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Four-Pole line out cable from R1200RT (2010) Radio ?

74K views 129 replies 43 participants last post by  MontyRed2007 
#1 ·
Hi,

I have installed my intercom (Autocom) on my 2010 R1200RT SE which has the BMW radio installed.

In the BMW Motorrad audio system Riders Manual it states on page 34 under “Additional Speakers” that there is a Four-Pole Plug Connection which is a (Line Out) from the radio which I can use to feed the audio output of the radio to an intercom. It even shows the plug position in a photo indicating it is cable tied to the bracket between the front forks.

On my machine there is only one plug cable tied there and that is a two-pole plug for connecting to a Navigator IV.

I went to my dealer today and even looking in the BMW Technical Workshop Manual it talks about the Four-Pole plug and optional connecting cable but it neither shows where it is or gives a part number for any optional cable on the system.

I was then put on to one of their head technical types somewhere at BMW HQ and he said the line out is under the rear seat near the lock ??

I got home and checked. I was sure it wasn’t’t there because that’s where I installed the Autocom at weekend along side the alarm and sure enough no four-pole line out cable..

Has Anyone found the four pole cable or plug on their 2010 RT yet ?

M.
 
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#27 · (Edited)
@dmavrika

Is this connector you used active or passive? What I need to know is if it is amplified (a connected speaker would work) or not (which means it is a "line out").

This is important because my intercom has a "line in", for an active signal I would need an adapter.

Regards

Thomas

P.S: Good description, by the way...
 
#28 ·
This is good news, I have been following this thread since the first post but could not comment as my 2010 RT was not delivered. But now I took delivery of it this weekend . . . . . and I cant find how to pull apart the dash area, can someone point me to a web page or instructions how to remove the offending plastic.
 
#29 ·
Bashkeria said:
This is good news, I have been following this thread since the first post but could not comment as my 2010 RT was not delivered. But now I took delivery of it this weekend . . . . . and I cant find how to pull apart the dash area, can someone point me to a web page or instructions how to remove the offending plastic.

Its not a long job once you know how to get the damn thing apart :)

Many of the screws are obvious but some are not and the fear of breaking something makes it a slow process.

Front side panels are obvious and they need to come off, the screen and the cover around the clocks is obvious but then you find you need to remove the final big bit which is the main cover across the speakers etc. There are some screws which are obvious but the ones that threw me were behind the mirror housings which themselves need to come off so what you need to know if you don't already is how to remove the mirrors.

There are 2 torx wrenches in the bike tool kit a large and a small.

The small one fits up through a hole in the bottom of each mirror housing and unscrews a single screw that retains the mirror glass onto its pivot, locate and undo that screw and click the mirror glass off its pivot.

Then use the large torx wrench to unscrew the 2 mirror housing retaining bolts one of which is down a very deep hole and must be in position when you come to refit the mirror housing later.

Once the housings are off you can remove the speaker cover and reveal the plug cable tied to the harness as shown on the pictures.
 
#30 ·
theigl said:
@dmavrika

Is this connector you used active or passive? What I need to know is if it is amplified (a connected speaker would work) or not (which means it is a "line out").

This is important because my intercom has a "line in", for an active signal I would need an adapter.

Regards

Thomas

P.S: Good description, by the way...
As I connected the thing directly to the music (line in) of my intercom (Starcom1) I am relatively certain that it is a passive connection (line out). However, BMW describes it (albeit in the manual that has got everything wrong) as a line out AND a connection for rear speakers, so one might assume that it carries some amplification. If so, it is not too strong as to cause an issue. In your case I would give it a try.
 
#31 ·
IPilot said:
Its not a long job once you know how to get the damn thing apart :)

Many of the screws are obvious but some are not and the fear of breaking something makes it a slow process.

Front side panels are obvious and they need to come off, the screen and the cover around the clocks is obvious but then you find you need to remove the final big bit which is the main cover across the speakers etc. There are some screws which are obvious but the ones that threw me were behind the mirror housings which themselves need to come off so what you need to know if you don't already is how to remove the mirrors.

There are 2 torx wrenches in the bike tool kit a large and a small.

