EWS warning but bike starts

[Nabbott]

Am I being retarded? I have an EWS message come up on start up but it goes away. I have a GS-911 and it only shows error codes for the (non existent) ABS pump.

I’ve videoed the sequence below - is this ‘as per normal’ (so I’m being an idiot and the bike is just cycling through standard pre-checks) or something that is going to require spanners?

 

[botus]

mine did it last year - intermittently when it was really cold - most times it started but twice it refused till a key on off cycle - I didn't wait to get stranded ordered the part and fitted within a week

 

[Nabbott]

What part @botus? Is it the antenna ring?

 

[botus]

yep the ring antenna - its another designed to fail part (like most German electronics)

Voyager 47 years on, or a Philips Clock Radio / Tape / TV I still use every day that's 45 years old - there is no need for electronics to die like they do on German vehicles - unless the accountants, engineers and criminals plotted it

 

[Nabbott]

Duly ordered

 

[Nabbott]

OK, so new antenna ring arrived, I unplugged the old one and plugged in the new one to see if i could 'fix' the issue. Same problem. Where should I be looking next?

 

[Lodgey]

Don’t you have to tape your spare key to it if it’s dangling otherwise it’s too far away to read your key in the ignitions transponder,or something like that,it’s a while since I’ve been concerned about 1200 gsers

 

[Nabbott]

Don’t you have to tape your spare key to it if it’s dangling otherwise it’s too far away to read your key in the ignitions transponder,or something like that,it’s a while since I’ve been concerned about 1200 gsers

I believe so, as the EWS warning goes out and the bike will start start, so the immobiliser is recognising the key in the new ring.....

 

[Watty100]

Take a look at this thread, specifically Post #13, paragraph 3:

Post in thread 'EWS Warning- What Else to Try Before The Scrapheap'

Oct 7, 2024

So, to complete the story, I'm glad to report the bike is now back together and starts and runs like a good 'un. No faults on the dash, neutral light working as it should, headlamp only comes on after the starter button is pressed.

Having found that the fault was low voltage in the permanent live to the ECU, I cut that wire and joined it to a new length of wire direct to the battery +ve.

A simple and dirt cheap fix, I just wish I'd found it before sending the ECU to ecu.de for testing at a cost of almost £100

If anyone reading this is contemplating using ecu.de, by all means do so...

• Watty100

• 

It gives you clear instructions on continuity testing the wiring from the ring antenna to the ECU, and advice for checking for a wiring short as well.
All very simple to do, just means you have to get the fuel tank off to access the ECU. Good luck.

 

[klj]

Hi. I have this issue - always thought it was part of the checking / boot up sequence. No faults stored. Did you get any further with this ? At least one bmw tech I know said its normal on these ( mine is a 2005 1200 GS). Cheers

 

[Nabbott]

Hi. I have this issue - always thought it was part of the checking / boot up sequence. No faults stored. Did you get any further with this ? At least one bmw tech I know said its normal on these ( mine is a 2005 1200 GS). Cheers

That's the conclusion I came too as well. I did change the antenna ring but mostly as a precaution (and it was the old 'troublesome' part number) and, as if to prove my theory, it didn't change the startup 'scroll' that includes the EWS check.

 

[klj]

Thanks for that

 

[klj]

"An EWS warning light claims no signal from Ring Antenna...........

..........After all, the EWS warning is set up in such a way that the warning is lit up until the controller confirms it's ok.

(cut n paste from a related thread by NUTK ( Norwegian member ).. This is what an old BMW tech once told me....