Check DPS Fault

[GeoffCee]

I'm getting a "Check DPS" warning on start up with fault codes P0551 and P0552 displayed on my 2011 Spyder RT. Any info would be appreciated, even if it's bad news.

[SpyderAnn01]

P0551 Torque sensor open, damaged DPS

P0552 Torque sensor shorted to GND,. damaged DPS

sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

[CANUCK SPYDER]

I'm getting a "Check DPS" warning on start up with fault codes P0551 and P0552 displayed on my 2011 Spyder RT. Any info would be appreciated, even if it's bad news.

My 2008 Gs had the same, ended up being a Factory Recall D

[GeoffCee]

sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Thanks. It happens. I don't think it's anything I'm personally responsible for, the darn thing musta broke all on its ownsome. For me it's bank account emptying time I guess, I hear these things ain't cheap.

[GeoffCee]

My 2008 Gs had the same, ended up being a Factory Recall D

My dealer mentioned there was a recall on DPS units sold from 08 to 10. Taking delivery in very early 2011, my Spyder is supposed to have had the modified DPS on board from new.

Hasn't prevented it from letting me down, tho. Such is life.

My dealer quizzed me over the phone about how the DPS failure first showed up.

I explained that my Spyder was running normally a week ago when I parked it in my garage and when I next put the key in the DPS alert was displayed.

OK, he told me to run the Spyder a short distance, cut the engine, remove the key then restart.

After this simple piece of engineering logic (his logic, not mine) I found the DPS alert was gone and to my utter amazement the Spyder now runs normally once more. Whoo-Hoo!

[Chupaca]

We call that the key walk. These machines develop some ghostly glitches that clear when the computers re-set. To do that you need to walk away with the key and return later to restart it. One thing to check when dps is involved is all your battery connections to the battery and all ground connections to the frame. If it senses w weakness dps failure can pop up. Glad it was that simple...

[belowme29]

I love this website. Issue popped up on my Spyder, type it in Spyderlovers and here are a bunch of Q&As on the issue.

Just fueled up my Spyder ('08 GS manual) and driving it back to work got the Check DPS alert on the panel. It was heavy on the steering, and thankfully it did not go into limp mode.

I believe that the DPS unit was replaced a few years before I purchased it used - when I picked it up from a dealer, they told me that all of the recalls were done on it (I can see that the gas tank cap was replaced). But I guess it would not hurt to check with BRP. Does anyone have a good contact number that I can call to verify unit was replaced? Not that I don't trust the dealer, but I really don't trust the dealer that I bought it from. No typo here.

Currently I am doing the walk away test - the Spyder will be sitting for about 4 hours before I start it back up. Just hope that it does not go into limp mode while I get on the highway home - thankfully its a short ride.

Bruce N.

[CANUCK SPYDER]

Certainly would not hurt too check with the stealership, I have the same year and machine as you have. And when I bought it used the Check DPS was on not long after. It only had 4200km/2600 miles but before had the recall fixed drove it too the west coast couple thousand miles with the DPS coming across the screen with no trouble thank god. But recall the dude at the dealer ship shaking his head with doubt about a recall that I did get wind of from this site. But once serial number was punched in was a fact and I brought it in and was done free. Possibly yours was not done and they just told you it was just saying worth the inquiry. If I recall woulda been just under $2000 Canadian bucks if woulda had too pay. That's what the receipt said I think. D

[belowme29]

Hey Canuck Spyder - thanks for the reply. While riding home, the check DPS was on the screen. Got home, shut off the bike - pulled the key and 5 minutes later went back to the Spyder and put the key in, started it and the Check DPS was gone from the screen. So it may have gone away for now. What REALLY sucks is the 3 year extended warranty that I bought from the dealership JUST EXPIRED!!! So if something goes out on this thing - I will have to pony up the money.