The small one fits up through a hole in the bottom of each mirror housing and unscrews a single screw that retains the mirror glass onto its pivot, locate and undo that screw and click the mirror glass off its pivot.

Then use the large torx wrench to unscrew the 2 mirror housing retaining bolts one of which is down a very deep hole and must be in position when you come to refit the mirror housing later.

Once the housings are off you can remove the speaker cover and reveal the plug cable tied to the harness as shown on the pictures.
Hi iPilot.
Did BMW come up with a working connector, or .....
 
#32 ·
dmavrika said:
As I connected the thing directly to the music (line in) of my intercom (Starcom1) I am relatively certain that it is a passive connection (line out). However, BMW describes it (albeit in the manual that has got everything wrong) as a line out AND a connection for rear speakers, so one might assume that it carries some amplification. If so, it is not too strong as to cause an issue. In your case I would give it a try.
Hi,

thanks for the answer. I was also confused by the description in the manual. I will disassemble the cockpit on the weekend and follow your hint to give it a try!

I have also tried to get a plug for the connector, but my dealer has no clue whatsoever. So I decided to do it your way, cut the plug and solder two cables for pluggin in to my intercom (which is a MIP 200, www.imc-motorcom.com, with built in digital 2-way radio).

What a shame for BMW that they print and bring out a manual, which has such an obvious error! The two plugs are there, but one is the power for the GPS (which I have used with the plug 611656) and the other one is a line in for the GPS audio to be broadcasted through the audio system.

Greetings from bavaria

Thomas
 
#34 ·
dmavrika said:
Hi iPilot.
Did BMW come up with a working connector, or .....
No they said they were ordering one but that was the last I heard on the subject. They have been a total waste of time, its been down to the likes of you and i to do all the work.

I too ended up cutting off the plug but I soldered on a stereo 3.5mm jack socket in its place and used an autocom cable to plug straight in at both ends. It was one with a ground loop isolator to prevent interference. I already had it from a past install on another bike but if I hadn’t I would have done it exactly as you did.

Initially I set it up with all the fader set to the rear so the front speakers were silent but then I set it 25% front 75% rear that improves the base quality as the speakers are better than headsets in that respect.

Mark.
 
#35 · (Edited)
philh24 said:
Hi Thomas are you saying that there is a plug for the audio in for a gps next to the power connector?.When i fitted my nav iv I didnt notice the plug fitted the power fine but left the audio lead taped to the power lead
@philh24

Here

http://www.bmw-motorrad.dk/dk/da/services/downloads_service.html

you can download the manual for the audio system (if you do not have it). In chapter 6 page 34 it shows the two plugs. Of course, the text is not correct saying that plug 1 is the line out but it is the GPS power output. The other plug is the audio, both plugs are present in my RT (built 04/2010)

Greetings

Thomas
 
#36 ·
IPilot said:
No they said they were ordering one but that was the last I heard on the subject. They have been a total waste of time, its been down to the likes of you and i to do all the work.

I too ended up cutting off the plug but I soldered on a stereo 3.5mm jack socket in its place and used an autocom cable to plug straight in at both ends. It was one with a ground loop isolator to prevent interference. I already had it from a past install on another bike but if I hadn’t I would have done it exactly as you did.

Initially I set it up with all the fader set to the rear so the front speakers were silent but then I set it 25% front 75% rear that improves the base quality as the speakers are better than headsets in that respect.

Mark.
Thanks Mark.
I will take you up with the hint about the fader position. Makes perfect sense.

Cheers.
Dimitris
 
#37 ·
theigl said:
@philh24

Here

http://www.bmw-motorrad.dk/dk/da/services/downloads_service.html

you can download the manual for the audio system (if you do not have it). In chapter 6 page 34 it shows the two plugs. Of course, the text is not correct saying that plug 1 is the line out but it is the GPS power output. The other plug is the audio, both plugs are present in my RT (built 04/2010)

Greetings

Thomas
Hi Thomas,

Am I right in assuming that your bike came with the navi sysytem pre-installed, Or at least the harness for the navi preinstalled?

That would explain how you have that extra connector which is missing on our bikes. Unless BMW ships a different configuration outside Germany!

Dimitris
 
#38 ·
dmavrika said:
Hi Thomas,

Am I right in assuming that your bike came with the navi sysytem pre-installed, Or at least the harness for the navi preinstalled?

