2010 RT with limp mode and codes C0051, C006C, and U0126 - any ideas?
Looking for a little help. I've always been able to find what I needed here and remain eternally grateful for every ones knowledge and dedication to sharing. I fired up the bike the other day after having been parked and covered outside through a day of rain and it said "check dps" and went into limp mode. Checked the codes and got C0051, C006C, and U0126. I've revved the motor, I've removed the key and let it sit overnight, and pretty much everything else that I've read here as to how to potentially fix the errors and possibly re-set but to no avail. The power steering is definitely NOT working.
We winter in Crystal River Florida and I've called the local Can Am service folks to see if they could help me but again, to no avail. One warned me of the part shortages and the high likely hood of a significant service bill with no resolution to the problem and the other said they will not work on anything older than 10 years.
So, if anyone knows of any solutions for my existing issues, I'd be forever grateful for any and all help.
Thank you.
Just realized I my have put this in the wrong place?
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 01-07-2023 at 11:42 AM.
Reason: Expanded title to briefly ask the question... ;-)
RT Shop Talk is a pretty good place to put a thread asking about codes on an RT Spyder, so the thread looks to be OK right here to me.
As for the codes... Given that your RT is a 2010 & that it had been parked, there's always a chance that your problems are battery related - when was your battery last replaced; how long since it'd been run without issue for at least 30 minutes or so at Highway speed/revs; and have you checked the state of charge on your battery?
Those Codes are all Steering related:
C0051 - Steering Angle Sensor Fault, Wrong SAS or alignment or improper initialisation, BUDS;
C006C - Comms intermittent/erratic &/or Check Sum Error - May be triggered by ECM or any VCM blown fuse. Check for comms fault; and
U0126 - lost comms with Steering Angle Sensor, damaged circuit wires, check for Dynamic Power Steering fault.
And the DTC is very power hungry, so check the battery & all earth connections first, then if resolving anything there doesn't help any, it might be worth while looking for rodent type damage to the wiring going to/around the steering/DTC unit.
If it's not one of those, then it might be the DTC itself, which did cause a few problems on the early RT's & IIRC, there was a recall or at least Tech Service Bulletin put out on it.... I hope it's not the that tho, cos they aren't serviceable units & are pretty costly.
Here's hoping it's the battery!
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 01-07-2023 at 12:09 PM.
RT Shop Talk is a pretty good place to put a thread asking about codes on an RT Spyder, so the thread looks to be OK right here to me.
As for the codes... Given that your RT is a 2010 & that it had been parked, there's always a chance that your problems are battery related - when was your battery last replaced; how long since it'd been run without issue for at least 30 minutes or so at Highway speed/revs; and have you checked the state of charge on your battery?
Those Codes are all Steering related:
C0051 - Steering Angle Sensor Fault, Wrong SAS or alignment or improper initialisation, BUDS;
C006C - Comms intermittent/erratic &/or Check Sum Error - May be triggered by ECM or any VCM blown fuse. Check for comms fault; and
U0126 - lost comms with Steering Angle Sensor, damaged circuit wires, check for Dynamic Power Steering fault.
And the DTC is very power hungry, so check the battery & all earth connections first, then if resolving anything there doesn't help any, it might be worth while looking for rodent type damage to the wiring going to/around the steering/DTC unit.
If it's not one of those, then it might be the DTC itself, which did cause a few problems on the early RT's & IIRC, there was a recall or at least Tech Service Bulletin put out on it.... I hope it's not the that tho, cos they aren't serviceable units & are pretty costly.
Here's hoping it's the battery!
Definitely check the battery the DPS has a huge power draw ..... Put STAR washers on the Batt terminals and this will prevent them EVER getting loose without a wrench or socket ..... good luck .... Mike
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 11-02-2023 at 05:27 PM.
Thanks Peter, I've worked the battery angle pretty hard. Charged, tightened connections, checked obvious grounds, left to believe I should check for rodent (or neighbors PIA cat) that was digging under the front end when it was parked. Where would be the best place to dig into the DTC unit?
The DPS is the fairly substantial unit in the middle of the 'tunnel' between the wheels where the steering arms go - jack up either side & remove a front wheel to look in & you really can't miss it! Check the earth wires & their connections as well as cleaning the spot/s they contact the frame & then making sure they are cleanly & tightly secured too - a loose earth connection back there in that tunnel can isolate the DPS & cause just the sort of issues you describe while attempting to start, but it'll produce far more disconcerting steering issues if that earth cable becomes loose while you're actually punting it thru the twisties... Do you really need to ask how I know THAT particular snippet of info! I can assure you that it certainly was a 'Hardy, bring me my brown trousers' type of experience too!
Did you Load Test your battery?? If not, you should; but failing that, even just a multimeter reading can help - what sort of voltage reading did/do you get from your battery before trying to start it? If it wasn't/isn't up near 13 volts before starting & still effectively staying somewhere near/above a min of 12 volts while under load/actually while cranking, then it's a good candidate for at least contributing to the DPS issues, but that mention of a PIA cat digging around the front does sorta make the rodent/wiring issue look pretty suspicious & likely too!!
Good Luck!
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 11-02-2023 at 05:27 PM.
Checking battery connections is more than throwing a spanner on it and nipping it up. Yup all good. Yeah nah, not really...
Remove, clean terminal and battery post so it's all clean and bright (possibly a light rub with a little sandpaper on both the mating surfaces), then refit.
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 01-07-2023 at 05:05 PM.
Reason: with ;-)
Thanks again for all the attention. I actually looked and the battery is about 3-1/2 years old so I replaced it. I still have the errors. Wondering if there is some sort of re-set for the ECM I should/could try before I get back in the weeds around the DPS unit looking for chewed wires?
Yeah, no reset for the ECM that I'm aware of for anything like this... So in the interest of keeping you outta the weeds for another day....
Sorta grasping at straws now, but unless you charged the new battery yourself, putting it on a good quality charger/maintainer for at least 8 hours before installing it, there's no guarantee that the new battery has an adequate charge either - they usually only have a light cover charge when sold, altho they really shouldn't be sold without a proper charge first, but most retailers don't bother, so doing that's left up to the buyer - and the buyers often don't know, so if they're lucky enough to get one good start out of it & then run it long enough/at high enough revs to put the used in starting charge back into it, they're happy... not doing themselves or the battery any favours, but they're happy!
It's just that 2013 & earlier Spyders only have a Magneto Charging System, so at best there's very little spare voltage for charging while the engine's running under normal circumstances - and that's usually 'enough' if you start out with a fully charged battery, but if not.... So if you haven't properly charged that new battery yourself, DO IT NOW! At least that way your new battery might have a slim chance of lasting & providing you with a reasonable working life if you do, and who knows, it juuust might fix your Codes & Limp Mode issues too??
That said, & from what you've already told us in your follow-up posts, I'm beginning to lean more towards this being a result of 'rodent chewed wires', altho you still haven't completely excluded the possibility of it being the battery yet... But that is becoming less likely, so if a good battery charge doesn't sort it, then you can really only hope that it is rodent chewed wires & not a failed DPS - cos as a unit, they aren't serviceable & are quite expensive to replace, plus they need BUDS to set up any replacement properly too!!
Is the bike rideable? If so I would take it for a spin. The codes may clear on their own. You replaced the battery, that may have been the major cause of the problem. Has the bike been sitting for a while? That's never a good thing for any vehicle and if its been sitting outside in FL it has been through lots of moisture buildup which is not good for electricals. I've got a 2010 RT myself and I wouldn't give up on it just yet.
2019 BMW C650GT, 2010 Spyder RT-S, 2009 BMW R1200RT,(sold) 2009 Honda Silverwing (Sold), 2009 Kawasaki 500 Vulcan (Sold)
Annnddd again, I can not thank you all enough for your help and patience! I did find a loose connector on the chassis side that feeds the DPS unit. It was right where that dumb ass cat was digging under the bike. I now think the cat was probably chasing a lizard and that's why it was there.
Also a worthy mention, I did loosen the negative battery lead under the seat (where you would jump the bike if needed) when I replaced the battery and forgot to tighten it back down. So, after securing the connector (which when pushed gave the most satisfying "click" I think I've ever heard) I went for a quick ride and everything worked great for about 2 miles then it returned to limp mode. I was cussing up a storm since I was sure I had found and corrected the problem. Returned home, decided I needed a sandwich and to calm down a bit and then it occurred to me, you never secured the battery ground under the seat IDIOT! Oh well, all is well that ends well, right?
Thanks again folks!
2010 RT with limp mode and codes C0051, C006C, and U0126 - any ideas?
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Originally Posted by Peter Aawen
Check the earth wires & their connections as well as cleaning the spot/s they contact the frame & then making sure they are cleanly & tightly secured too - a loose earth connection back there in that tunnel can isolate the DPS & cause just the sort of issues you describe while attempting to start, but it'll produce far more disconcerting steering issues if that earth cable becomes loose while you're actually punting it thru the twisties... Do you really need to ask how I know THAT particular snippet of info! 
I can assure you that it certainly was a 'Hardy, bring me my brown trousers' type of experience too! 
So if you haven't properly charged that new battery yourself, DO IT NOW! At least that way your new battery might have a slim chance of lasting & providing you with a reasonable working life if you do, and who knows, it juuust might fix your Codes & Limp Mode issues too?? 
But that is becoming less likely, so if a good battery charge doesn't sort it, then you can really only hope that it is rodent chewed wires & not a failed DPS - cos as a unit, they aren't serviceable & are quite expensive to replace, plus they need BUDS to set up any replacement properly too!! 
Glad things worked out ....... remember for Spyders - STAR washers are your friends ..... JMHO .... Mike
