Faults on a new 2011 RT-S

[JohnS_Rosamond]

My parents just took delivery of a 2011 RT-S (well last week). We made an appointment to have the SPyder brougt in this week and along the way discovered the following faults. As I understand it, there is an eye-lid that makes the headlight go between low-beam or high beam. One of the eye-lids was broken was flopping up and down. So, one "eye" was blinking as we drove down the road. Something is wrong with the clutch. There is a constant noise you can hear over the engine sound and this noise changes slightly when the clutch lever is activated (it's a SM5). Also, when the Spyder was cold, it would go into Reverse gear no problem, but would not go into neutral no matter what I did. I beleive that this Spyder may also suffer from the motor mount / locator rod nut interference that some have noted on their 2010's. Lastly, they are getting the ghost messages: Rear cargo door open - when it isn't and Check Engine light, which magically disappears. Though they are not disheartened, I was sorry to hear that they had so many problems. This is also the RT-S that the dealerhsip installed the CB and the computer doesn't recognize that the CB is connected, but that isn't a BRP fault.

 

[boborgera]

Not good ' but it might be something simple to fix.
Keep us informed.opcorn:opcorn:

 

[Trickie Dick]

Sounds like you go a great dealer.....NOT:gaah:

 

[NancysToy]

So very sorry to hear that. One thing that I can help with...the "blinking" headlight is probably not anything broken. The Spyder has projector lens headlights, with a very focused beam. They will often appear as if they are being flashed to high, or that they are going on and off (in the daytime). This is generally a matter of how they are aimed, especially with a passenger. If only one "blinks", one may be aimed higher than the other. Nancy's RS was that way from the factory, with one set much higher. There is an adjustment procedure in the manual. I recommend setting them with a passenger on board if you normally ride that way, and perhaps even the rider, too. I also recommend setting them a little lower than the factory spec. Fewer people get blinded that way.

 

[Marker]

Sounds like the dealer did not do very good PDI Pre- delivery Inspection and set up. I would be finding a new better informed dealer or complain to your dealer that his techniciandid not do his job very well.

 

[JohnS_Rosamond]

We're still waiting for a call from the dealership to see what they find.

Scotty; While I did not think about headlight alignment before writing this, when the headlights were turned to high beam, the one blinking headlight didn't blink. It was only on low beam that the one would blink, but I will take that into account. If the dealer states that the light is not damaged, then I will suggest they re-aim. Thanks.

 

[NancysToy]

We're still waiting for a call from the dealership to see what they find.

Scotty; While I did not think about headlight alignment before writing this, when the headlights were turned to high beam, the one blinking headlight didn't blink. It was only on low beam that the one would blink, but I will take that into account. If the dealer states that the light is not damaged, then I will suggest they re-aim. Thanks.

Not surprising. When the shutter is down, the top of the beam is cut off. If that's the one that is aimed "just right" for the observers line of sight, that one will appear to blink. The same effect, with one light blinking or disappearing in daylight, happens from side to side, with the light the obsrever is lined up with appearing, and the other seeming to disappear. It is an artifact of the projector-type lights. In the dark, they appear normal to rider.

 

[fordguyupnorth]

is there supposed to be a very defined horizontal "line" when the rts is on low beams? anything else i have ever ridden always had some light protruding skyward so you could still see a little bit. the rts on low beam emits light from the ground up and then just stops about eye level and you can see the "line" where light stops and complete darkness begins. maybe sounds stupid but its true. is this normal?

 

[jima1153]

is there supposed to be a very defined horizontal "line" when the rts is on low beams? anything else i have ever ridden always had some light protruding skyward so you could still see a little bit. the rts on low beam emits light from the ground up and then just stops about eye level and you can see the "line" where light stops and complete darkness begins. maybe sounds stupid but its true. is this normal?

Mine does the same thing! :yikes:

 

[NancysToy]

is there supposed to be a very defined horizontal "line" when the rts is on low beams? anything else i have ever ridden always had some light protruding skyward so you could still see a little bit. the rts on low beam emits light from the ground up and then just stops about eye level and you can see the "line" where light stops and complete darkness begins. maybe sounds stupid but its true. is this normal?

Yes, it's normal. The North American Spyder has a shutter system, which lowers over the back of the projector lens on low beam, cutting off the top of the beam. This leaves a very distinct shadow line.

 

[Bob Denman]

Sounds like the dealer did not do very good PDI Pre- delivery Inspection and set up. I would be finding a new better informed dealer or complain to your dealer that his techniciandid not do his job very well.

:agree: Tell your folks that the dealer should have made sure that none of this got out of the shop...

 

[garganos]

Make sure the dealer activated the CB with BUDS. There is also a cluster reflash that came out last week (probably after they took delivery). They should also check the switch on the rear cargo cover. I can not remember if it's adjustable or not. If there is still a cluster issue they may want to try disconnecting it and reconnecting it. The cluster is a computer and there may be a corruption of data that is causing issues. We had one that the air suspension was not working and simply disconnecting and reconnecting the cluster fixed it. Kind of like crashing your computer when windows locks up.

