EWS Immobilizer antenna threadfest

[caycek5]

I had my wife call your shop yesterday to order an antenna. She said everyone she spoke to was very helpful and it would be sent out the same day. She told me that she was told that the bike should still go to a dealer so that the key could be intiallized with the antenna.

My question is, is this truly neccesary? I understood it to be just an antenna (recieving ring) so it would just be a component in a system basically a wire coil. I thought it was plug and play. I can however understand having the dealer clear any fault codes the bike may be storing as result of this event.

She wasn't exactly clear on what was told to her so I told her I would post here to get an answer. Post #13 is what is confusing between what I have read and what she said.

For those who want to know why it fails go to the steel mill I work at give the production employees a feather and a ball bearing. After they have broken the ball bearing with the feather you will have your answer. Things break and can be broken either by people or their environment.

Thanks Bobby for the quick service and answers you have given here.

-Ryan

[mrmaico]

Originally Posted by caycek5

For those who want to know why it fails go to the steel mill I work at give the production employees a feather and a ball bearing. After they have broken the ball bearing with the feather you will have your answer. Things break and can be broken either by people or their environment.


-Ryan

I'm sure it's been mentioned elsewhere in this thread but IMO the reason this thing gets some people so worked up is that when it fails you are left stranded with an otherwise perfectly good motorcycle. That's the real issue here.

Barry

[Some Dude]

Originally Posted by caycek5

I had my wife call your shop yesterday to order an antenna. She said everyone she spoke to was very helpful and it would be sent out the same day. She told me that she was told that the bike should still go to a dealer so that the key could be intiallized with the antenna.

My question is, is this truly neccesary? I understood it to be just an antenna (recieving ring) so it would just be a component in a system basically a wire coil. I thought it was plug and play. I can however understand having the dealer clear any fault codes the bike may be storing as result of this event.

She wasn't exactly clear on what was told to her so I told her I would post here to get an answer. Post #13 is what is confusing between what I have read and what she said.

For those who want to know why it fails go to the steel mill I work at give the production employees a feather and a ball bearing. After they have broken the ball bearing with the feather you will have your answer. Things break and can be broken either by people or their environment.

Thanks Bobby for the quick service and answers you have given here.

-Ryan

It is just a receiver and you are correct, it will only need to see the dealer in order to clear the codes and have a fresh slate. If the problem is indeed the antennae (dare I say there are other variables, but the antennae wins the witch hunt award by far of those variables) then simple replacement of the antennae is all that's needed.

[Some Dude]

Originally Posted by mrmaico

I'm sure it's been mentioned elsewhere in this thread but IMO the reason this thing gets some people so worked up is that when it fails you are left stranded with an otherwise perfectly good motorcycle. That's the real issue here.

Barry

You know, I had a perfectly stone cold reliable KTM 525, it left me cussing for a few moments out in the boondies last week. I am fixing the problem today and going to ride that exact same trail this weekend with no real time on the new parts, I guess I'm insane. The probability that the sprag clutch is going to take a shit on my KTM is far greater then the immobilizer ring on my BMW, but it's hard to fix a sprag clutch on the side of the trail, real easy to fix an antennae though if I am worried enough about it to be prepared with a spare. I guess I don't rely on anyone else to tell me it's going to be ok, some folks think buying a BMW is an insurance policy I recon, it can't possibly fail right? I wish that were the case,......

[caycek5]

The big brown truck just came. In just over one day I have in my hand what the dealer who has my bike says they are waiting for. The tech says it is the antenna after he ruled out my HID headlight system as the cause of the EWS fault. Hopefully they will recieve the antenna they ordered very soon. Tuesday makes a month they have had my bike. Oh well I have a spare at the house now. Perhaps I will call them tomorrow and see if they will install my part and reimburse my costs. I doubt they will, but I can try.

Thanks for the quick service and answer Bobby.

-Ryan

[caycek5]

Originally Posted by mrmaico

I'm sure it's been mentioned elsewhere in this thread but IMO the reason this thing gets some people so worked up is that when it fails you are left stranded with an otherwise perfectly good motorcycle. That's the real issue here.

Barry

When production breaks that ball bearing though you never know when you might of needed it to keep the mill running. Perfectly good mill shut down because of a ball bearing. It happened the other week we were down for just over a day waitng for a bearing.

Yes, it does ruin the day especially when I worked 12 hours at night got off at 7am, went to the parking lot and see EWS on the display. I was left by a otherwise perfectly good motorcycle.