That would explain how you have that extra connector which is missing on our bikes. Unless BMW ships a different configuration outside Germany!

Dimitris
Hi Dimitris,

maybe your second thought is right...

I did not order the BMW Navi and I cannot remember to order the harness either. The only thing I wanted is the original BMW navi holder bar over the instruments, where I can fix my TomTom Navi with the Touratech mount. As far I know, this will be installed by the dealer, not in the factory.


Thomas
 
#39 ·
theigl said:
@philh24

Here

http://www.bmw-motorrad.dk/dk/da/services/downloads_service.html

you can download the manual for the audio system (if you do not have it). In chapter 6 page 34 it shows the two plugs. Of course, the text is not correct saying that plug 1 is the line out but it is the GPS power output. The other plug is the audio, both plugs are present in my RT (built 04/2010)

Greetings

Thomas
EDIT:

This is the correct link to download the manuals

"www.bmw-motorrad.dk/dk/da/services/downloads_service.html"

Ciao

Thomas
 
#41 · (Edited)
I didn't know if it was best to start a new thread or try to revive this one. I asked my local dealer to order the plug mentioned by Thibault. The dealer installed it and connected the leads from the plug to my older Autocom. Audio was loud and clear in one headset speaker but the other had almost no volume. I suspect the problem may be the defective audio channel is not grounded. (Three wires to the socket on the bike and four from the plug to the Autocom.) Earlier in the thread there was some discussion about getting the audio from a GPS to play through the RT's radio. (I have checked under the fairing of my 2010 RT and this is no second plug). Has anyone been successful getting GPS audio through the radio without the second plug?
Peter
 
#42 ·
It sounds to me all you should have to do is wire in a Autocom speaker isolation lead. This will make sure the output is isolated and help straighten out the L and R volume issues. (probably due to a floating ground.) As to the volume the LH volume control on your bike should raise and lower the volume since it is designed to handle rear speakers.
Autocom part #s 2273 for a unswitched isolation cord with 3 pole output

2275 for a switched isolation cord with 3 pole output

Since one is able to fade the output from the front to the rear i would think the 2273 isolation cord would be fine since it is less expensive and you could fade all the signal to the rear speaker output. Kieth
 
#43 ·
Thanks for the information. The intercom unit came from my LT. There was an Autocom component which was connect to the two left channel and two right channel rear speaker wires on the LT and plugged into the music input on my Autocom. I assume this is the isolator?? (Sorry not very familiar with this technology.) My BMW dealer installed the plug and Autocom components on my 2010 RT for me. Since one channel is working and the other is not, I am assuming they connected the four wires from the isolator to the four wires on the plug but did not take into account that there are only three wires attached to the bike's socket identified in this thread. If this is so, then would the problem be solved if I connect the isolator left channel and right channel "ground" together with the "ground" from the radio on the socket?
Peter
 
#44 ·
I believe that would do it. use some positaps on the back side of the on bike socket (the positaps will temporarily let you hook up the connections without soldering so you can see if you got it right.) positaps tap into the wires directly without cutting anything out.
 
#46 ·
Does anyone have a pinout from the rear speaker socket on the 2010 RT? The dealer installed the wiring for me and one radio/mp3 channel is dead in my helmet speakers while the other works well. Its not my helmet because one channel is dead using my wife's helmet. I dismantled the dash and found that the socket has four wires going to it rather than the three mentioned in this post. I couldn't find anything online so any help or information is greatly appreciated.
Peter
 