BTW - I was in your neck of the woods in '94. I worked in Fort McMurray at Syncrude as a co-op for 8 months. -45C sucked really bad when I started in January. But I loved the northern lights, especially after a couple of beers.

When I get a chance, I will pull apart the bike and check all of my wires and start replace some of the tubes that I see from postings that are failing on older Spyders.

[finless]

OMG.... seriously this "key walk thing" really gets me. The "mystery machine" thing is nothing but a myth because people do not understand how the system works!

The reason this "seems" to work is how the system works.

While the key is on or engine running the bike has sensors all over it. ECM, VSS, DESS, DPS, and may others.

If some fault occurs with them they are reported to the ECM as "active faults".
Some cause an error on the dash, some do not. Serious errors cause LIMP HOME MODE.

Now here is the "KEY" yes pun intended.
When you turn off the key, then after a certain time, the system "logs" these active faults in the memory of the ECM and depending on the fault (yes some don't go away) they clear as active faults.
If you turn the key back on before this "timer" decides to log the faults, they will appear again right away as active faults.
THIS RIGHT HERE is the spawn of the key walk.... It's not about walking away with the key but waiting long enough for the system to change states!

FYI folks, the coil in the ignition switch cannot read the key more than a few inches.... So the MYTH about walking away with the key is TOTAL BS! Put the key in the glove box and the same will work.... The key walk is the BIGGEST BS myth I have heard here on SL since I got my Spyder. It's about understanding how the system works rather than some "mystical dance" with the key!

The point here is when you have to hit the MODE button to get past the start up screen you HAVE done the key walk! If you do not have to hit the MODE button then the Spyder was not off long enough for the system to change states. Thus active faults STAY active!

I am probably sorry to tell you belowme29 , but your probably going to see this error again and again. That DPS error is not enough to put you in LIMP HOME MODE but it will continue. The reason it is gone when you turn of the key and wait long enough, is the system clears the active faults and all looks good for a while UNTIL the DPS reports an error again over the can-buss.

Sorry but I am willing to bet you will continue to have this issue.

Bob

[billybovine]

Good luck I have been trying to educate folks that this magical key walk was BS for a while without success.

You are also very generous on how well the key walk works. My testing resulted in a key range of less than an inch. The DESS unit only requests a response from the key after first turning the ignition switch on. So I don't think removal of the key is required at all. As clearly stated in the service manual. Turning the ignition key off for 30 seconds changes the state of faults from active to occurred.

[WellsboroSpyder]

OMG.... seriously this "key walk thing" really gets me. The "mystery machine" thing is nothing but a myth because people do not understand how the system works!

The reason this "seems" to work is how the system works.

While the key is on or engine running the bike has sensors all over it. ECM, VSS, DESS, DPS, and may others.

If some fault occurs with them they are reported to the ECM as "active faults".
Some cause an error on the dash, some do not. Serious errors cause LIMP HOME MODE.

Now here is the "KEY" yes pun intended.
When you turn off the key, then after a certain time, the system "logs" these active faults in the memory of the ECM and depending on the fault (yes some don't go away) they clear as active faults.
If you turn the key back on before this "timer" decides to log the faults, they will appear again right away as active faults.
THIS RIGHT HERE is the spawn of the key walk.... It's not about walking away with the key but waiting long enough for the system to change states!

FYI folks, the coil in the ignition switch cannot read the key more than a few inches.... So the MYTH about walking away with the key is TOTAL BS! Put the key in the glove box and the same will work.... The key walk is the BIGGEST BS myth I have heard here on SL since I got my Spyder. It's about understanding how the system works rather than some "mystical dance" with the key!

The point here is when you have to hit the MODE button to get past the start up screen you HAVE done the key walk! If you do not have to hit the MODE button then the Spyder was not off long enough for the system to change states. Thus active faults STAY active!

I am probably sorry to tell you belowme29 , but your probably going to see this error again and again. That DPS error is not enough to put you in LIMP HOME MODE but it will continue. The reason it is gone when you turn of the key and wait long enough, is the system clears the active faults and all looks good for a while UNTIL the DPS reports an error again over the can-buss.