I had read these threads before it had happened to me and always had the thought in the back of my head but never worried about. I rode the bike and had fun. When I get it back I will still ride the bike and not worry about it. Yes I bought a spare antenna, but I also have extra oil filters, o-rings, crush washers, etc. I just see it as a critical spare without an oil filter the bike is no good either. The antenna won't take hardly any room in my tool chest and if in the unlikely case it fails again I can replace it easily. No, I do not have a final drive or a complete other parts bike sitting on a shelf because it has seperate parts that make up the assembly. I also keep the stories of final drive failures in the back of my mind but they don't stop me from enjoying my bike. I had read about these issues when I purchased my motorcycle but figured the risks were acceptable.

I do understand what your point was though. I am just trying to explain my tkinking a little clearer.

-Ryan

[Some Dude]

Originally Posted by caycek5

When production breaks that ball bearing though you never know when you might of needed it to keep the mill running. Perfectly good mill shut down because of a ball bearing. It happened the other week we were down for just over a day waitng for a bearing.

Yes, it does ruin the day especially when I worked 12 hours at night got off at 7am, went to the parking lot and see EWS on the display. I was left by a otherwise perfectly good motorcycle.

I had read these threads before it had happened to me and always had the thought in the back of my head but never worried about. I rode the bike and had fun. When I get it back I will still ride the bike and not worry about it. Yes I bought a spare antenna, but I also have extra oil filters, o-rings, crush washers, etc. I just see it as a critical spare without an oil filter the bike is no good either. The antenna won't take hardly any room in my tool chest and if in the unlikely case it fails again I can replace it easily. No, I do not have a final drive or a complete other parts bike sitting on a shelf because it has seperate parts that make up the assembly. I also keep the stories of final drive failures in the back of my mind but they don't stop me from enjoying my bike. I had read about these issues when I purchased my motorcycle but figured the risks were acceptable.

I do understand what your point was though. I am just trying to explain my tkinking a little clearer.

-Ryan

Hey Ryan, GMTA. Glad we could help and don't hesitate to hit us up in the future. This scenario reminds me of when I had my Ford Powerstroke 7.3L It was quite a common failure for the crank sensor to go capute and then you sit, along side of the road or wherever with no way to go anywhere. You read all of the forums and you'd think every single 7.3L would just die from the crank sensor failure with no warning. So I picked up a brand new in the box sensor off of Ebay from a guy who bought it as a spare just in case. His never went bad, he sold the truck. Mine never went bad and it went back onto Ebay and got my money right back out of it when I sold my last powerstroke. However I didn't raise a bunch of fuss to Ford or fear for my life when driving in the middle of the night in the middle of no where, but I was prepared for what I thought might go wrong and I just dealt with it's short comings. I didnt carry a spare tranny or front hub assembly (which did leave me very frustrated more then once!!) but I had my $60 crank sensor because everyone on the forum insisted it was gonna go(but never did in 160k miles). Never hurts to try and beat Murphy as his own gamethough.

[Racegun]

Originally Posted by BMW Atlanta

You know, I had a perfectly stone cold reliable KTM 525, it left me cussing for a few moments out in the boondies last week. I am fixing the problem today and going to ride that exact same trail this weekend with no real time on the new parts, I guess I'm insane. The probability that the sprag clutch is going to take a shit on my KTM is far greater then the immobilizer ring on my BMW, but it's hard to fix a sprag clutch on the side of the trail, real easy to fix an antennae though if I am worried enough about it to be prepared with a spare. I guess I don't rely on anyone else to tell me it's going to be ok, some folks think buying a BMW is an insurance policy I recon, it can't possibly fail right? I wish that were the case,......

Good points Bobby!

I have a few questions.
What do you, as a dealer see, in the way of failures for the R1200 series bikes...the GS in particular

1. Final Drives
2. Seal leakage
3. Stuff I do not know about

Are they more prone to break than the r11xx series?
Do you think that BMW Motorrard is having problems with its suppliers ( if indeed more failures are happening)
Or does the internet simply amplify problems that have always been.

I think this would be a good question to start a thread with.
To be honest, the more stuff I read here..the more I am worried about my 07 gs. Can you offer any encouragement?

[Some Dude]

Originally Posted by Racegun

Good points Bobby!

