2015 Spyder RT Ltd SE6 showing 0551 code - any ideas?

[Ernest]

Hello everyone. 1st time posting I have a 2015 Spyder Rt Ltd SE6 - Bought it in 2016 as left over. Put in a new Battery then, 5000 miles now. Last year I started to have a problem with the check engine light coming on and hard steering right after I had left the house, but let the bike sit for a minute or so, restart the and light would be off. Retrive codes, and it said No Codes. This winter is the first time I had it on a battery tender, but it was not an AGM tender; I just purchased one of them this weekend. Took the bike for its first ride this year and the light came on, but this time with a Code 0551 Power Steering Pressure Sensor. I just put in a new battery this weekend - 340cca AGM. Put star washers on the bolts and made sure the battery grounds were clean. I haven’t taken it for a ride yet. I heard the DRS uses the most voltage of any part; hopefully it's not the DRS. Anyone think it’s a Voltage issue, or another problem? There are not many dealers here in Ct and they seem kind of clueless. Also, it doesn’t seem to happen at highway speeds. Thanks in advance

[BertRemington]

I'm curious what this device is "power steering pressure sensor". Couldn't find it in the parts list. What source of information did you use to decode 0551?

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Hello everyone. 1st time posting I have a 2015 Spyder Rt Ltd SE6 - Bought it in 2016 as left over. Put in a new Battery then, 5000 miles now. Last year I started to have a problem with the check engine light coming on and hard steering right after I had left the house, but let the bike sit for a minute or so, restart the and light would be off. Retrive codes, and it said No Codes. This winter is the first time I had it on a battery tender, but it was not an AGM tender; I just purchased one of them this weekend. Took the bike for its first ride this year and the light came on, but this time with a Code 0551 Power Steering Pressure Sensor. I just put in a new battery this weekend - 340cca AGM. Put star washers on the bolts and made sure the battery grounds were clean. I haven’t taken it for a ride yet. I heard the DRS uses the most voltage of any part; hopefully it's not the DRS. Anyone think it’s a Voltage issue, or another problem? There are not many dealers here in Ct and they seem kind of clueless. Also, it doesn’t seem to happen at highway speeds. Thanks in advance

At highway speeds your alternator is putting out max output, which is then lowered by the regulator. The DPS has a huge draw. Hopefully, this a Battery issue and not a failing DPS unit .... good luck .... Mike

[BertRemington]

Mike has a good point -- with the Spyder in Neutral and your foot off the brake, do you hear a chirp-chirp or squeal when you rotate the handlebars?

[Peter Aawen]

2015 Spyder RT Ltd SE6 showing 0551 code

The letter that preceeds the numerics in that code is pretty important, any chance you could confirm what that letter is??

I'd guess at the letter being a P, in which case the news is not good at all!! . The code P0551 refers to a damaged DPS, & tells us External Troubleshooting is NOT possible. To fix it, you will need to Replace the DPS!

A pretty cluey tech here in Oz has tried a few times to repair/replace the Torque sensor in the DPS, which is the component that most often seems to fail, but so far has been unsuccessful! The DPS isn't all that hard to replace, just tedious due to all the stuff you've gotta remove just to get to it & then replace once the new DPS is mounted, but the DPS is an alarmingly expensive piece of kit! Sorry!

[BertRemington]

And Peter's explanation answers the "pressure" question -- it's actually torque.

Peter -- I thought the torque sensor was a tricky bit of metallurgy built into the steering column separate from the DPS itself. Is this correct?

[BertRemington]

And let's unpack this statement "Also, it doesn’t seem to happen at highway speeds."

I'm think by "it" Ernest is referring to "hard steering right after I had left the house" rather than the P0551.

As background, the DPS assist is gradually reduced as speed increases with no assist at 45mph.

In which case Ernest you're facing a (minimum) $500 decision -- live with kinda high effort steering at low speeds or open your wallet w-i-d-e.

You might want to chase dirty/loose connections. Use contact cleaner nothing else. I also use a bit of Honda dielectric grease on the seals but this is controversial in some circles.

[Peter Aawen]

....

Peter -- I thought the torque sensor was a tricky bit of metallurgy built into the steering column separate from the DPS itself. Is this correct?

Not really the right bloke to answer that question, Bert - if it involves lectrickery & someone's already let the smoke out, it's probably beyond me/my fixer-upperer skills and if it's too small to dismantle into useful components with nothing but a hammer, a screwdriver, a crescent wrench, and maybe a bigger hammer.... then I probably shouldn't touch it! . But I am pretty sure that at least in the pre-2018 or so Spyders, it's a sensor of some 2 or more wires type built right into the guts of the DPS, which is why it's so difficult (impossible?? ) to replace by itself.... . Altho with that said, I have been led to believe that this was changed somewhere around 2018 or so and since then, the torque sensor has been something sorta like the tricksy bit of metallurgy you describe, separate from the DPS itself & separately replaceable - haven't needed/tried to do that yet tho, so... ?!?

Ps: it sounds like your initial issue was just poor battery maintenance Ernest, resulting in a marginally low battery charge which led to your initial problem. Only that was then let run on for too long/occurred too often, probably compounded by using the wrong type of tender/charger, so it ultimately killed the DPS! The new battery might help overcome any short term issues with the DPS, but if it truly has led to a failed torque sensor, then as Bert says above, it's either spend the $$ to replace the DPS or learn to put up with the heavy steering! Adding some air pressure to your front tires might help make your low speed steering easier, but it'll also mean you reduce the tire's ability to absorb road shocks &/or avoid punctures from road hazards etc; makes for a needlessly harsher ride & the potential damage that may cause to suspension components; and reduces the tire's overall safety, road holding, traction, puncture resistance, and potential life.... so either way, you'll probably end up paying for it.... up front by replacing the DPS; or in the long run by running the tires over-inflated leading to a greater potential for compounding the total cost along the way!

[Bfromla]

Wasn’t there a Service bulletin for some DPS units? Sorry don’t know what years or models affected. Would definitely hightail & run from the clueless dealers
Unfortunately the resistance will probably only increase over time & likely become a safety issue,
Maybe some independent shop or someone offering laser alignments can be helpful, will likely needs buds to double check some things might get lucky with a calibration reset. Good luck

[Ernest]

Thank You

[Ernest]

Mike has a good point -- with the Spyder in Neutral and your foot off the brake, do you hear a chirp-chirp or squeal when you rotate the handlebars?

Not sure. I noticed you talked about the brake, I was wondering if resting your foot on the pedal while driving could be an issue? I’m not sure if I may be doing that?

[Ernest]

The letter that preceeds the numerics in that code is pretty important, any chance you could confirm what that letter is??

I'd guess at the letter being a P, in which case the news is not good at all!! . The code P0551 refers to a damaged DPS, & tells us External Troubleshooting is NOT possible. To fix it, you will need to Replace the DPS!

A pretty cluey tech here in Oz has tried a few times to repair/replace the Torque sensor in the DPS, which is the component that most often seems to fail, but so far has been unsuccessful! The DPS isn't all that hard to replace, just tedious due to all the stuff you've gotta remove just to get to it & then replace once the new DPS is mounted, but the DPS is an alarmingly expensive piece of kit! Sorry!

Thank You for the info

[Ernest]

Wasn’t there a Service bulletin for some DPS units? Sorry don’t know what years or models affected. Would definitely hightail & run from the clueless dealers
Unfortunately the resistance will probably only increase over time & likely become a safety issue,
Maybe some independent shop or someone offering laser alignments can be helpful, will likely needs buds to double check some things might get lucky with a calibration reset. Good luck

I heard that there might be a software update I am going to try to reach BRP And hopefully find a good repair shop

[Ernest]

And let's unpack this statement "Also, it doesn’t seem to happen at highway speeds."

I'm think by "it" Ernest is referring to "hard steering right after I had left the house" rather than the P0551.

As background, the DPS assist is gradually reduced as speed increases with no assist at 45mph.

In which case Ernest you're facing a (minimum) $500 decision -- live with kinda high effort steering at low speeds or open your wallet w-i-d-e.

You might want to chase dirty/loose connections. Use contact cleaner nothing else. I also use a bit of Honda dielectric grease on the seals but this is controversial in some circles.

Thank You great suggestion and I will also clean all contacts

[Ernest]

Yes I heard that I am purchasing the pdf cd To see how it is done

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Peter -- I thought the torque sensor was a tricky bit of metallurgy built into the steering column separate from the DPS itself. Is this correct?

It is tricky bit of metallurgy. According to the service manual a portion of the steering shaft is magnetized. That magnetism is distorted by the torque in the shaft when you turn the handlebar. The shaft is surrounded by a sensor that detects the amount of torque and controls the current flow to the motor. It is all inside the DPS.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Wasn’t there a Service bulletin for some DPS units?

Yes, for early 2013 models I believe. Don't know if there are others or not. I had the DPS replaced in the 2013 RT I had because of the TSB. Then I had the DPS replaced in my 2014 RTS because it started acting up.

Unfortunately the resistance will probably only increase over time & likely become a safety issue,

Maybe, maybe not. When the DPS started acting up in my 2014 the safety issue was the fact that the DPS would kick in and out on a curve, such an Interstate circular on or off ramp. That caused the steering effort to go from easy to hard instantly causing me to under steer when it dropped out, and then over steer when it kicked back in. But, the effort itself won't increase over time. It just varies in relation to how hard the turn is. I thinks it's safe to say the DPS failure is an matter of on or off, with no variation between the two.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Yes I heard that I am purchasing the pdf cd To see how it is done

Be aware that if you do it yourself you will need to 1), get the front wheels aligned, and 2), take it to a dealer, or buy the BUDS program. The Steering Angle Sensor (SAS) and the Steering Torque Sensor units must be set, or reset, to zero after the changeout and alignment. That is done only with BUDS.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

If battery connections are OK and you decide you need to replace the DPS, look for a DPS from a salvage yard or eBay. If you get one from a 2015 or later you should be OK, and it'll be less money!

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I heard that there might be a software update I am going to try to reach BRP And hopefully find a good repair shop

I'm pretty sure there is no software update. The DPS operation is hard coded into the processor board in the DPS.

[BertRemington]

Idaho said "If you get one from a 2015 or later you should be OK"

There was a change around the 2018 model year to a "High Torque" DPS that used different wiring. See https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...26#post1620826

[Ernest]

Well not good news! Drove the bike for the first time since battery replacement and was running great then at 12 miles into it check engine light came on hard steering and code P0051 came on again . Sitting back and trying to decide what the plan will be ?

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Well not good news! Drove the bike for the first time since battery replacement and was running great then at 12 miles into it check engine light came on hard steering and code P0051 came on again . Sitting back and trying to decide what the plan will be ?

I say you need to either replace the DPS or trade your Spyder in. Based on my limited one time experience when the DPS went bad, if it goes in and out suddenly while you are going hard around a curve, that could be bad news because of sudden under steer or over steer.

New is upwards of $1400. There's a used one, and only one, on Amazon for $780 and maybe the same one on eBay for $600. Interestingly, it's the same seller on both.

The part number is 709401564 for 2015 to 2017.

[BertRemington]

Ernest -- you're really doing a lousy job describing the symptoms.

"was running great then ... hard steering"

At what mph did the hard steering occur?

If it occurred at 10mph and 45mph that's one problem.

If it occurred at 10mph and went away at 45mph that's another problem.

And what error code is being displayed: 0551? P0051? Don't keep us guessing.

Question: is there ANY play in your handlebars? Up and down? Left and right? Forward and backward? Can you lift the front wheels and repeat those three tests?

The DPS has several failure modes. One is the motor can't perform as commanded. Another is the demand-reponse feedback loop is intermittent. A third is the wheels are misaligned causing conflicting responses by the DPS.

Right now I suggest removing the left-side bodywork and examine the DPS and steering linkage with a small LED flashlight.

[Little Blue]

...I would trade it for a later Spyder. Pick a year that would be in your budget.
Good Luck with Your Mission. .....