2020 CAN-AM DEFENDER LIMITED MAX with PRO BOX MAXX OPTION 4 LED LIGHT BAR GOING OUT

cschastain2 · Oct 13, 2020

With the Defender’s A/C on and the 3 Roof light bars on...The lights are turning off after 3-4 minutes?

When you turn the ignition off and back on the lights will work again but only for 3-4 minutes.

The Dealership says the OEM Stator puts out 850 Volts and 70 Watts and I would need at least a 1000 watt stator.

(Original stator puts out 850 Watts at 70amps)

...The dealer thinks a higher output stator is the solution? Rick’s MOTORSPORTS Electrics can rebuild your OEM Stator to the higher output...

or

Is there a higher Output Alternator available and if so would I still need a higher output Stator or would a higher output Alternator fix this problem?

Additionally, could it be just a higher output relay is needed (or possibly all these components need to be upgraded?)

I’m confused as to what the solution is?

Can anyone help on this?

The Can-Am dealership doesn’t seem to know how to help me? My vehicle was purchased on July 4, 2020, is brand new...This was noticed at the time of pickup around September 15, it’s now October 13th and I still don’t have my machine. (Almost 4 months from purchase)

A hunt 2 remember · Oct 13, 2020

You state this happens with "the ac running and the 3 led bars on".... is that all that is running? Head lights? Stereo? Does it start when the fan comes on?

It seems a bit odd that they (CanAm) would build a unit without making allocations for added electronics..... but they kinda don't. Here are a few things to think about. This is written in regards to a 2019 with a 650 mag... in one of my threads... by Andystory19. Can't remember the thread header... Lack of electricity???

Good luck!!!

Joe

You have certainly done a great job on adding electronics but have you measured your total load on the system when your lights start to flash? The fact that you are not blowing any fuses tells me that no one circuit is over loaded. The magneto on these units is 650 watts and since this is a 12 volt system that equates to 54 Amps at 4000 RPM and above. Below 4000 RPM and back to idle there will be less amps available to charge your system. There will be about 50 Amps available if the battery is fully charged which indicates that about 5 amps is used to keep your engine running. Ignition system, (fuel pump, dash and display etc.) but only at 4000 RPM or above.

Your DPS (dynamic power steering) also uses amperage to provide steering assist. It is on a 40 amp fuse and could draw up to 60 amp instantaneously when you peg the steering against the stop. During normal road crusiing it will use very little amps but this load still has to come from the battery or the magneto. The heater motor will also draw amps depending upon the speed setting etc?

If you have a clamp meter clamp it over the positive battery cable and try and take some readings while adding load by turning on more electronics. If your load approaches or exceeds 40 amps you are heading into the area where the magneto can not provide enough currant to power the accessories, the house load and charge the battery. If you don't have a clamp meter or a volt meter that can measure amps to each circuit, use your volt meter to monitor the voltage at the battery(s) to see where it drops to. For example with no load at 4000 RPM you could read 14.4 volts but this number will likely be lower with more load and reduced RPM. If at full load you read 13 volts or less than you do not have sufficient load to charge the battery and have just enough amps to power your total load. Adding a larger battery like and odyssey PC585? will increase your reserve but not solve your total load issue although it will provide currant longer before you discharge it. If you have the original 30 Amp battery and have added an auxilliary 30 Amp battery you should have sufficient reserve already? You did not mention that your batteries were discharging so it tends to point to the problem as too much load on one circuit.

If you can run your volt meter on the circuit that starts to blink and see if the voltage drops below 12.5 volts, if yes your electronics may be over heating because the voltage is too low.(Some electronics do not tolerate low voltage, they overheat). One of the solutions might be to reduce the load on that circuit by putting it elsewhere and see if the problem is solved? Another way to check this circuit would be to turn on the stereo by itself and see if it runs normally or starts to blink? If possible carefully touch the wire from the power source that feeds this circuit, if it is hot you are carrying too much currant for the wire size? I hope my verbage has not confused the issue but provided you some ideas to check out and find the problem?

cschastain2 · Oct 14, 2020

Your EXCELLENT!!!!

I’ll have to do further research, but I think the entire Top/Roof with 4 Bluetooth Speakers and 2 LED overhead lights (The whole top) is dropping off, I presume through the Relay or Bus? Wonder if I added another bus and/or found an increased Amp relay and put the top on its own Bus, if that might solve the issue? Because with the OEM dual batteries I would think after only 3-4 minutes the issue is not the batteries going down..,it’s a bus or relay problem overheating with the A/C on the same circuit?

Or maybe if I added a custom Alternator to the vehicle to supplement the Stator?

Rick’s Motorsports Electrics, I think can rebuild the Stator to a higher output, do you have any other sources or thoughts?

Andystoy19 · Oct 15, 2020

The 2020 has an updated electrical distribution system and may be slightly different than the 2019 which I reference here. Under the front hood there should be a distribution panel that contains a 40 amp F10 fuse which provides key on power to the accessories. In this same black box refered to as fuse box 1 there are 3 relays total.The second fuse box 2 is located next to the battery and has relays and fuse that are directly related to the engine operation,

There are 2 relays in the same fuse box R3 which powers the accessories via the ECM and R9 which powers the accessories via the ignition switch. If your lights turn off when you turn the switch off you are probably wired on R9 which is located to the right of the fuse box.The inside of the cover has a diagram showing fuse positions and relays. R9 will be hot when it overloads so be careful if you touch it after your lights shut down.

Can am has an 850 W Magneto kit listed as an option on the 2021 Defender XT for $809 Cdn. that would put it at about $600 US. Your dealer should be able to get you pricing and availability if you want to go that route.

If you don't have a volt/ohm meter you should get one and learn how to use it, they are cheap and very helpful when trouble shooting electrical equipment. There are several settings for AC and DC which is what the defender uses.

Andystoy19 · Oct 15, 2020

Sorry I didn't read your first post explaining that you already had the 850 Watt Magneto so disregard that part.

Check R9 and replace to see if it is the problem, if it still happens than you will have to move some of your light load off the 40 amp circuit to another circuit or only turn on the lights you need in order to reduce the load on the circuit.

If you move some of the load to another distribution center (bus) that circuit should be switched and fused to protect the size of wire used and connected to your second battery, that way it won't affect the rest of your system that came from the factory.

If you check the voltage at the battery(s) and it is normal your alternator is fine and you will need to manage the load better.

If all else is going nowhere try this link:https://can-am.brp.com/on-road/ca/en/form/contact-us.html and I am sure someone will be able to get things moving.

Toolboy · Dec 28, 2020

I think you might be missing the point. The problem is your usage of power. With the air running, the engine fan runs continuously, as does the internal fan blowing cold air. Your power steering is using power. You have your headlights on then comes the killer, those lightbars. How many watts are your lightbars. Cheap ones are really inefficient. My guess is you could run one but three is waaaay to much. You are asking your UTV to power things like a car does. It is only a 1000cc motor (actually a little less). You should add a second battery and wire your light bars directly to the second battery, independent of the busbar. i know it is not the answer you want, but otherwise run a generator in the bed and power the lightbars with it.

Andystoy19 · Dec 31, 2020

For those of you who do not blow fuses after adding more accessories but your lights go out after a few minutes and then come back on, its possible that you hooked up to the winch power posts that are protected by two 50 Amp. circuit breakers that open when overloaded and close again when they cool down.

Solution: find the correct power points to hook up to and learn to manage the load, don't turn everything on at once.