Another EWS warning :(

MickF

MickF

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I had my 2009 GSA parked up for the past couple of months. It was kept in a warm garage and I started it occasionally without any problems. It was plugged in to an optimiser to keep its gel battery topped up. I went to start it yesterday and got the EWS warning. I swapped out the antenna ring but no joy. My dipped light comes on with ignition. My green neutral light has appeared intermittantly and on one occasion the bike started. I checked the battery by hooking another car battery with jump leads without any change. I plugged my gs911 in but it's telling me to check ignition is on, bike in neutral, and kill switch is in run position which all are. It flashed up a message about checksum? The bike has never failed to start or let me down in ten years since I bought it. My nearest bike garage is 110 miles away and to have it transported there is cost prohibitive. I'm wondering where is the obvious place to start looking for issues? I have tried moving around the wires behind the ignition without success. I don't have a manual or wiring diagram so am wonderinf if someone can tell me if the ignition wiring cluster is long and could it be accessed without removing the tank I'm reasonably handy with electrical stuff but don't particularly want to start strippping the bike to bits to find the issue is well known and relatively to fix. I have read loads of stuff on the forum but unfortunately the stuff I want I can't find. Thanks in anticipation.
 
Can you say if the ring antenna you swapped to is new or poven? Start with the obvious first before dismantling the bike :rob
 
Thanks for replies. I have tried a brand new antenna ring ( ending in 247 ) and no difference. I had a quick look and find that certain movement seems to restore all electrics! . Pointing to a broken wire (s) in loom. I'm off to work now so have to abandon my search. Many thanks for your repies. I will get back with, hopefully, the cause and fixing of the problem. Many thanks everyone
 
A problem I faced with an intermittent EWS fault turned out to be a partially broken wire between the ignition and the main ecu The bike would start on full left hand lock but not straight or right either Iirc there are five wires in this part of the loom Hope this helps :beerjug:
 
bisbee said:
A problem I faced with an intermittent EWS fault turned out to be a partially broken wire between the ignition and the main ecu The bike would start on full left hand lock but not straight or right either Iirc there are five wires in this part of the loom Hope this helps :beerjug:
Click to expand...

Only two if i recall to the EWS

Given it starts on full lock one way and not the other confirms it - the thread i linked to shows exactly that and its a bugger to get to

I took most of a free saturday ;)
 
MickF said:
I had my 2009 GSA parked up for the past couple of months. It was kept in a warm garage and I started it occasionally without any problems. It was plugged in to an optimiser to keep its gel battery topped up. I went to start it yesterday and got the EWS warning. I swapped out the antenna ring but no joy. My dipped light comes on with ignition. My green neutral light has appeared intermittantly and on one occasion the bike started. I checked the battery by hooking another car battery with jump leads without any change. I plugged my gs911 in but it's telling me to check ignition is on, bike in neutral, and kill switch is in run position which all are. It flashed up a message about checksum? The bike has never failed to start or let me down in ten years since I bought it. My nearest bike garage is 110 miles away and to have it transported there is cost prohibitive. I'm wondering where is the obvious place to start looking for issues? I have tried moving around the wires behind the ignition without success. I don't have a manual or wiring diagram so am wonderinf if someone can tell me if the ignition wiring cluster is long and could it be accessed without removing the tank I'm reasonably handy with electrical stuff but don't particularly want to start strippping the bike to bits to find the issue is well known and relatively to fix. I have read loads of stuff on the forum but unfortunately the stuff I want I can't find. Thanks in anticipation.
Click to expand...

Hi Mick, I'm having similar dreaded EWS nightmares: http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showth...EWS-Immobiliser-Fault(s)-Problem-Solving-Help

The fact your bike is in a warm shed, has not moved for months (was it moved when started up?) should be useful in your problem solving. How was the bike running before this? if it had a broken wire, damp or faulty connection, what's the probability of this happening while being stationary for so long in a nice warm shed on optimiser unless the problem occurred previously or when going into the garage. ECU's can go wrong so I'm thinking this may be a working theory for my issues.

Your rectifier, stator, ignition switch, grounding could be other areas to look at!

I've no shed and my time is limited so I might need to avail of my nearby BMW dealer to fix it, i'll keep you informed on my progress, might help with yours.
 
Hi, The bike has always been parked in the same position in the garage with handlebars turned right and locked. I start on a reasonably regular basis by just inserting key and releasing steering lock. Having looked at some of the loom I wouldn't be surprised to find broken wires after 10 years of flexing, I hope! The thought of ECU problems make me shudder! I do have a concern when my GS911 has stopped being able to access and diagnose issues. I'm hoping it's a broken wire that's preventing a complete circuit for access. I last accessed the system last Friday and it was able to read the BMS-KP without any fault codes being found. I'm hoping this is pointing to a broken wire? I'm not going to be able to get back to it until Saturday but fingers crossed it's nothing major. I bought the bike new in March 2009 and, with the exception of routine servicing, have never had a single issue with it. It's been all over Europe and into Eastern Europe without missing a beat. My son rides an FJR but he now prefers the GSA gor its agility and manouverability.
 

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My GS-911 would not allow me to run diagnostics when EWS was on the screen, is this the same for yourself or what is being displayed by the GS-911 that "GS911 has stopped being able to access and diagnose issues"

Interesting that there are no fault codes, was there ever any? these usually store on the system until they're cleared.

Yeah its very rare an ECU is at fault, I'm hoping mine is a wire or connection also.
 
If you read the thread i posted the link to , you will see just how you can get a break in a wire for no apparant reason

My bike wouldnt start in RH or staight ahead position , but would on LH lock

A later ring antenna swap confirmed it wasnt the ring antenna,

So i had no option but to strip wires back.

