DPS and winter ryding

[pierrelogic]

At 11 degrees, the DPS (new after recall) unit will begin to act up. I had it throw a code yesterday. I let the Spyder warm up a bit while the DPS light was still on. Turned off the machine, waited a few minutes, did the key reset and it was fine. :2thumbs:

Today at 4 degrees the DPS unit light came on and stayed on even after the trick used at 11 degrees the day before. This afternoon the temp went up to 15 degrees. Started up the Spyder, no code, no DPS light.

Conclusion - somewhere between 4 and 11 degrees enough frost can form on the DPS magnet to affect operation. What else could possibly explain the DPS fixing itself? Humidity was around 30-40%

Sidebar - Easy to pop a headlight bulb at these low temps. Seemed fine at 11 but at 4 degrees it can kill the filament as it did this morning. I replaced both headlight bulbs to keep them the same age. :doorag:

This is just my own experience, thought I would share some cold weather riding info. Not many of us out there in these temps.

 

[SethO]

its good to know that those problems can happen, I have not had either of this issues and I have been down to -30f.

Do you leave your spyder outside or in a heated garage? or a unheated garage?

I burned back heated garage to heated garage at -20 this morning, its only 6 miles, how far where you going in this temp?

 

[Firefly]

I've also noticed that shifting isn't as smooth when it's that cold out -- have had trouble downshifting here and there.

Best just to stay inside! lol

 

[pierrelogic]

its good to know that those problems can happen, I have not had either of this issues and I have been down to -30f.

Do you leave your spyder outside or in a heated garage? or a unheated garage?

I burned back heated garage to heated garage at -20 this morning, its only 6 miles, how far where you going in this temp?

Outside all the time ...with all the chemicals and salt on the roads that get on the machine it's best to leave it until gets above freezing to wash it all off (which I do religiously). About 17 miles to and from work each day plus the occasional extra weekend ryde. When snow gets too deep to ryde it stays in the hill billy garage. No snow or wind but plenty of cold.

 

[boborgera]

I ride almost every morning, quite a few times under 10 degrees, Twice last month i did an 80 mile one way trip with the temps 6 and 10 degrees when i left in the morning [6 am] Coming back the temps were in the 20's didn't notice anything unusual'
Out side of my eye balls freezing.
But then in almost 3 years ive only thrown a code once and that was because of a bad spark plug wire. But its good info to know for the future.:thumbup:

 

[CyncySpyder]

So far, so good - Gotta get yur FIX

Ive not had the DPS recall done yet (Still On The Wait List) but ive not had any issues with cold weather ryding so far. Only thing Ive noticed, on my SE5 RT-S so far, is that if you are even the tiniest bit low on oil, shifting becomes an issue. I checked it and was right in the middle of the two lines, but when its cold (-10 - +20) it has to be AT the TOP line, tho that might just be my machine. I ryde every day the roads are dry & thats been just about every day but 4 in the past 3 weeks:clap:

I wish everyone out there that rydes in this :cus: Winter Weather, Much Luck, be Safe & be Careful :2thumbs:

 

[SethO]

Outside all the time ...with all the chemicals and salt on the roads that get on the machine it's best to leave it until gets above freezing to wash it all off (which I do religiously). About 17 miles to and from work each day plus the occasional extra weekend ryde. When snow gets too deep to ryde it stays in the hill billy garage. No snow or wind but plenty of cold.

I don't wash my spyder (religiously) so I don't know if it would be the water messing something up and not having a heated garage would make this more of a issue with the engine warming up water and it running somewhere and freezing.

Glad to be aware of this though, keep it going, snow tire is a must if you ride in more than a inch of snow and sandbags are needed for more than 3 inches.

 

[NancysToy]

Excerpts from the Spyder Shop Manual:

To protect the DPS electronic components the steering assist behavior will change as follows.

DPS internal board temperature is below -10° C (14° F) - Steering assist is stopped.

Note: A similar situation will happen at high motor or board temperatures.

When the DPS temperature is back within the normal operating range:
- Turn ignition key OFF.
- Wait 30 seconds.
- Turn ignition key on.
Steering assist should resume normal operation.