Sorry but I am willing to bet you will continue to have this issue.

Bob

I bet next your going to tell us there is no easter bunny , leprechauns, or Santa Claus? I still beleave dammit.

[belowme29]

OMG.... seriously this "key walk thing" really gets me. The "mystery machine" thing is nothing but a myth because people do not understand how the system works!

The reason this "seems" to work is how the system works.

While the key is on or engine running the bike has sensors all over it. ECM, VSS, DESS, DPS, and may others.

If some fault occurs with them they are reported to the ECM as "active faults".
Some cause an error on the dash, some do not. Serious errors cause LIMP HOME MODE.

Now here is the "KEY" yes pun intended.
When you turn off the key, then after a certain time, the system "logs" these active faults in the memory of the ECM and depending on the fault (yes some don't go away) they clear as active faults.
If you turn the key back on before this "timer" decides to log the faults, they will appear again right away as active faults.
THIS RIGHT HERE is the spawn of the key walk.... It's not about walking away with the key but waiting long enough for the system to change states!

FYI folks, the coil in the ignition switch cannot read the key more than a few inches.... So the MYTH about walking away with the key is TOTAL BS! Put the key in the glove box and the same will work.... The key walk is the BIGGEST BS myth I have heard here on SL since I got my Spyder. It's about understanding how the system works rather than some "mystical dance" with the key!

The point here is when you have to hit the MODE button to get past the start up screen you HAVE done the key walk! If you do not have to hit the MODE button then the Spyder was not off long enough for the system to change states. Thus active faults STAY active!

I am probably sorry to tell you belowme29 , but your probably going to see this error again and again. That DPS error is not enough to put you in LIMP HOME MODE but it will continue. The reason it is gone when you turn of the key and wait long enough, is the system clears the active faults and all looks good for a while UNTIL the DPS reports an error again over the can-buss.

Sorry but I am willing to bet you will continue to have this issue.

Bob

finless - your such a buzzkill. Just kidding.

Actually what you said makes sense, I guess I was using that terminology because I had seen it here - not that I believed in it. As you said the problem came back after 5 minutes on the Spyder this morning. I am hoping that this thing gets solved once I peel back the tupperware and wiggling some wires and clean come connections. The DPS was working fine until it seemed like I hit a bump and SOB was it hard to turn. Luckily I'm a big boy and can push the steering to where I want it to go. But I will not be going on any long trips with it - I don't know how bad this thing will get.

The first time that this error ocurred was at lunch, I left the bike for about 3 hours and the error was still on the Spyder when I drove it home. After getting home the error went away and came back this morning.

Oh well - there goes some of my money.

B.

[billybovine]

finless - your such a buzzkill. Just kidding.

Actually what you said makes sense, I guess I was using that terminology because I had seen it here - not that I believed in it. As you said the problem came back after 5 minutes on the Spyder this morning. I am hoping that this thing gets solved once I peel back the tupperware and wiggling some wires and clean come connections. The DPS was working fine until it seemed like I hit a bump and SOB was it hard to turn. Luckily I'm a big boy and can push the steering to where I want it to go. But I will not be going on any long trips with it - I don't know how bad this thing will get.

The first time that this error ocurred was at lunch, I left the bike for about 3 hours and the error was still on the Spyder when I drove it home. After getting home the error went away and came back this morning.

Oh well - there goes some of my money.

B.

The DPS is power hungry. Check all your power connections. Don't forget your grounds too. In particular battery connections and the jumper posts are tight.

[belowme29]

The DPS is power hungry. Check all your power connections. Don't forget your grounds too. In particular battery connections and the jumper posts are tight.

BillyBovine - thanks for sharing this with me, I did not know that it was heavily dependent on power. I have seen a "blink" on my dash, where the dash looks like it shuts off quickly and then comes back on. So I would hope that this indicates a bad connection and that this is what is affecting the DPS. Fingers crossed.