The easiest way was to remove the tank and split the loom

I found the break in the middle of the sheath of wires. and it looked like it was about to let go in other areas too

i cut out the defectve bit, and soldered in a new run of wire
 
I came across the article alright, the root cause was evident when you could start it by manoeuvring the position of the front of the bike to a certain position.

How old was your bike?

Tight tensile loaded wires over time (creep), over tightened cable ties, chaffing, excessive movements could all cause breaks. Polymeric degradation could also occur over time depending on the conditions the bike has been through, I'd expect if the polymer degraded exposing the metal wire, this could be susceptible to corrosion and eventually break through loading. I still think tight wires would be the most probable cause.

I did notice there is a lot of tight wiring on my bike so loads of potential failure modes.

I'd love to have a go at pulling the bike apart, thanks to Santa-2512 it makes it easier, but I just don't have the shed and time to do so.

I'm praying its a simple wire break!
 
eachtraíochta na hÉireann said:
I came across the article alright, the root cause was evident when you could start it by manoeuvring the position of the front of the bike to a certain position.

How old was your bike?

Tight tensile loaded wires over time (creep), over tightened cable ties, chaffing, excessive movements could all cause breaks. Polymeric degradation could also occur over time depending on the conditions the bike has been through, I'd expect if the polymer degraded exposing the metal wire, this could be susceptible to corrosion and eventually break through loading. I still think tight wires would be the most probable cause.

I did notice there is a lot of tight wiring on my bike so loads of potential failure modes.

I'd love to have a go at pulling the bike apart, thanks to Santa-2512 it makes it easier, but I just don't have the shed and time to do so.

I'm praying its a simple wire break!
Click to expand...

I did mine outside on a warmish Saturday - The strip & rebuild isnt difficult, its the acess to the loom in the headstock area thats limited.

providing you can get to the break, and can get a solding iron in there, its a relativly straightforward job.

Retaping the loom is a pita though ;)
 
Hi Santa-2512. Thanks for your valuable information. It certainly pointed me in the right direction. I took the tank off today and have started working backwards from ignition switch. I'm at the stage this evening where I can almost create the issue at will. I've got the engine to crank over too. In hindsight this may have been coming on for a long time. I remember instances last year where the bike just about started. it never failed to but I'm wondering if it was the start of my problem? Work calls so I have to leave the bike unfixed. I wish ther was a magic formula for finding broken wires:) I'm pretty confident I will eventually locate the culprit. Thanks again to everyone for their assistance in trying to get "Rosie" back on the road again.
 
MickF said:
Hi Santa-2512. Thanks for your valuable information. It certainly pointed me in the right direction. I took the tank off today and have started working backwards from ignition switch. I'm at the stage this evening where I can almost create the issue at will. I've got the engine to crank over too. In hindsight this may have been coming on for a long time. I remember instances last year where the bike just about started. it never failed to but I'm wondering if it was the start of my problem? Work calls so I have to leave the bike unfixed. I wish ther was a magic formula for finding broken wires:) I'm pretty confident I will eventually locate the culprit. Thanks again to everyone for their assistance in trying to get "Rosie" back on the road again.
Click to expand...

Glad your getting closer to the bugger ;) - Mine was not far from the cable tie just near the headstock - it wasnt tight, but i think it puts a slight kink in the cable.

It from this kink the cables flex and eventually break.

Hopfully tommorow you will find the culprit :)

Mines a 2006 with 30K on the clock btw
 
According to my notes (2006 model) it is either a green wire or a white one with blue a stripe so those may be a good place to start anyway hth


:beerjug:
 
Hopefully, my 2009 one has the same colour coding. It would be great to have somewhere to start, and hopfully finish the search:thumb
 
MickF said:
Hopefully, my 2009 one has the same colour coding. It would be great to have somewhere to start, and hopfully finish the search:thumb
Click to expand...

From the ignition back i think its 3 wires, 3 from the ring antenna, and then they all join in one big trunk under the headstock

As the photo in my link shows thats the big bundle - you cant just trace a single cable back, once you open the loom, all the cables are there

The good news is if it is a broken wire it wont be hard to miss ;)
 
It's lucky I don't drink alcohol or I would be in the pub right now :) I unwrapped a good bit of my loom and started a search but didn't find anything obvious. No glaring breaks or damage to any wire(s). I know from experience it's better to walk away and take a break from it before I start seeing double !I found that occasionally with some unknow movement I was able to restor ny green light and hitting the start button eggaged the starter. The EWS warning had also disappeared. Happy days, looking like a broken wire! Next I see EWS warning gone , no green neutral light, and the starter engages!! It appears now that I may have two broken / damaged wires in my loom. I know I have / had a manual with wiring diagram but typically I can find every Haynes manual for every car and bike I've ever had but not hte GS one:(. Anyway, time to hit the road and go to work. I plan on doing an internet search later to find the wiring diagram for the bike.
:jager :jager:banghead:
 
MickF said:
It's lucky I don't drink alcohol or I would be in the pub right now :) I unwrapped a good bit of my loom and started a search but didn't find anything obvious. No glaring breaks or damage to any wire(s). I know from experience it's better to walk away and take a break from it before I start seeing double !I found that occasionally with some unknow movement I was able to restor ny green light and hitting the start button eggaged the starter. The EWS warning had also disappeared. Happy days, looking like a broken wire! Next I see EWS warning gone , no green neutral light, and the starter engages!! It appears now that I may have two broken / damaged wires in my loom. I know I have / had a manual with wiring diagram but typically I can find every Haynes manual for every car and bike I've ever had but not hte GS one:(. Anyway, time to hit the road and go to work. I plan on doing an internet search later to find the wiring diagram for the bike.
:jager :jager:banghead:
Click to expand...


Let me find my Haynes, and ill give you the colours
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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