Crazy Computer Crankiness

[ors]

Any ideas please. I'm near my wit's end!!

R1200GS 2004 ABS

120k miles

Speedo dead, odometer dead, fuel level not displaying, gear selection indicator erratic.

Will start in gear with clutch in (didn't used to).

Brand new rear wheel sensor, new ZFE (ouch), new gearbox potentiometer.

ZFE apparently (according to trusted dealer) not shutting down fully.

Hunted for broken wiring - some frayed near slightly larger Odyssey battery - fixed.

all non OEM equipment disconnected (spots, LED tail)

No alarm

Has anyone else suffered these (or similar) problems? What was the cause?

Thanks in advance

Graham

 

[trainman]

doesn't ZFE have to be paired to the bike and specifically the instruments? if it all works bar the clocks this might be the problem, what was the issue with the removed ZFE?

 

[ors]

Hi trainman

Yes you're right. That was the risk I had to take. Unfortunately the new ZFE didn't solve it and presumably the old ZFE was fine...

 

[ors]

Oops, I forgot to say that the red brake warning lights don't go out either. The brakes are fine though...

 

[Pukmeister]

To delve that deep into the brains, your most likely going in deeper than even the GS911 and need access to a dealers diagnostic kit to fault find and code modules specific the the build spec and VIN of your bike.

What symptoms caused you to replace the ZFE unit in the first place, other than "not shutting down fully"??

 

[ors]

Hi Pukmeister

the ZFE was replaced because of all those symptoms described in my first post

The dealer has run a diagnostic. The ZFE cant recognise the new parts (rear wheel sensor, gearbox potentiometer) because it's effectively not 'rebooting'.

Can trainmans idea that it's the instruments be right?

Thanks for your time

Graham

 

[Pukmeister]

The ZFE does everything on the bike except look after the engine, which is taken care of by the BMS-K. It talks to every other controller across the CAN via a twisted pair and also has input signals from all switches and sensors that are not engine related, including the side stand switch, gear position indicator, clutch switch and RH handlebar switches (kill/run/start), ABS control unit etc etc.

If ZFE is not working, it's game over. ZFE is the central control unit like "Big Brother".That's about the limit of my knowledge, I don't know what could cause the symptoms you describe other than hardware failure or cabling faults.

Software/Firmware is flashed to EPROM in the modules and should be both permanent and fault tolerant/resistant. The system is designed in a hierarchy to shut down faulty components/circuits under short circuit conditions to protect from damage whilst maintaining other circuits.

I would expect a BMW Motorrad dealer to have access to the required diagnostic kit, trained personnel, factory service bulletins and if need be, factory technical support in order to find and rectify the problem(s) you have.

I presume the dealer has programmed the new ZFE using the BMW diagnostic computer, otherwise nothing would work. Trainman suggests that a bare ZFE unit is just a box of microchips until it is connected to a diagnostic machine and then told what it should be doing (software) and what it can and can't see (coded or "programmed" to your bikes build specification/options) and perhaps they have missed out some coding relating to your instrument cluster in the ZFE whilst programming it/loading its software.

I'd say you are at the mercy of the dealer techs knowledge/training/ability. Best of luck with getting it fixed.

 

[trainman]

Any ideas please. I'm near my wit's end!!

R1200GS 2004 ABS

120k miles

Speedo dead, odometer dead, fuel level not displaying, gear selection indicator erratic.

Will start in gear with clutch in (didn't used to).

Brand new rear wheel sensor, new ZFE (ouch), new gearbox potentiometer.

ZFE apparently (according to trusted dealer) not shutting down fully.

Hunted for broken wiring - some frayed near slightly larger Odyssey battery - fixed.

all non OEM equipment disconnected (spots, LED tail)

No alarm

Has anyone else suffered these (or similar) problems? What was the cause?

Thanks in advance

Graham

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=329956

see first and second post - would seem to support theory that units need to be matched some how

 

[tanneman]

If the ZFE don't know with what to communicate with, the components controlled by it will show nothing or just show gibberish. It needs an address to send and receive information, in my area of work we use serial numbers when programming the component. If the fault was particular to one component being controlled by the ZFE then suspect the component or the bus to it. In this case the ZFE is not communicating with the whole lot, right? Check the basics first, battery power, wiring and plugs. Mentioning plugs, it may look fine from the outside but it could easily be corroded inside or have a loose crimp or earth so you'll need to do some invasive checks. If you have the wiring diagram with the pin numbers it will be easy to check but you can only match the wires by opening the plugs and checking resistance. It might be worth it if the dealer can/may be able to extract the necessary information from the old ZFE to program the new ZFE. It may be that the plug is the address code so when it is plugged in the ZFE knows what component/s is connected to it. Not easy to work on and can be a head scratcher when it goes wrong. Go through one thing at a time and work your way through it.

 

[st247]

As the can bus effectively communicates over one set of two wires, twisted together I'd be tempted to do a continuity check of the can his wires as a start. If the can wiring is gone near to the zfe you'll get nothing at all from the other units.

The vehicles I've worked on with can bus do not like the change over of ecu's without the system being reconfigured by a dealer. Even with 15000 trucks in service red lashing the ecu's was still not available to us. If you still have the original zfe I'd put that back on given the above and the fact that changing it made no difference.

It may be worth having a post on hexcodes forum as they do like electrical problems. Link - http://forum.hexcode.co.za/forum/

 

[*touring ted*]

I assume your dealer has the correct BMW MOSS diagnosis and programming computer ???

All new control units need to be programmed into the bike to work correctly..

 

[ors]

Thanks all for you input. I'm going to speak to the dealer again armed with my new knowledge. I'll let you know what happens

 

[SteveM]

Thanks all for you input. I'm going to speak to the dealer again armed with my new knowledge. I'll let you know what happens

And............. What happened please Graham?