Dps, vss issues on 2009 sm5 Spyder

[gnkc]

Finally got the dps recall done mid July. From past steering replacement experiences i figured this would be trouble.
Trailered bike home from dealer, no time to ride until a couple of weeks ago. 20 miles, no problem. Got the bike out last weekend for a longer ride, 10 miles out, dash scrolls error messages for dps, vss code, limp mode. Check engine, vss lights come on. I pull over, let it reset and within two minutes the errors are back. I pull over again ,but this time the errors do not reset. I limp back home, the last few miles the engine is chugging so badly I wasn't sure it was gonna make it home. Fuses not loose.
Back to the dealer today to hook it up to buds. They didn't have time to do this while I was there. In fact, i'm told it's unlikely it will be fixed in time for the long weekend. In the dealer's defense they did say they wanted time to test ride it several times. I have suspicions they did not do a lengthy test ride after the last dps replacement.
The dealer says they will need to check with brp to see if they will pay for diagnostics, etc.
What????
It was brp's mandate that the dps be replaced via a recall. The last "recall" dps I had put on worked flawlessly for over 3500 miles. If the issues I'm now having are related to parts or labor from a recall I can't imagine that would be my expense.
I love my Spyder, bought it new, and have ridden up til now with no worries about reliability...I hope they make this right. I had to take the bike back after the last dps recall; this whole brp steering thing has been a real pia on an otherwise great brp product.

 

[Bob Denman]

As I recall from previous posts; there are a couple of sensors in there that need to be talking to one another so that everything runs smoothly. There's a steering angle sensor, and I think a yaw sensor. Maybe one of them wasn't plugged back in?

 

[gnkc]

As I recall from previous posts; there are a couple of sensors in there that need to be talking to one another so that everything runs smoothly. There's a steering angle sensor, and I think a yaw sensor. Maybe one of them wasn't plugged back in?

Hoping that's all it is. I just want back to fixed and dependableray:

 

[Lamonster]

If you had the work done in July and just now took it for a ride did you have the Spyder on a charger during this time?

 

[Bob Denman]

Think about it for a moment...
Why would anybody have a spyder and let it sit for a month during prime time riding season?
I mean maybe if we were having earthquakes, floods and hurricanes... Oh... :shocked:

 

[NancysToy]

Charge your battery and check/clean the connections. Cascading multiple failure codes are typically a sign of a low battery.

 

[gnkc]

If you had the work done in July and just now took it for a ride did you have the Spyder on a charger during this time?

Spyder on an Xtreme trickle charger all the time. Took it off right before I went riding. But I did not check connections so that's a good point. The dealer also adjusted my parking brake when the dps got changed out. Don't know if there is any connection there or not.
Ya, i know. Changed jobs. July riding just wasn't in the cards this year but I racked up miles in May/June without any problems.

 

[NancysToy]

If you have a multimeter, you can check the battery voltage and condition. After charging fully, then letting it sit without charging for a few hours to overnight, the voltage should remain above 12.4 volts. When cranking at Wide Open Throttle (WOT) so the Spyder won't actually start, the voltage should not go below 10.0 volts. Failure of either test indicates a bad battery or connection. It is also possible that the new DPS has a problem and is pulling down the battery voltage. The DPS is the largest electrical draw, outside the starter, on the Spyder.

 

[Dtryke]

Just FYI... It might be riding season across the country, but in Tucson AZ, this is about the only time when it isn't much of a riding season.... 108 degrees on a Spyder with a full face helmet can challenge even the best of us!!

 

[gnkc]

Ok I got the bike back a couple of weeks ago and it runs and steers fine now.
There was a "lost communication code", ie a loose connection. They were able to clear codes and replicate the errors. All sensors and modules were reset. The rear tire was a bit low which they said could cause issues. They did check and deal with battery connections. They did a 25 mile test ride before I went to pick it up.
So here is the question: the vin label says my bike was made in October of 2008. Since many of the electronics rely on exact voltages and the digital display does not call out the battery as a cause of specific sensor/electronic issues, would it make sense to just replace the battery next spring based on it's age as a preventative measure? Who knows how old it was before it was installed? I keep a tender on it all the time but that may or may not help that much.
I live in a rural area and was lucky to be on a road with a shoulder to be able to pull off on when the bike started acting up. For me, a new battery might be cheap insurance unless there is a history of them being overly reliable. Anyone have any history with the stock battery? Thanks.

 

[NancysToy]

I don't replace my batteries until they fail, although many owners replace them at regular intervals. It is hard to tell how long a battery has left. Two batteries, under identical conditions, can last different amounts of time. The majority of "battery" issues are caused by loose or corroded connections. I'd continue to ride it unless I had repeated battery trouble.

 

[gnkc]

I don't replace my batteries until they fail, although many owners replace them at regular intervals. It is hard to tell how long a battery has left. Two batteries, under identical conditions, can last different amounts of time. The majority of "battery" issues are caused by loose or corroded connections. I'd continue to ride it unless I had repeated battery trouble.

I guess I was just trying to take a bad battery out of future issues if the stock one isn't that great. I'll just ride for now. Thanks Scotty.

 

[NancysToy]

If replacing your battery would make you worry less, and be more confident in your Spyder, by all means go ahead and do it. What I do works for me, but isn't necessarily right for you. As you said, I would wait until Spring. No sense storing a brand new battery all winter on the charger if you have a choice. With the large quantity of vehicles I have, not to mention a retiree's fixed income, I can ill afford to replace my batteries until they actually fail. It's just part of the game.

 

[capt.jim]

I've never replaced my batteries unless they failed, I bought mine Dec. 07, the battery was fine but I figured the time may be getting near, and with the electronics needing full power I went ahead and put in a new Oddysey PC 680, it wasn't cheap, but one less thing to worry about, I sleep better now.