Lazer CANNY Buyer's Guide: Adding Auxiliary Lights to a Car With a CAN System

Fitting auxiliary lights used to be simple. You found a 12V feed behind the headlamp, spliced in, and wired a switch to the dash. On a lot of modern cars that usable feed just isn't there any more, which is where Lazer CANNY comes in. This guide covers what CANNY is, whether you actually need it, and how to check it'll work on your car, so you can make the call before you buy.

What Is Lazer Lamps CANNY?

Lazer Lamps is a British manufacturer of high performance LED auxiliary lighting, built in the UK and with roots in top level motorsport, which is where a lot of its driving lights and light bars are proven. CANNY is Lazer's answer to a problem those lights run into on modern vehicles: how to wire them in cleanly when there's no longer a simple 12V feed to tap.

Lazer CANNY is a CAN interface that lets you add auxiliary lights to a vehicle that uses CAN bus wiring to control its lighting. Rather than tapping into a 12V feed, the CANNY interface connects to the car's CAN wires and reads the digital signals the car already sends around its own network. When it sees the car switch on high beam, for example, it triggers your auxiliary lights to match. The car's own controls end up operating your spotlights or light bar, with no extra switch cut into the dash.

The Problem: Modern Cars With CAN Communication Systems

Older vehicles ran lighting on straightforward 12V circuits you could splice into. Many newer cars, vans and 4x4s use CAN communication systems instead, where lighting functions are controlled by data messages rather than a switched live you can reach. That makes the traditional splice and switch method awkward at best, and on some cars it risks warning lights or upsets the electronics.

How CANNY Solves It

The CANNY interface sits between the vehicle's electrical system and your auxiliary lights. It connects to the CAN hi and lo wires, takes power through a supplied wiring loom, and switches its outputs based on the signals it reads. Because it reads data rather than cutting into a power circuit, the install stays clean and the car stays happy. It can be mounted in the engine bay or inside the car, depending on what suits your vehicle.

According to Lazer, the CANNY dongle is rated IP68 waterproof with an automotive standard Molex connector, its wiring loom includes a fused battery positive connection, and it carries four programmable output wires so lights can respond to different inputs such as high beam, position light, ignition or reverse. Lazer also states the interface takes Bluetooth updates through the CANNY app, so it can be kept current as new vehicle updates are added.

Do You Need a CAN Interface?

Not every car needs a CAN interface. Whether CANNY is the right route comes down to how your vehicle controls its lights.

Vehicles That Usually Need It

CANNY earns its place on newer vehicles with CAN controlled lighting and no accessible 12V feed to trigger from. For our customers that usually means road registered competition cars, recce and navigation cars, and 4x4 support or tow vehicles that spend time on the road and need their auxiliary lights tied cleanly into the car's own controls. If you're running a modern platform and you want the spots to follow high beam without a bodged switch, this is the tidy way to do it.

When You Probably Don't

Dedicated race cars are the clearest case where you don't. They run standalone wiring and wire their lights direct, so there's no CAN system to tie into and nothing for CANNY to do. The same goes for older vehicles without CAN controlled lighting. If your car gives you a simple 12V feed to switch from, CANNY isn't solving a problem you have.

Will CANNY Work On My Car?

This is the part to sort before you buy. Because CANNY reads vehicle specific CAN data, it relies on a recipe for your exact make and model, and not every vehicle is supported. Rather than guess, check your car against our compatibility list, which is the definitive source for whether CANNY is confirmed for your vehicle.

Vehicle specific installation guides download through the CANNY app using the unit's serial number and PIN, and they set out where your car's CAN wires are and how to connect to them. That detail is car by car, which is exactly why the compatibility check comes first: it tells you whether that update exists for your vehicle before you spend anything.

If your car isn't listed, or you're not sure which loom or harness you need, get in touch with the team before ordering. Confirming compatibility up front is simple and harness kits are vehicle specific.

The CANNY Smart Button

Alongside the interface, Lazer offers the CANNY Flic Smart Button, a wireless control that gives you a manual switch without running switch wiring through the car.