#48 ·
Sorry if this turns out to be a long post.
I did read the previous information in this thread. Here's the problem. The initial information from this thread appears not to be for a 2010 RT. (According to the dealer ..The socket (female plug) is in a slightly different location to the one on my 2010. The instruments in the photo appear to predate the 2010 as well. This is my first RT so I don't know.) There is reference to only three of the connections to this plug being live. I am not sure if this means there are only three wires going to the socket or that there are four and only three are to be used. The socket on my bike has four wires going to it. I did not see the wiring prior to my dealer installing my older Autocom according to the information on this thread; however, when the bike was returned to me, only one audio channel was working. I disassembled the dash found the wires and disconnected them from my intercom. I then attached a set of KOSS earphones to the wires as specified in this post. Still one channel dead. Replacing the wire from the defective channel with the one not specified for use in this thread did not solve the problem. (I also tried disconnecting the wire from the working channel from the earphones and connecting the one "not needed" wire to the KOSS. Still no audio.) So at this point I am stuck and hoping for any help that anyone can give. It seems that the wiring may be different on the 2010, the plug or socket may be defective, or either the channel was dead from the factory or "blown" somehow during the initial installation. The dealer does not have a wiring diagram. I cannot find one on the web. A pinout for the socket on the 2010 would be really helpful as would confirmation from someone who has done the installation on the 2010 that it works as described in this thread. If I can confirm that the wiring is correct then I will ask the dealer to check the wiring loom and socket and if needed replace the radio.
Thanks for your patience and help
Peter
 
#49 ·
TWheels said:
Sorry if this turns out to be a long post.
I did read the previous information in this thread. Here's the problem. The initial information from this thread appears not to be for a 2010 RT. (According to the dealer ..The socket (female plug) is in a slightly different location to the one on my 2010. The instruments in the photo appear to predate the 2010 as well. This is my first RT so I don't know.) There is reference to only three of the connections to this plug being live. I am not sure if this means there are only three wires going to the socket or that there are four and only three are to be used. The socket on my bike has four wires going to it. I did not see the wiring prior to my dealer installing my older Autocom according to the information on this thread; however, when the bike was returned to me, only one audio channel was working. I disassembled the dash found the wires and disconnected them from my intercom. I then attached a set of KOSS earphones to the wires as specified in this post. Still one channel dead. Replacing the wire from the defective channel with the one not specified for use in this thread did not solve the problem. (I also tried disconnecting the wire from the working channel from the earphones and connecting the one "not needed" wire to the KOSS. Still no audio.) So at this point I am stuck and hoping for any help that anyone can give. It seems that the wiring may be different on the 2010, the plug or socket may be defective, or either the channel was dead from the factory or "blown" somehow during the initial installation. The dealer does not have a wiring diagram. I cannot find one on the web. A pinout for the socket on the 2010 would be really helpful as would confirmation from someone who has done the installation on the 2010 that it works as described in this thread. If I can confirm that the wiring is correct then I will ask the dealer to check the wiring loom and socket and if needed replace the radio.
Thanks for your patience and help
Peter
Hi Peter,

Firstly, trust me the pictured bike is a 2010 RT and the plug is pulled forward so it can be seen in the picture.

There are 4 holes in the plug but only 3 have pins in them and each of the 3 pins has a single wire connected to it, left audio, right audio and common ground.

As for the rest of it, I am guessing but I would wonder if your dealer has picked up on some other wiring and brought it all together in the same socket.

I have connected a 2009 Autocom to the audio out socket mentioned in this thread and because the autocom has a negative connected to the bike I used an isolation adapter from autocom to connect the audio from the bike.

Regards

Mark
 
#50 ·
Hi Peter,

As an aside, I take it you went into the setup and adjusted the fader control to put audio to the rear speakers did you? if not you may have low audio on one channel and none on the other.

Mark
 
#51 ·
Thank you for the quick reply and information. Mark, I meant no disrespect regarding the model year. I was simply referring to info from my dealer and trying to resolve this problem by covering all the bases. I have tried various settings of the fade control and unfortunately they make no difference. I did recheck the info on the thread and the wiring seems to be correct. I have attached photos for your confirmation. The pin locations on the bike socket are the same as in this thread but there are four wires going to it. (socket on bike.jpg). The pinout on the plug does have four pins (plug to intercom.jpg) and the wiring to the plug is shown in "as wired.jpg". If I disconnect the wire labeled "working" there is no audio. I cannot remember if disconnecting the ground kills the audio as well. The label "not working" was wired as the other audio channel. I can find no combination of connections that produce audio from this channel. Please let me know if this all seems correct along with any thoughts or comments. Just a general comment. The dealer has been in business since the 70's, and is a rider and sometime racer. I think the problem is that technology is changing so very quickly and I am told they receive little to no training or timely information from BMW.
Peter
 

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