 

[JohnS_Rosamond]

Update: The headlight is an alignment issue (good call Scotty). They have not been able to get the CB up and working at all. There is some kind of electrical or vacuum switch in the transmission (SM5) that fixed the clutch engagement issue. The belt is aligned now. No update on the rear cargo door message problem.

Thank you for all of the helpful information. The dealership has informed my parents that they have a newly hired Spyder expert who is assisting them - I hope so.

 

[NancysToy]

Update: The headlight is an alignment issue (good call Scotty). They have not been able to get the CB up and working at all. There is some kind of electrical or vacuum switch in the transmission (SM5) that fixed the clutch engagement issue. The belt is aligned now. No update on the rear cargo door message problem.

Thank you for all of the helpful information. The dealership has informed my parents that they have a newly hired Spyder expert who is assisting them - I hope so.

Could be either electrical or vaccum related. The clutch switch at the lever engages a solenoid valve near the engine, that provides vacuum assist to pull the clutch in. Most likely culprit was a bad clutch assist solenoid, which did not disengage, allowing vacuum to continuously relieve pressure on the clutch. I hope they get it all sorted out soon.

 

[JohnS_Rosamond]

Update:

I was contacted by BRP consumer relations and referred them directly to my parents. BRP contacted the dealership directly and gave them some pointers and what I beleive to be a BUDS unit (or some other electronic service device). Now all is well. Thanks to those of you who offered advice on the CB and the headlight issue, and many thanks to BRP for taking a personal interest. I was thinking that it this had been a Ford or General Motor car/truck, I'm not sure that anything like that would have happened.

 

[IWN2RYD]

I was contacted by BRP consumer relations and referred them directly to my parents. BRP contacted the dealership directly and gave them some pointers and what I beleive to be a BUDS unit (or some other electronic service device). Now all is well. Thanks to those of you who offered advice on the CB and the headlight issue, and many thanks to BRP for taking a personal interest. I was thinking that it this had been a Ford or General Motor car/truck, I'm not sure that anything like that would have happened.

:2thumbs::congrats: Outstanding...

 

[JohnS_Rosamond]

Wierd noise. New porblem

Okay, I have a new question. When the Spyder is off, key out, about 15 minutes has gone by, there is a high pitched electronic whine or hum coming out of the Spyder. I do not remember this noise before the CB was connected. I found that if I pull the Main Relay 1 out, the noise goes away (and the relay was really really warm - even after 15 minutes). When I put the relay back in, no noise. Re-start the SPyder, turn it off, the noise is back and doesn't go away. The originating dealer swears that this is a new for 2011 noise and that "they all do that." This is the same dealership that I have discovered reversed the front wheels when they put them on so that the tire direction was facing backwards. Please let me know if your RT-S has this electronic whine.

 

[NancysToy]

Okay, I have a new question. When the Spyder is off, key out, about 15 minutes has gone by, there is a high pitched electronic whine or hum coming out of the Spyder. I do not remember this noise before the CB was connected. I found that if I pull the Main Relay 1 out, the noise goes away (and the relay was really really warm - even after 15 minutes). When I put the relay back in, no noise. Re-start the SPyder, turn it off, the noise is back and doesn't go away. The originating dealer swears that this is a new for 2011 noise and that "they all do that." This is the same dealership that I have discovered reversed the front wheels when they put them on so that the tire direction was facing backwards. Please let me know if your RT-S has this electronic whine.

Mine does not do that. I think the dealer is full of..........hot air! The cooling fan runs for a short while after turning off the RT...even on a 2010. This is only for a few seconds, maybe 15, and everything should be powered off after that. There could be residual heat in a relay, but your parents' RT is obviously pulling a load somewhere. Don't lose confidence just because of the tires...it is easy to overlook. Run the other way if they said nothing was wrong with them, however.

 

[JohnS_Rosamond]

The electronic noise runs for about 35 minutes after turning off the key then it will actually stop (my parents just called me). I think that this is unusual, but personally I have lost confidence in the originating dealership. He (service manager) stated that all of the 2011's are doing it (all throughout the show room). Perhaps this is something sticking.

 

[NancysToy]

The electronic noise runs for about 35 minutes after turning off the key then it will actually stop (my parents just called me). I think that this is unusual, but personally I have lost confidence in the originating dealership. He (service manager) stated that all of the 2011's are doing it (all throughout the show room). Perhaps this is something sticking.

Maybe my ears are getting bad. I haven't heard it. Don't ask my opinion of most service managers. I would be more inclined to believe a tech that told me so...and showed me exactly why. Better yet...they could show me how all the 2011s on their floor do it. Something is screwy here!