Steering problem update...

[effgjamis]

BJT:.....
You are a scaredy cat.

[pitmon]

LOL funny.

[krb1945]

still had a good time on vacation despite the problems. It's good that BRP is taking a keen interest in your machine. If you need one to ride while yours is being repaired I have an extra one you can burn off some steam on. It only has 507 miles on it. Contact me next Tuesday evening I'll be back from the grand kids in north Georgia. Knock on wood... so far none of my units are having any problems. / Ken

[pitmon]

Thanks KRB, I really appreciate it. I am hoping they will have my spyder done in the near future... but I don't want it back until it is fixed and fixed right this time. I will just ride 2 up with hubby until then. Maybe we can meet up sometime and have a cup of coffee or something .

[slather1]

My dealer said there is a Quality Bulletin out for this issue. Not a recall but if you have issues they will replace shift angle sensor, HCM oil pressure regulator spring and do a software update. We are waiting for parts with fingers crossed.

[Badasz]

Dropping mine off at my dealer on Monday night (HDX will ride it - I won't). If weather is bad, dealer will pick it up. BRP rep will be looking at it next Thursday with my dealer.

Let me know how you make out I dont have any issues as of yet but i like to keep well informed of steering issues.

[Smylinacha]

I will post as soon as I hear anything!

Let me know how you make out I dont have any issues as of yet but i like to keep well informed of steering issues.

[phantom13lady]

PLEASE FORGIVE THE LENGTHINESS OF THIS POST...I originally posted on
October 17 about a steering problem I had. I reposted a week later saying that resetting the torque offset setting to zero had remedied my steering issue. Well, I was wrong. I had not ridden at highway speed after that reset.
I was beginning my trip to Florida from NC last Friday. I bought my SPYDER specifically to make this trip. I got about 85 miles from home when I felt that heaviness on the left handbar grip. It was rush hour, and there was traffic all around me. I was running about 65 mph at the time. When the car to my right passed me, I started gently pulling the steering to the right, and it jerked over just as it had done before.
I took the next exit and started calling local CAN-AM dealers. I also called my local shop to let them know what had happened. They contacted the regional CAN-AM rep also. Mine was the second power steering failure he'd heard about in the area in the same week.
The great folks at Lake Norman Powersports dropped everything when I got there, hooked my SPYDER up to their computer and could find no codes and no resets needed. I wasn't taking a chance for the next 600 miles. I rented a car, drove to Florida and returned to Lake Norman today with a mechanic from my shop in Winston-Salem and a trailer.
The incredible staff at Honda of Winston-Salem just called. They gave my SPYDER the "once-over", called BRP, downloaded ALL of my computer info to them and waited for a response.
BRP is replacing the DPS unit and it will ship out ASAP. I don't have any details, but it appears that there is no "fix" for what is happening to our steering.

[stgilmer]

PLEASE FORGIVE THE LENGTHINESS OF THIS POST...I originally posted on
October 17 about a steering problem I had. I reposted a week later saying that resetting the torque offset setting to zero had remedied my steering issue. Well, I was wrong. I had not ridden at highway speed after that reset.
I was beginning my trip to Florida from NC last Friday. I bought my SPYDER specifically to make this trip. I got about 85 miles from home when I felt that heaviness on the left handbar grip. It was rush hour, and there was traffic all around me. I was running about 65 mph at the time. When the car to my right passed me, I started gently pulling the steering to the right, and it jerked over just as it had done before.
I took the next exit and started calling local CAN-AM dealers. I also called my local shop to let them know what had happened. They contacted the regional CAN-AM rep also. Mine was the second power steering failure he'd heard about in the area in the same week.
The great folks at Lake Norman Powersports dropped everything when I got there, hooked my SPYDER up to their computer and could find no codes and no resets needed. I wasn't taking a chance for the next 600 miles. I rented a car, drove to Florida and returned to Lake Norman today with a mechanic from my shop in Winston-Salem and a trailer.
The incredible staff at Honda of Winston-Salem just called. They gave my SPYDER the "once-over", called BRP, downloaded ALL of my computer info to them and waited for a response.
BRP is replacing the DPS unit and it will ship out ASAP. I don't have any details, but it appears that there is no "fix" for what is happening to our steering.

Not very Reassuring....Keep us updated.

