resistors.
They have a simplistic design with the same LED for both running and brake, so it is my understanding that to make the lights show up as regular (running) and strong (brake) they put resistors on the yellow/green/blue to limit the current differently between the lines.
As for the diode (haven't verified it yet - that it exists or that it is broken), it is a one-way only elements that when put in serial like they did limits polarity. I guess they did that to protect the top case from reverse polarity.

What I don't understand is why there is so much resistance on the yellow line.

I'll call TwistedThrottle tomorrow and ask for the support. If they can't help on the phone, I'll ask to get another working unit instead.
It could also be that the LEDs are not working, but I don't want to start opening up their sheath, or LEDs etc. I have warranty on this brand new case.
Really disappointed the low quality of the Coocase electronics - the whole input harness looks cheap, made of very thin lines and feels like a DIY kit. :thumbdown:
Why isn't the whole current limiting solution in the protected black box, bt instead as tiny serial soldiered elements in an external thin line which is exposed to the elements? :thumbdown:

I saw the Twisted Throttle demo, and two LEDs, though not working on my unit, seem to be hardly visible - not sure why Coocase didn't do it properly either. Can't they throw in 6/12 or even 24 LEDs and make it brighter. It is a safety feature - Strong running/brake lights are not there for entertainment purposes.

As a case it looks and works fine (mechanically).

 

[hansong]

Twisted Throttle gave me over the top support even though I bought my CooCase second hand. Spoke with a gal named Amanda, she was very helpful and is sending me the green/blue wire sub-harness, no charge.
The burned out diode was the culprit in my situation, however she told me if things still weren't working properly to call back and talk with Matthew. According to her he is the man for help with electrical problems.
Do your lights flash when the alarm is armed? If they don't, maybe there is a problem with the LED's and the easiest solution would be to get a replacement case.

 

[BigMan73]

Thanks. Good info and point.
My leds do not light when the the alarm is set, but I do hear a beep and the case is locked.
Perhaps it is the leds, but I doubt that all 4 leds on both sides have stopped working.
Also to get the leds to work, the case must draw power from the unswitched power, which implies there must be some adapter before the leds that connects both yellow and red lines, maybe this is the faulty component?

 

[BigMan73]

Called TwistedThrottle, they sent me immediately a new case. :thumbup:
It arrived yesterday, already installed on the bike - fully working, as expected. :hurray:

TwistedThrottle customer service is superb!

 

[hansong]

Good to hear you got everything taken care of. That's the type of customer service I really appreciate. The blue/green sub-harness they sent me free of charge arrived today. Got it hooked up in 10 min, and mine is working now as well.
Ride safe,
Greg