Has this happened to anyone else????

[GibGSA]

Earlier today I posted this in the EWS Recall thread, but I made a new thread because what happened later is just weird!!!!!!!.

My EWS just went after 3400km exactly, on my 08 R1200GS Adventure. I'd just literally been for a ride to Ronda and Jimena in Spain, stopping at both towns, and on reaching Gib, I thought I'd top up at the petrol station. Went to start it, I always wait till the warning triangles go out, and ...........EWS appears on the screen and of course it won't start! I had to push the bike about a km to my garage in 33 degree heat so I'm not a happy bunny at the moment.
Thing is I'm expecting BMW to ring me next week as I had pre ordered a Spare Ring Antenna, proper spare key and FPC just in case. I'll have to ring BMW Spain on Monday to find out how the bikes going to get to the workshop, (no BMW workshop in Gib).
What bothers me is that if they know they have a continuing problem with the ring antenna and can't fix it why do they keep on fitting them to new bikes or better still why don't they get the Japanese to make it for them!
Makes you wonder though if it only lasts 3400km or sometimes even less how many spares would you need to cross Africa!! my guess is a whole pannier full and thats without mentioning the dreaded FPC! No wonder LWD took two large support vehicles!!

Just in case anyone is wondering I don't have a bunch of keys flapping about, only the bike key and the remote alarm control which is wrapped in a canvas pouch to stop it from flapping around. The damm thing has just decided not to work anymore...its that simple.
Now that I know 'mines not any different from anyone elses' I don't think I could possibly have the confidence to ride this bike anymore without carrying a spare EWS and spare key in the pannier (and a spare FPC, when it arrives).

If only the japanese made GS's............................

Well here's the weird bit during the course of the fault I must have switched the ignition on and off about 30..... yes 30 times! I even went home read the hand book thingy (which stated to give the spare key a try) went back to my garage tried both the spare and the main keys with no luck. I then returned home (garage about 3km away) and was skipping through the EWS recall thread when I came across the part number for the EWS, so I then went back to the garage and took a photo of the EWS to read the part number (my eyesight isn't what it used to be) and I thought "go on give it another go" so I did (using the original main key), and 4 hrs later from the initial fault it started!!! I've tried another ten or so times and the EWS fault is no longer present.
I'm still going to ring the garage on Monday but at least I won't be requiring the services of the towtruck (for now anyway!).
Can anyone shed any light on this?? Has this happened to you??
Incidently my EWS part number is 61357717136-01

 

[Fanum]

I have no idea if the EWS fault can be intermittent....I guess it could be though and I'm sure somebody who's had one will be along in a minute to confirm or deny it......

I was wondering about the aerials though....it's very very common to have alarm/transponder problems under or close to high powered broadcasting kit, and Gib is covered in the things!
I had this once with my bike alarm,as did two others in the group ( good job otherwise we wouldn't have sussed it as a potential cause) and al we had to do was push the bikes 100 yrds down the motorway (it was in a layby in Poland or somewhere IIRC)

 

[GibGSA]

I've never had the problem before (in the 4 months I've owned it), and my lock up garage is pretty sheltered and close to the rock face, so much so I can't use my mobile unless I move to near one of the exits. I could have done with out the pushing in the heat though, LOL.
Rgds
GibGSA

 

[John Armstrong]

Guess you'll be checking on whether the dealer has a spare ring antenna then on Monday? Glad to hear it's back working again though.

Might be an idea when you get the spare to try fueling up again at the same garage.

 

[GibGSA]

Hi John, sods law eh! and I've got one on order as well. Funny thing is I fill up every week at the same Shell petrol station in Gib, which is where the fault occurred today, plus my garage is about 1km away although it felt a lot further when I was pushing!. I don't understand why the fault lasted 4hrs, I was trying, with no luck in between with both keys.
I will definitely call the dealer on Monday though!
Rgds
Andy

 

[Gaulois]

Don't know if this is relevant but you can trick the computer into allowing you to get around an EWS failure. Just disconnect the battery for 20-30 minutes and it forgets about the failure. Change of location also helps as electro-magnetic radiation seems to have an effect.

I did this a few times when mine went in Morocco. Once you get it started leave the ignition switched on and use the kill switch and turn off the dipped beam when the engine isn't running and you won't have a problem.

btw, If your going to the dealer in Porto Bañus (Autos de la Sierra Blanca?), it took me 2 visits to get them to accept it was an EWS failure and then he wouldn't look at it for a week. I've never come across more unhelpful dealer when abroad.

 

[Blackal]

I went to take my GSA out to the dealership for a service, and the bugger wouldn't start. I had no idea what the EWS warning was for, so assumed the battery was low. Hooked it up to the charger for 15 minutes, re-tried it.......................... Vroom!

So - I assumed it had been the battery.

Took it for its service and upon picking the bike up - was told that they had renewed the EWS ring, as it had failed.........................

So - the fault can be intermittent, but you wouldn't want to rely on a ring that had previously failed.

Al

 

[Uinneag]

, but you wouldn't want to rely on a ring that had previously failed.

Al

Thought I was reading one of Garfields posts for a minute

 

[GibGSA]

Yes, this is a strange one, I went to the garage this morning and it started no problem, I've also been there this afternoon after work and again no problem. I then took the bike for a quick spin, (only 7 Km), around the town and again no problem. I still can't work out why, if it was radio interference, did it take 4 hrs to reset. I'll still call the garage tomorrow, see what they offer.
B.T.W GAULOIS I take mine to Guarnieri in Malaga, (its on the same road as the airport), that's where I bought it from originally. Up to now they have been OK and there set up looks pretty efficient.

 

[Deleted account 210609001]

Regardign the intermitment natur efo yoru fault: while my bike was in the throes of the FPC failing, it did flash up EWC a couple of times. Each tiem I turned off an don again and the EWC frault disappeared. I put this down to general confusion in the electronics.

Hope yours stays sorted.

 

[Pukmeister]

If it happens again, try shrouding the ignition switch with tin foil and ground the tin foil to the bikes frame. A kind of home made faradays cage. That should hopefully screen it from stray RF interference to prove/disprove the theory.

 

[Ali-bear]

Yes I think the EWS fault is partly to do with poor antenna pick-up. Maybe the parts weren't manufactured to spec, or the spec wasn't right or something. So some work not as well as they should, making the antenna-key link more vulnerable to any EM interference.

Pushing the bike away from any sources of noise, for example power lines or transmitters, may be enough to get the bike started again.

Insist that any ring antenna that does this is replaced.

 

[buzzman]

Well my 57 1200 GS made a grand total of 2 days before the EWS fault occured. However it was very intermittent and it limped to it's first service after some very frustrating times. They replaced the Antenna Ring and no problems since, now on 2300 miles.