[BajaRon]

t2t0n8
... it appears that there is no "fix" YET for what is happening to our steering.

Just thought I'd spruce that last statement up a bit...(blue word added by me, not in original statement, but I like it better that way).

Not too much of a stretch, hope you don't mind.

[SpyderWolf]

Sorry to hear you are still having problems. Hopefully they will figure out the root cause soon and get you safely back on the road.

It was also good of you to post the names of the dealerships that helped you out, so that other Spyder owners in the area will know who they can go to for help.

[Putt-Putt]

Sorry to hear you are still having problems. Hopefully they will figure out the root cause soon and get you safely back on the road.

It was also good of you to post the names of the dealerships that helped you out, so that other Spyder owners in the area will know who they can go to for help.

hOPE THEY GET IT FIXED SOON.

[PCBeachBum]

I took my Spyder into the dealer in mid October for the DPS recall. I left the dealer and made a stop at a store and when I came out to go home, I got a messege to Check DPS. I didn't have this messege before having the recall done and thought it was a bad part.

Since I wasn't far from the dealer, I took it back and they put it on the computer, finding no problem. They changed out the part again and it still had the messege scrolling across the screen. The service manager said he would call BRP and find out what this meant and to bring it in on Tues. or Wed. next week for the regular service.

This coming weekend was Thunder Weekend in Panama City Beach, FL where I live and I was looking forward to taking some long rides with friends.

Late Sat. afternoon, I was on my way home when my steering locked up while making a slight right turn to cross a bridge going over the lagoon. I gave the handlebars a hard jerk to the left and the front end jumped about 4" to the left freeing up the steering. Since I was in traffic, I couldn't stop and after crossing this bridge, I was able to pull over.

My buddy on his chopper saw what happened and we couldn't find anything leaking or wrong. I told him I was going to take it home, which was about a mile from where it locked up.

Tuesday I called the service dept and told them what happened. They said they would send out a service tech with a trailer to pick it up. That afternoon, I got a call from the service manager and after replacing the part for the recall again, they still got the same messege to Check DPS. He than told me the power steering unit had to be replaced and it was covered under the warranty.

Five days later I got it back and the steering was totally different. Since buying it it was always hard to steer and not knowing, I thought it was normal. Now I know and why I'm writing this is to tell you, if you get a messege, before or after having the DPS recall done to Check DPS, don't take it lightly and get your Spyder back to the dealer.

I was lucky, I was able to free it up and what scared me more was the thought of my Spyder and me ending up in the lagoon and fishing my Spyder out, along with myself. It happened so quick, that the next SpyderRyder, may not be so lucky and could be seriously injured.

Take care and Ride Safe,

Brian.

[IdleUp]

Just getting back into my Spyder after a 6 mo leave - my steering was acting up as well but in the last 10 rides it didn't show up. Mine would be hard to steer for a second or two then clear up, are there any recent developments I should be aware of?

Also, after I had the problem I made a habit of shutting the engine off while the bikes moving ( down my long driveway) to get used to a steering failure. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the steering fails you still have the mechanical ability to steer the bike!

[SpyderWolf]

Just getting back into my Spyder after a 6 mo leave - my steering was acting up as well but in the last 10 rides it didn't show up. Mine would be hard to steer for a second or two then clear up, are there any recent developments I should be aware of?

Also, after I had the problem I made a habit of shutting the engine off while the bikes moving ( down my long driveway) to get used to a steering failure. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the steering fails you still have the mechanical ability to steer the bike!

BRP has put out a notice that some Spyders are having issues. They are seriously looking into it, sending technicians to dealerships and everything else they can do to figure out what the root cause is. They also say to make sure you take your Spyder to the dealer if you are having any problems at all with it. That is the only real way they can be made aware of your particular problem.

Yes, you can still mechanically steer it as there have been several members on here who found out their power steering was never working until after they had the update done.

Glad neither one of you was injured when you had the problem.

[BajaRon]

Also, after I had the problem I made a habit of shutting the engine off while the bikes moving ( down my long driveway) to get used to a steering failure. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the steering fails you still have the mechanical ability to steer the bike!

Yes, the Spyder will steer with the engine off. I rode over 7000 miles with zero power steering and it wasn't all that bad.

Definitely better, especially slow speed, with the PS working. I've always considered the red kill button as the instant fix for a bad steering issue, should I ever encounter that problem.