What It Does

The Smart Button pairs with the CANNY interface over Bluetooth, so you can mount it wherever suits or keep it to hand in the cabin, and use it to control your lights directly. It works as a standalone switch or alongside the car's own triggers, so you can have lights follow high beam automatically and still override them by hand.

What Else It Can Control

The interface's outputs aren't limited to lights. The programmable outputs can drive other 12V accessories too, so the same setup can switch more than just your spots if you want it to.

CANNY vs a Traditional Switch Pack

For a CANBUS, CANNY is the tidy option, since it reads the car's own signals and gets your auxiliary lights working without running new switch wiring or cutting into the loom for a live feed. For a pre-CAN vehicle or a stripped out competition build, a traditional switch pack is usually the cheaper and simpler choice, because you can wire the lights and a switch straight in. So the deciding factor isn't budget or preference, it's whether your car has a live CAN system worth reading in the first place.

What You Need to Get Started

A working CANNY setup comes down to three things: the interface, a vehicle specific wiring harness, and, if you want manual control, the Flic Smart Button.

The CANNY interface is the core of the system, the dongle that connects to your car's CAN wires and switches your lights. It comes in two versions. The Direct Connect version wires straight into the CAN Hi and CAN Lo wires using the supplied automotive grade heat-seal crimps, so you're cutting into the vehicle's CAN wiring to make the connection. If you'd rather not cut those wires, the Contactless Reader version reads the same CAN data without any metal to metal connection, which some installers prefer on a newer or leased vehicle. Both come with the wiring loom, which includes a fused battery positive and ground, plus four programmable outputs for triggers like high beam, position light, ignition and reverse.

The vehicle side wiring harness is specific to your car, so it's the part to confirm against the compatibility list before ordering. That's the main reason checking compatibility up front matters, since the harness has to match your exact vehicle. 

The CANNY Flic Smart Button is optional. If you want a manual switch on top of the automatic triggers, it's the wireless add-on covered above. Leave it off if you only need your lights to follow the car's own controls.

Once you've confirmed your vehicle on the compatibility list, the CAN Solutions range has the interface, harnesses and Smart Button in one place. If you're unsure which combination your car needs, our team can confirm it before you buy.

Closing Thoughts

CANNY is a neat fix for a specific problem: getting auxiliary lights onto a modern car that no longer gives you a 12V feed to work with. If that's your situation, it's the cleanest way to tie your spots or light bar into the car's own controls without cutting a switch into the dash or risking the electronics.

Check the compatibility list to confirm your car, and if you're unsure which parts you need, get in touch with the Race and Rally team and we’ll help you sort it before you order.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it work with Lazer Elite+?

Yes. You can cycle through the Elite+ lighting modes using CANNY and the Smart Button. The one exception is the yellow dip mode, which needs an extra polarity inversion relay wired into the lamp. Our separate install guide covers how to do that.

Do I have to cut my car's CAN wires?

Not necessarily. If you'd rather not, the Contactless Reader version reads the same CAN data without any metal to metal connection to the vehicle wiring, which some installers prefer on a newer or leased car. The Direct Connect interface does connect straight to the CAN Hi and CAN Lo wires using automotive grade heat-seal crimps, so that version involves cutting into the CAN wiring.

Can I use it on a right-hand-drive car?

Yes. CANNY reads the car's CAN data, so it makes no difference whether the car is right-hand drive, left-hand drive or anything else. The steering side has nothing to do with how it works 

Which auxiliary lights can CANNY run?

CANNY switches 12V output to your lights, so it suits Lazer auxiliary lights and light bars, and other 12V lighting. Its four outputs are compatible with Lazer's vehicle wiring kits where the required output is over 1 Amp. If you're pairing it with a specific lamp, check the current draw against the CANNY spec or ask the team.

Do I need the Smart Button, or just the interface? 

If you want your lights to follow the car's own controls, the interface alone will do that. The Smart Button adds a manual wireless switch on top, which is worth having if you want to turn lights on independently of the car's lighting.

How do I know if my exact model is supported?

Use our compatibility list, which sets out the vehicles CANNY is confirmed for. If yours isn't there, contact the team before ordering rather than assuming.

How do you install the CANNY interface? 

Watch the video guide below on how to install and setup the CANNY interface with Lazer Lamps.