I have a few questions.
What do you, as a dealer see, in the way of failures for the R1200 series bikes...the GS in particular

1. Final Drives
2. Seal leakage
3. Stuff I do not know about

Are they more prone to break than the r11xx series?
Do you think that BMW Motorrard is having problems with its suppliers ( if indeed more failures are happening)
Or does the internet simply amplify problems that have always been.

I think this would be a good question to start a thread with.
To be honest, the more stuff I read here..the more I am worried about my 07 gs. Can you offer any encouragement?

Sell it immediately!!!!!!!!!!! J/K

Now that we are servicing the FD's at the 600 mile point there really hasn't been enough time to assess if the new service interval is going to solve the majority of previous failures. There is as much chance of screwing up an O ring during the break-in servicing as there is for a seal or bearing to fail from what I am seeing, but I'd say overall BMW is heading in the right direction with improving the reliability in the final drive. At least now pivot bearings have not been prone to failing or wearing pre-maturely, so that's encouraging. But ask the same question about the FD reliability in 5 more years when there has been some time to digest the numbers. Overall I think the R12 is all around a better machine then the older R11's, is it worth $10k more is up to the guy writing a check, to me it is.

[pastor passum]

Sell it immediately!!!!!!!!!!! J/K



He just did that with a GT with 3500 miles due to a (drum roll) EWS no go. And I believe stated he'd never buy another new BMW. Something about being too complicated

Jim

[caycek5]

Today has been a month that my bike has been in the shop for the EWS fault. I called today to find out what the status was they had ordered an antenna about two weeks ago and last week had not recieved it. The tech told me that the antenna had come in and that it did not solve the problem. He had called the BMW rep to discuss this with him and now they have come to the conclusion that it is the wiring harness that runs to the antenna that is faulty, broken wire making contact sometimes and not othertimes. The tech said though that this causes the same fault code to appear on their computer so that is why the antenna is first supspect, after my HID headlights. This week thay ordered a repair kit for the wiring harness loom that goes to the antenna. He said it would probably take about a week to get it to the shop. I told the tech that this is my transportation and he said he would try to get it overnighted. I'll call next tuesday for my weekly update I'm sure they don't mind me calling. I'll post what they find out that finally resolves this EWS issue.

-Ryan

[GSfornow]

Originally Posted by BMW Atlanta

Re-occurring by whose definition? What would you do if you sold 100 pencils and one of them had crappy britle lead? Would you try to contact all of the buyers and re-design the pencil because 99 of them worked like a champ? I am not defending BMW as much as I am pointing out the obvious cost vs benefit for the manufacturer and ultimately the consumer.

If my trip requires me to carry a spare pencil I will at little cost - Its hard to carry a spare motorcycle (or even a final drive). Cost / benefit is indeed up to the consumer - will BMW motorcycles become an urban center only bike like their cars? That's where their motorcycle dealers seem to be located more and more. If that trend continues it would be unfortunate.

[Racegun]

Originally Posted by pastor passum

Sell it immediately!!!!!!!!!!! J/K



He just did that with a GT with 3500 miles due to a (drum roll) EWS no go. And I believe stated he'd never buy another new BMW. Something about being too complicated

Jim

YOu do not know how to read! I said the entire machine = to complicated. I just did the entire 600 mile service + a few more things... ubber simple, easy, fun...can not say that about the GT. When the GT gets very old, over 3yrs, you better have tons of cash to keep it in repair!!!

Also the GS is way faster in every way except straight ahead acceleration( and then not by much to 110ish mph) .... and tons more fun to operate. If the ring fails on the GS, its easy to change/ patch to get home.
I found no benifits of a K over a GS. NONE, NADDA, ZIPPO!

[jpalamar]

For those interested in purchasing or verifying they are getting the latest 'antenna ring' the new part is:

61 35 7 696 463

This part number neither confirm nor denies that it is any different than the older part no. according to BMW Daytona. Many things could have caused a change in this part no.

[Flyboy08]

Originally Posted by Racegun

Also the GS is way faster in every way except straight ahead acceleration( and then not by much to 110ish mph) .... and tons more fun to operate. !

This is just plain old BS...my bike is better than yours...BS...I ride a GS and RS and I ride with friends that have GT's...if your half of an accomplished rider, the GT will blow your's and my SISSY TWIN off any and every road.

It corners..and I have ridden them, exceptionally well and the exit acceleration is intoxicating to say the least...comparing a 105 HP motor to the 160+/_ of the GT is ridiculous at best.

Maybe you need to stop by and ride with us some day