Handlebar switchgear stopped working

[Slime Bomb]

Ok, Went for a ride a few days ago and the battery started showing signs of fagging out but it ran ok. Got home and jet wash the salt off and put it away. Next day I tried to start it and it just turned of very slowly but wouldn't start.

So, got a new battery from Motorworks, put it on and now the only switches that work are the starter and the aux spotlights. Heated grips, indicators, and switches that alter the settings on the left side all dead.
The battery is all good and starts the bike easily and it's charging as it should having checked it with a multimeter.

Any suggestions will be gratefully received. 2012 r1200 gs adv.

 

[Joca]

Sounds like a bad earth??

 

[MWH]

Maybe take the left one off and see if it has water ingress? Could just spray wd40 in there and see if it displaces any water?

 

[TLSgazza]

Let it dry for a day or 2.
It'll probably start working again.
It has happened before after a jet wash.

 

[Santa-2512]

They fail. The lh combi switch failed on my 2011, at the same time I fitted a new led headlamp, I thought it was a faulty headlamp, until I swapped it back, I stripped and cleaned the micro switchs but to no avail


The only fix was a new switch unit at +£150 ( and that was trade+++)

 

[botus]

the original switches are intended to be waterproof - operated from the other side of a rubber diaphragm to keep the gunk out - I can imagine if these frail element perish its just going to fill with water - and of course as they work on canbus low volt magic it won't take much to confuse things

 

[Slime Bomb]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm going to get the heater in the garage and get it nice and warm for a while and see if that helps.
I do hope it's just water ingress and not a knackered canbus or micro switch thing. We shall see. I'll post back in a few days.

 

[Slime Bomb]

Well. Bike started and everything works as normal again. Very strange...perhaps the warmth in the garage did it good.

 

[botus]

exact behaviour you get from soggy canbus rubbish - silly low volt signals that get upset with a tiny bit of moisture (and then corrosion) causing it to get a muddle on

 

[dashfixer]

I've always said to people not to jet wash bikes. The pressure is too high and will push water into places it shouldn't go, as you just found.

 

[TLSgazza]

Well. Bike started and everything works as normal again. Very strange...perhaps the warmth in the garage did it good.

As I said in post #4.
Always go the simple route first.
It's lucky you didn't listen to others and go and buy a new switch assembly straight away.

Keep the jet wash away from the switchgear in the future.

 

[Slime Bomb]

As I said in post #4.
Always go the simple route first.
It's lucky you didn't listen to others and go and buy a new switch assembly straight away.

Keep the jet wash away from the switchgear in the future.

It's a strange one as I must have been about 4 feet away from the switchgear with the jet wash. They can stay as dirty as they like now.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm going to get the heater in the garage and get it nice and warm for a while and see if that helps.
I do hope it's just water ingress and not a knackered canbus or micro switch thing. We shall see. I'll post back in a few days.

Use an airline to blow dry

 

[Slime Bomb]

Well, I spoke too soon. Fired it up yesterday and it's back to square one. Took it for a good ride and it's intermittent. At one point when it was working I was toggling through the menu when it froze then 5 miles on it's working again. I've put a shout out on the 'tools for loan' section for a HEX GS911. If anyone has one I can come to you.

 

[Slime Bomb]

Ok, just found out that a code reader wont help so scrap that idea.

 

[Flintlock]

Give it a blast with a hair dryer?

 

[Santa-2512]

bite the bullet & buy a new switch unit

 

[Engineer]

Water ingress is a problem, the thin rubber water seals perish - I think WD40 might accelerate this. Best option is to replace - having said that years ago, I fixed mine by letting them dry out and then smothered them in Dow Corning waterproof grease.

 

[Engineer]

Well, I spoke too soon. Fired it up yesterday and it's back to square one. Took it for a good ride and it's intermittent. At one point when it was working I was toggling through the menu when it froze then 5 miles on it's working again. I've put a shout out on the 'tools for loan' section for a HEX GS911. If anyone has one I can come to you.

This intermittent behavior is typical of water ingress.

Here is my link from 2009!

Thread 'Faulty switches - water ingress'

Apr 25, 2009

An intermittent fault can occur anytime from a few hours to a day or more after the bike gets a soaking.

My particular fault was that the left hand indicator would stay on and refuse to cancel - however I believe that any of the switches in the left or right switchgear could show similar faults - I have heard of one bike where the starter was operating continuously after being ridden in the rain.

I dismantled the left-hand switch cluster and the cause was plain to see - the thin rubber 'boots' which were mounted over the white buttons were perished. These boots are designed to keep water...

• Engineer
• Replies: 59
• Forum: 1200 GS Hexhead

 

[Santa-2512]

Which switch pack has failed

LHS
RHS