BTW - thank you for stepping me through this. This website is a great source of knowledge and people are passionate about what they believe in. Sometimes it nice to have someone give you the correct information and also correct you when you write BS.

Bruce.

[007james]

I got the Check DPS Alert several times, starting with only flickerng, then full orange . When this happened, throttle acceration acted like the Governor wouldn't let me go over 50 MPH. My Dealer pulled the Codes, and made some adjustments to the Toe Out, and readjusted the Nanny Software on BUDs, and I was Good to go. The Alert has not come back on again, the last thousand miles, so problem appears solved.

We we are at the mercy of Good knowledgeable Dealers, with these HighTech Beasts! My Dealer is Virgal Naff Kawasaki in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Techs there are very knowledgeable of Spyders, as they have been a Can-Am Dealer for many years.

Jim

BillyBovine - thanks for sharing this with me, I did not know that it was heavily dependent on power. I have seen a "blink" on my dash, where the dash looks like it shuts off quickly and then comes back on. So I would hope that this indicates a bad connection and that this is what is affecting the DPS. Fingers crossed.

BTW - thank you for stepping me through this. This website is a great source of knowledge and people are passionate about what they believe in. Sometimes it nice to have someone give you the correct information and also correct you when you write BS.

Bruce.

[GeoffCee]

Taking a walk with the key in my hand makes me feel I am doing something useful, even magical, and lo and behold sometimes the magic works!

Taking the key out and just waiting for time to pass involves logic but no 'magic'. I may be stupid but I prefer the former 'mysterious magical walk' every time.

[happygrin]

I got the Check DPS Alert several times, starting with only flickerng, then full orange . When this happened, throttle acceration acted like the Governor wouldn't let me go over 50 MPH. My Dealer pulled the Codes, and made some adjustments to the Toe Out, and readjusted the Nanny Software on BUDs, and I was Good to go. The Alert has not come back on again, the last thousand miles, so problem appears solved.

We we are at the mercy of Good knowledgeable Dealers, with these HighTech Beasts! My Dealer is Virgal Naff Kawasaki in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Techs there are very knowledgeable of Spyders, as they have been a Can-Am Dealer for many years.

Jim

But I hit a cattle stop here quite hard, fingers crossed it may be easily fixed, also noticed a pic of the handle bars was showing up in warning is this same issue please does anyone know?

Regards
Kiwi J

[Roadster Renovations]

A DPS code can also be displayed from the steering angle sensor being out of alignment. Might have the dealer check that when they pull the codes with BUDS. Low tire pressure will also put an added strain on the DPS system and may cause an issue. Good Luck!

[jmsnyder01]

Hi. I beg your forbearance for resurrecting an old thread.

My 09 GS just had the check engine light and Check DPS message appear. Maneuvering in driveway at the time. Pulled codes using the high beam switch and got no current codes message, even though check engine and DPS message were showing. Battery less than a year old and showing 12.7 V. Terminals clean.

I put the VIN into the BRP recall page - says not under recall.

However, it does have a toe issue. Tires I just replaced were chewed up on outside, so definitely needs positive toe.

Questions...
1. Would this be enough to cause the DPS message?
2. If so, how does the ECM know this? Load on the DPS motor?
3. When I adjust the toe, will the ECM recognize this and clear the code?
4. Is there anything else besides a bad DPS unit that could be the issue (steering position sensor, etc.)? Anything I can do in my garage?

I always appreciate the sharing of your knowledge and expertise.

Matt

[Mikey]

Matt maybe you should start your own thread on this and you may get more reply's!! Some people will not go to the end of a old thread to see why it was drug up out of the deep! Good Luck!

[pegasus1300]

Matt I think you should be showing 13.4 Volts at idle and if you are only showing 12.7 you may be short on voltage when maneuvering at low speed in your driveway.