EVERYTHING fault!

[SpyderDuck]

Going down I-40 yesterday at about 70 mph, and suddenly Clyde goes into limp home mode, after about 30 miles. VSS fault. DPS fault. ABS fault. EBD fault. Just about every light on the panel was on. You name it, it had a fault. :gaah:


We pulled over, and I turned the bike off and checked the relays to make sure none were loose. Took the key out and away from the bike for a little while. Then we restarted, and things looked normal for another mile or two, and it all started again. Again, we pulled over, and removed the key again. Upon starting again, I only went about 20 feet before it all fell apart again. Limp mode only allowed less than 20 mph, or Clyde sounded like he was coughing up a hairball. Speaking of hair, it was a pretty hairy ride on the interstate doing only 20! :yikes:


We had finally almost reached an exit ramp, so we pulled over at a service station and checked relays and oil. We didn't see anything amiss. Ken picked me up with his trailer and took us home, and he will carry Clyde to the dealer this week (big thanks to Ken - he's da man!). I guess we'll find out what happened.

On the bright side, I did get to spend most of the day with Catniption

 

[NancysToy]

Check for loose or corroded battery terminals (inside the body, not the jumper terminals under the seat), or a loose rear frame ground (negative jumper terminal under the seat). If the problem disappears after the battery is fully charged (if it can be) it is battery or connection related. Low voltage is one of the most common causes of "everything" warnings, with a loose or bad main relay the other usual cause.

 

[OldDog]

Check for loose or corroded battery terminals (inside the body, not the jumper terminals under the seat), or a loose rear frame ground (negative jumper terminal under the seat). If the problem disappears after the battery is fully charged (if it can be) it is battery or connection related. Low voltage is one of the most common causes of "everything" warnings, with a loose or bad main relay the other usual cause.

Can someone here on Spyderlovers suggest a type of terminal connector that would eliminate this issue? I see where star washers and nylon tipped "lock nuts" are mentioned a lot. I know that corrosion issues and dissimilar metals cannot be completely eliminated, but it seems this is a fairly commonly reported issue. Relays can be secured with OEM spring clips to negate coming loose by vibration. :f_spider:

 

[NancysToy]

Can someone here on Spyderlovers suggest a type of terminal connector that would eliminate this issue? I see where star washers and nylon tipped "lock nuts" are mentioned a lot. I know that corrosion issues and dissimilar metals cannot be completely eliminated, but it seems this is a fairly commonly reported issue. Relays can be secured with OEM spring clips to negate coming loose by vibration. :f_spider:

I think the best preventative to battery terminal problems is to check the terminals at (or after) every service, snugging them up if necessary. Many of these problems are due to inadequate tightening by the dealer, although vibration takes a toll on all motorcycle battery connections. Loose frame grounds (or positive jumper connections) are almost always the fault of the owner, who attempts to loosen them to install mods. As far as the relays, RTS's seldom seem to have the problem, and most RS problems can be cured with a little extra layer of sponge rubber in the fusebox lid.

 

[boborgera]

Can someone here on Spyderlovers suggest a type of terminal connector that would eliminate this issue? I see where star washers and nylon tipped "lock nuts" are mentioned a lot. I know that corrosion issues and dissimilar metals cannot be completely eliminated, but it seems this is a fairly commonly reported issue. Relays can be secured with OEM spring clips to negate coming loose by vibration. :f_spider:

Star washers, And make sure their not the aluminum ones. I used stainless steel.
In almost 3 years i never had one loosen . :thumbup:

 

[SpyderDuck]

Well, I don't have enough knowledge to know how to check the voltage issue. I honestly don't know where to look or what to look for. I did go through the error code procedure; I got this (I hope it makes sense; I called it to hubby and he wrote it down):

O C 12 10

IP2545 (maybe 1P2545?)

 

[NancysToy]

Well, I don't have enough knowledge to know how to check the voltage issue. I honestly don't know where to look or what to look for. I did go through the error code procedure; I got this (I hope it makes sense; I called it to hubby and he wrote it down):

O C 12 10

IP2545 (maybe 1P2545?)

If you are not comfortable with chcking voltage and connections, there is little point in knowing the fault codes or asking here how to fix things. You will need to see the dealer anyway.


C1210 = General ABS (all EV and AV) valve fault - Internal EV and AV valve problem - External troubleshooting not possible. Replace the VCM.

P2545 = VSS message counter error, VSS plausibility error, and/or VSS light on - Indicates active fault from VCM, VCM damage, or circuit wire/connector damage -Check for VCM fault.

These indicate likely problems with the vehicle control module or the wiring, but they could also result from low voltage. You need to see a dealer ASAP. Do not ride the Spyder, have it towed.

 

[SpyderDuck]

Yeah, I know there are very few things that I can fix; I just wanted to know what's going on with the thing. Knowledge comforts me, even if I can't put it to practical use. Even if I did try to do something, I'd take it to the dealer anyway. And right now, Clyde is perched on a trailer, awaiting his trip to the doctor.

I had a copy of my shop manual on cd... until hubby lost it. I swear, that man... he lost my first owner's manual, and now the shop manual. Guess I need to get another copy and try to teach myself a few things.

 

[NancysToy]

Yeah, I know there are very few things that I can fix; I just wanted to know what's going on with the thing. Knowledge comforts me, even if I can't put it to practical use. Even if I did try to do something, I'd take it to the dealer anyway. And right now, Clyde is perched on a trailer, awaiting his trip to the doctor.

I had a copy of my shop manual on cd... until hubby lost it. I swear, that man... he lost my first owner's manual, and now the shop manual. Guess I need to get another copy and try to teach myself a few things.

Well, the shop manual would tell you what the fault codes were. It is good to know, if for no other reason than to understand what the tech says, or ask him why it is related to the work he did. I hope everything has a quick and simple answer, and you are back on the road real soon.

 

[SpyderDuck]

Well, the dealer finally got to my bike, and called today - the VCM went bad, according to the codes. They said that they did investigate further, but this is the cause. $1500 for the part, and an estimated 10 hours of labor. This happened about 2 weeks after the warranty expired. I wasn't offered any extended warranty when I bought the bike (hubby confirms that I just didn't forget, as he said he kept wondering when they were going to bring one up during the transaction). After reading about it here, I was hoping to get the BEST warranty soon; I needed to save up a bit for it.

The dealer said he will call BRP tomorrow and see if they are willing to give me a break, as this is a huge thing, and it's barely past warranty, but from things I have read here, I don't hold out much hope.

Also, my tag expires in 15 days, and I doubt I will have the bike back in time to get it inspected and get the tag renewed. The dealer can't inspect it because they are in another state. The DMV just said not to ride it until I got the tag renewed... well, that's just not possible; I'll need to ride it home.

A very unhappy Halloween for me... I got tricked.