2014 Spyder ST-SE5 - Stopped Shifting.

I am new here an have some general question. My Fiance purchased a 2014 ST-SE5 in late October. It has since been unusable over 49 days that she has had it and in 2 different Certified Can-Am repair facilities resulting in over $4,000.00 in repairs. Thank goodness for warranties but still a chunk of change out of pocket.

The first such visit was the first week of December after only 600 miles since it was purchased (had to wait approx 21 days for a service appointment). One of the issues at this service was the unit would occasionally shift into neutral during a stop and not immediately shift into first, you may have to try several times to get it to shift. We were told this problem was caused by old oil in the unit and it would need to be changed. They further recommended they perform a 19K mile service on the unit (it has just over 22K miles on it) so they could fix this shifting issue as well we rule out any other mechanical issues with the unit. We agreed to the just over $1000.00 charge and service since we were referred to this shop by the selling dealer because there was another issue with the unit at that same time, which, due to circumstances, the selling dealer could not service. It was in the shop about 10 days.

We did find out later that the selling dealer does have records where they had serviced the unit including oil change prior to the sale.

The second trip to the shop was last week approx 400 miles since the first visit. My Fiance was riding it to an appointment when she stopped at a stop light. When the light turned green her Spyder would not go. It was just like the earlier issue except this time, it is a permanent state, nothing we could do to shift it. It reads in 5th gear but was obviously in neutral. No lights, no warning, no errors, the oil level was just barley below full. The shop which had just serviced it could not get to it until sometime in March so it as taken to a different certified repair facility. Their diagnosis is the Battery is dead and would not take a charge, the Shift Housing (on the handlebar) had failed and needed to be replaced and the Clutch Solenoid Valve had failed and also needs to be replaced. This is approx $3,000.00 service.

Since we are new to the Spyder World (I have had Harley's for years) and she is a new Rider, we have a couple of questions:
1. What is the probability of all three of these items failing at the same time?
2. Should this have been caught by the previous service. (this is for personal information and will not be used in anyway - we are just curious of thoughts)
3. Is this sort of thing to be expected when owning a Spyder?
4. Are they typically in the shop more than on the road?
5. Given the opportunity to trade out of this unit into something newer, should she even consider it or are they all this problematic?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thank You

I have 70,000 miles on my STL-SE5. I have had very little trouble. I think your pot metal shift lever has striped. It was slipping, causing the first problem. It completely stripped causing the second problem. I had the same problem at about 45,000. If that is the only problem it is an easy and inexpensive part to replace. Enter shift lever in the search box on this forum, and you will learn more about it.
Good luck,
Roger

:agree: Also 70k miles not so trouble free but nothing horrible. Any & all machines need maintenance & subject to issues, all matter of what you can/willing to deal with. :dontknow: Good deal of stubbornness possibly involved too. Great machines that need TLC. Pics of soft shift arm that can strip splines (saves tranny )

https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...ranny-heads-up
**can reach & check shift arm from bottom LH side of bike (LH from riders position) **
Sort not sure if that answers your questions, ones I remember:In shop more than road; no not usually maybe a mother head trying to max out performance. Trade out; hmmmm- the new1330 does do better but personally like to attempt full value for money spent & reach 100k miles first
:congrats::welcome::clap:

Hi risiwh. Welcome to Spyder World and the learning curve. Sometimes it seems like these things are in the shop too much, but a lot has to do with preventive maintenance and operating practices. So, some general stuff in case you haven't seen this yet - read through this thread for items pertaining to the 998 engine and SE5 transmission:

https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...-Spyder-owners

If the PO didn't provide an Operator's Manual, you can download one here:

https://www.operatorsguides.brp.com/...9-f5ea4d9dd6a2

And even if you don't plan on working on this thing yourself, a full shop manual can be downloaded for only 25 bucks, and you can use it to learn how the machine is supposed to work, and it gives you access to the fault code table and wiring diagram:

https://brpmanuals.com/canam-spyder-manual.htm

When an SE5 transmission fails to shift, the vast majority of the time it is because of low oil level. Looks like you checked on that and oil was OK, but keep in mind that the 998 has a good appetite for oil. The transmission can be commanded to shift by both the paddle shifters, and by the computer commanding the automatic downshift. A helpful piece of information when troubleshooting is whether just one or both functions are affected by the shifting problem, because that can help rule out certain parts. Additionally, the diagnostic software used in the shop - called BUDS - can pretty much monitor and activate most of the components including that paddle shifter. So, that left hand side module can be tested and could actually be dead. You'll have to trust what they say unless you think you shouldn't.

The SE5 clutch system is a rather different animal. In general, it's like a regular old clutch pack sandwiched between two pressure plates. One being operated by a hydraulic piston and one operated by a centrifugal unit. The hydraulic plate is normally in an "engaged" condition and is only disengaged by the clutch solenoid during that split second that a shift is occurring. I can't recall hearing of a clutch solenoid failing. Maybe they meant shift piston, but either way, I might put a clutch solenoid low on the list unless they tested it with BUDS, which they can do, and it failed to operate.

On the other hand, because the clutch system is centrifugal, there is no positive engagement when the engine is idling or not running. The machine can be pushed around when in gear, and might feel like it's in Neutral when it really isn't. When she came to the stop, if she was able to positively hear and feel that the transmission was automatically downshifting as it should, but the gear indicator on the dash was still indicating 5th gear, then I think they should add the Gear Box Position Sensor (GBPS) to the list. So, if you are absolutely sure the gearbox is in Neutral, but the indicator is wrong, then that needs to be looked at. It could simply need reset with BUDS, so it can re-learn the gears again, or the sensor needs replaced. And yes, a bad sensor causes shifting issues.

The shifter arm that has been spoken of above, is a failure that never should be happening. And of course, affects both the manual and automatic shifting. The splines strip out and the arm loses its grip on the shaft. It will feel tight if you grab it by hand, but it can't shift the gearbox. Or, sometimes they actually come off. It's easy to diagnose. Where's the machine now? If it's available to you, get down there on the left hand side and watch the linkage and the arm while she attempts to shift between Neutral, First and Reverse. Make sure she has her foot on the brake. If the linkage and arm move back and forth properly, but the shaft doesn't turn, then you found your problem. A forum search will provide a wealth of information. Otherwise, if nothing is happening, that points back to the paddle shifter module as a good possibility.

Spyders are very sensitive to electrical system voltage. Especially prevalent with problems with the DPS. Both old batteries and loose battery connections can give you problems. I can't really second guess their diagnosis of your battery condition, but if it's the original battery, then a replacement is overdue.

Unfortunately, the biggest issue with service from the dealerships is the wait time to get in and the wait time for parts. It makes the whole service and repair experience worse than it should be.

Should you trade out and up? Well, you could consider that. There are plenty of us who have had these 998 SE5 units for a long time, have already travelled the learning curve, done the repairs, learned their personalities, and love the machine. Every machine can have issues. It's a good possibility that with the 998 you will, at some point, deal with vacuum hoses, plug wires, and purge valve / canister issues, and their associate fault codes. All documented here in the forum along with what to do about it. Be proactive and you have little trouble. But a 1330 SE6 machine might be more appropriate if you'd like to ride more, worry less, and do less maintenance. They're newer and so not as problematic. It would not be a wrong move, just maybe pricier. You guys decide. Good Luck.

(Geez, Sorry this got so long)

Please let us know the outcome.
Roger