[IdleUp]

Wow - 7000 miles, that's a generally all I put on a bike in it's life time!

Thanks for the reply's!

[BajaRon]

Wow - 7000 miles, that's a generally all I put on a bike in it's life time!

Thanks for the reply's!

Actually, 7,600+ miles. I didn't ride anyone else's Spyder so I had nothing to compare it to.

I remember hearing Lamont telling the throngs of people that would stop and talk to us that the Spyder had Power Steering. I would snicker under my breath and think Lamont was spreading a false rumor.

I never said anything, but I guess I should have. The joke was on me all the time.

Bottom line is the Spyder steers just fine without any power assist, it is more of a workout though.

[BajaRon]

As long as it's not a mechanical issue..........

I would say mine was a mechanical issue in that the power steering unit was not working at all. That's hardware. Once they replaced the PS unit it worked great. So the problem was not software or sensor caused.

But I know what you mean. Like if the steering linkage broke, etc. I have not heard of anyone having this kind of problem with the Spyder.

The Red Kill Button should work fine for any sudden software or sensor glitch as that is an electronic input controlling the PS unit. Once you shut off the engine all power steering components will go dead and it will steer just like mine did for 7,600 miles.

In an emergency I could easliy live with that.

[Neez]

I would say mine was a mechanical issue in that the power steering unit was not working at all. That's hardware. Once they replaced the PS unit it worked great. So the problem was not software or sensor caused.

But I know what you mean. Like if the steering linkage broke, etc. I have not heard of anyone having this kind of problem with the Spyder.

The Red Kill Button should work fine for any sudden software or sensor glitch as that is an electronic input controlling the PS unit. Once you shut off the engine all power steering components will go dead and it will steer just like mine did for 7,600 miles.

In an emergency I could easliy live with that.

Pushing the kill button is a good idea, but it could be hazardous in some situations. What I would like to see is a modification that provides us with a button that would open circuit the DPS motor, similar to pulling the fuse under the seat. For SM5 ryders, a button opening the trunk fuse circuit would work, but with the SE5 you would lose the ability to shift gears. Still better than fighting wonky steering, I'd guess.

[wyliec]

I doubt if most folks would be looking for the "little red kill switch" as they're hurtling into oncoming traffic.........or if it would solve their clear and pressing issue if they did happen to find it. To assume that it would, and inform others the same is negligent.....

Will hitting the kill switch create another problem, if you are already in the situation of having a steering issue?

[pitmon]

When my steering problem happened I can assure you that hitting the kill switch was the last thing on my mind... I had traffic on all sides and behind me on the interstate, probably would have caused more problems. I guess it would depend on the situation... but definitely not a choice for me, at least not in that situation.

[Smylinacha]

Hitting the kill switch would work lets say if you are riding in the right lane w/ a shoulder available - or even in a left lane w/ a shoulder available (in CT you don't see too many left shoulders available). Other than that, with traffic all around, that definitely wouldn't work - at least not where I live. It's like NYC driving here. Someone would into you for sure.

[IdleUp]

Steering or no steering - I'll take my chances with the engine running- these housewife's with cell phones are worse than losing your steering!!

[BajaRon]

Hitting the kill switch would work lets say if you are riding in the right lane w/ a shoulder available - or even in a left lane w/ a shoulder available (in CT you don't see too many left shoulders available). Other than that, with traffic all around, that definitely wouldn't work - at least not where I live. It's like NYC driving here. Someone would into you for sure.

I woudn't recommend it but I was riding Interstate 210 at 75 mph going through Pasadena about 2:30pm when I did a stupid thing that might apply here.

I was in the far left HOV lane, no shoulder, just a guard rail on the left. I think 4 lanes of traffic to my right (maybe 5, I don't remember. It wasn't rush hour but there is always a lot of traffic on the 210.

I adjusted my right mirror and accidently hit the kill switch when I dropped my hand back to the throttle. Since I didn't realize what I'd done I didn't have a lot of time to think about what was wrong.

I pulled in the clutch and started to move to the right. Surprisingly, I made it all the way to the shoulder.

Having done that I've decided that if I have to choose between power to the rear wheel or control of where I am going I'm going to take the latter.

No solution is right for every situation. But it is better to have a plan, should something go wrong, then to ad lib when it happens.