 

[SethO]

Excerpts from the Spyder Shop Manual:

To protect the DPS electronic components the steering assist behavior will change as follows.

DPS internal board temperature is below -10° C (14° F) - Steering assist is stopped.

Note: A similar situation will happen at high motor or board temperatures.

When the DPS temperature is back within the normal operating range:
- Turn ignition key OFF.
- Wait 30 seconds.
- Turn ignition key on.
Steering assist should resume normal operation.

that is good to know, it must go off the temp gauge on he spyder not the real temp, I am sure I had it down lower than that but was not worried about that part, because I was going in a cold induced coma.

 

[sandrunr1]

Like most of you, I had no issues with steering until the morning I was riding into Vegas for DPS change out. It was in the low 20s until I got near the top of the mountain I have to go over to get there. Twice, the steering felt like I was in a rut. As soon as I went down the other side, all was well. I do not like the new unit as well as the old. Steering is a little to loose for my liking and my wife's as well.

 

[chris56]

Question : so if the engine is running ..does it warm up the steering enough that you can ryde on this low temperatures or not ???

 

[boborgera]

Question : so if the engine is running ..does it warm up the steering enough that you can ryde on this low temperatures or not ???

I would think the steering doesn't need to warm up, Its electric not hydraulic.

 

[Spyder Monkey]

Question : so if the engine is running ..does it warm up the steering enough that you can ryde on this low temperatures or not ???

You aren't going to get an absolute answer that at X degrees the steering will work. It is a known issue that a sensor will kill power steering when a certain sensor drops below a certain temperature. So the best course of action is:

Ride cautious when it is cold. Leave yourself extra maneuvering time.
Pull the DPS relay sometime in a parking lot to get a feel for how much force is required to steer without DPS.
Warm the system up thoroughly before riding.
Be aware of high altitude changes in temperature that might push you below that threshold. Unfortunately high altitude is usually associated with twisty roads.
Ride a gear lower to keep the engine a little hotter.

David

 

[CyncySpyder]

Sounds like great advice ...... Thanks

You aren't going to get an absolute answer that at X degrees the steering will work. It is a known issue that a sensor will kill power steering when a certain sensor drops below a certain temperature. So the best course of action is:
Ride cautious when it is cold. Leave yourself extra maneuvering time.
Pull the DPS relay sometime in a parking lot to get a feel for how much force is required to steer without DPS.
Warm the system up thoroughly before riding.
Be aware of high altitude changes in temperature that might push you below that threshold. Unfortunately high altitude is usually associated with twisty roads.
Ride a gear lower to keep the engine a little hotter.
David

:bowdown::bowdown:

 

[Spyder Monkey]

:bowdown::bowdown:

Yeah, I drew on my extensive cold weather riding experience . I think the coldest temperature I have seen since I bought the Spyder is 70F.

 

[Trickie Dick]

You aren't going to get an absolute answer that at X degrees the steering will work. It is a known issue that a sensor will kill power steering when a certain sensor drops below a certain temperature. So the best course of action is:

Ride cautious when it is cold. Leave yourself extra maneuvering time.
Pull the DPS relay sometime in a parking lot to get a feel for how much force is required to steer without DPS.
Warm the system up thoroughly before riding.
Be aware of high altitude changes in temperature that might push you below that threshold. Unfortunately high altitude is usually associated with twisty roads.
Ride a gear lower to keep the engine a little hotter.

David

My power steering went out last weekend running the mountain roads at Lamont's BBQ. It happened a couple of times after some hard steering in the curves of the Rattler and the Dragon. It came back both times after it seemed to cool down. It made steering very difficult. So I would not say the DPS failure is a sympton of cold weather. :dontknow:

 

[BajaRon]

I've also noticed that shifting isn't as smooth when it's that cold out -- have had trouble downshifting here and there.

Best just to stay inside! lol

Are you using a true, full synthetic oil? This usually takes care of very cold oil issues.

 

[boborgera]

After my DPS was changed with the recall, I rode two winters some days were low as 6 degrees [f],
many at less than 20 degrees [f] And never had a problem, But before the recall i never knew when the steering would cut out and turn back on again whether it was cold or hot.:dontknow: