EWS Immobilizer antenna threadfest

[niccoIndy]

Originally Posted by SocalRob

Whats the proximity of the new horn to the EWS antennae? Is it possible that the presumably bigger magnets in the Stebel are interfering with the antennae ring?

I guess it would be possible, from what i understand it has a little compressor in there, not really like the OEM horn. But it could be RF interference of the little motor. However there are quite a few who have installed stebels and I haven't heard of such issues.

[GB]

Cutting wires on a "single wire system" is not a good idea. I installed mine using the kit shown in this thread, but you can reproduce the method of tapping into the bike's horn harness without cutting into it:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121988

Is the EWS fault related..

Your dealer may very well deny you warranty coverage if you tell him you cut into the bike's harness. Just sayin'...

[IND GS]

Ok, I replaced the original horn and wired them again using the original connectors, removed the battery for about 10 minutes and hooked up my GS911. There is a fault code on the EWS and cleared it. Unfortunately the bike still wont start and the EWS is still on the dash.

A mechanic replaced the EWS antenna, which he has done before so there should be no glicthes on the istall procees. Actually it was quite straightforward.

The EWS error can be cleared but once I run the diagnostics it comes up again.

Probably I'll need to recheck the wires again and make sure nothing is loose or cut. But logically shouldn't the horn wires have any effect on the EWS ?

[cjack]

I don't think the horn has anything to do with it. The new EWS ring may have gone bad (new part # or old one?) or maybe the original wiring to the EWS was the problem in the first place and the replacement of the original ring affected the wiring enough to make it work again. Until you disturbed it when you did the horn. When your dealer checks it out, make sure they try a new ring before replacing the ring that is now in place.

[JimVonBaden]

Originally Posted by cjack

I don't think the horn has anything to do with it. The new EWS ring may have gone bad (new part # or old one?) or maybe the original wiring to the EWS was the problem in the first place and the replacement of the original ring affected the wiring enough to make it work again. Until you disturbed it when you did the horn. When your dealer checks it out, make sure they try a new ring before replacing the ring that is now in place.

Sounds reasonable to me!

Jim

[rideLD]

Maybe it is the key? Did you try all your keys including the plastic one? If not I'm with the others saying that it has nothing to do with your horn or hacking the wires and most likely just a another bad antenna ring.

[IND GS]

The ring is the new part number. What is differenf from the first failure is that there is a fault in diagnostics (GS911) which was not present at the first antenna failure. Could it be the EWS itself is faulty ? Would I need to replace the harness as well ?

This EWS is really bugging me since I had plans for a ride tomorrow with some friends on a GS also. And since I don't have dealer support, I would need to relay on independent mechanic.

[Fozdick]

I was down in Copper Canyon last year and when coming back we stopped for gas in Janos and and one of the GS went dead. Found a battery that would fit but it was still dead. Transported the bike up to Iron Horse in Tucson. The owner came out on Sunday so we could drop off the bike. Now that’s service and replaced the ring on Monday.

Planning on going back down and on carrying an extra ring.

My question if you have the ring do you still need to drill out the screws and replace the ring or can you just hold it on the original to get it to started. If the former is the case I’ll drill out the screws and replace them with normal ones here. What a pain in the ass

[jpalamar]

Likely this might end up in the EWS/Immobilizer threadfest, perhaps not.

I [flaked] out and whimsically decided to keep my '06 1150 GS Adv...perhaps the shortest time a bike ever on the market. Wanted garage space with multiple bikes.

Coming back from Daytona Bch today riding my '07 R12GS Adv. Upon getting to my home shut off the R1200GS Adv, grabbed a cigar, started it up again[oooops] my first EWS failure.

Like many I've pooh-poohed the failure rates, especially since I've had 5 bikes with the immobilizer ring, thousands of miles and not ONE EWS failure. I was crushed. I'm guessing that until it happens to you, well, easy to pooh pooh the very low numbers and the others experiencing it.

The worst part BTW is the sick feeling that I could very well have been in Chicken, Alaska or whereever. BTW, I do have a spare that I carry with me when touring. Maybe I'll go thru the routine of figuring out how to mount it should I ever need to/or out of range of a BMW dealer.
But, the worst of all is that I will now worry. I suspect that organ transplant people are constantly vigil for signs of problems/or failures. Sorry to be a harbinger of gloom, but as I said, until it happens to you, easy to pooh pooh the problem. Interestingly, I did nothing but wait a few seconds, 're-booted' and unlike Windows blue screen of death (some will know)...ta ta back to life.

POOLSIDE, WHERE ARE YOU?

[johnlt]

I didn't know they made an 1150 anything in 06. I thought they ended in 04 or 05. I have an 06 Adventure and it is the R1200.

[Poolside]

Originally Posted by jpalamar

POOLSIDE, WHERE ARE YOU?

Waiting on some DOT documents, JP.

Re: the ECU and antenna
It is reasonably possible to hardwire a device to take the place of the RFID 'ignition key transponder tag' and ring antenna. The ignition key tag must be read and copied, and the data then programmed into a 'hardwired' device which takes the place of the antenna. A tag reader can be sourced as an commercial-off-the-shelf item, but the hardwired 'ignition key tag' is a design-and-build.

‡ Jim

[jpalamar]

Originally Posted by johnlt

I didn't know they made an 1150 anything in 06. I thought they ended in 04 or 05. I have an 06 Adventure and it is the R1200.

A few hundred came into the country and actually overalpped with the 1200. Likely you saw one somewhere and just thought it's an '05.

Maybe I should've shown it with a seat on it!

[jpalamar]

Originally Posted by Poolside

Waiting on some DOT documents, JP.

Re: the ECU and antenna
It is reasonably possible to hardwire a device to take the place of the RFID 'ignition key transponder tag' and ring antenna. The ignition key tag must be read and copied, and the data then programmed into a 'hardwired' device which takes the place of the antenna. A tag reader can be sourced as an commercial-off-the-shelf item, but the hardwired 'ignition key tag' is a design-and-build.

‡ Jim

The usual, 'keep us informed Jim'.

Best,
John

[Poolside]

Man, your white ADV is going to be a collectors item/classic. THE last of the breed.

And, will do. I'm going for the 'off button'. The Immobilizer is a government anti-theft mandate, that has a cost-plus failure mode. That is different than the 'put a unique numbered sticker on the fender' mandated program it replaces. The sticker does not have a failure mode. The government cannot impose a mandate without a way to pay for it, so the manufacturers are in a position of having to lifetime warranty the Immobilizer system, or include an 'off button'. I am betting on the off button.

[Lone Rider]

Originally Posted by jpalamar

.......... I'm guessing that until it happens to you, well, easy to pooh pooh the very low numbers and the others experiencing it.
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The worst part BTW is the sick feeling that I could very well have been in Chicken, Alaska or whereever.......

Well put.
You can raise all you want to, but one day - assuming you play long enough - that guy across from you will have a royal flush. The naysayers are either ignorant or just stupid.

Without roadside assistance warranty (even assuming it's reachable) or extreme help from others, this 'did not happen to me' inconvenience could easily run into the four-figures and broken dreams.