EWS Failure and Towing Nightmare (Merged multiple EWS threads)

[mtfrench]

It started out as a perfect day to ride; mid 70s, sunny, and light breeze. After riding about 250 miles, my riding partner and I stopped for a quick drink. 10 minutes later we returned to our bikes. His 06 R12GS fired right up. My 07 R12GSA with 4K miles would not turn over and the dreaded EWS warning signal was staring at me. After a call to my dealer he explained that the only option was to call BMW roadside assistance and have the bike towed to him, about 100 miles away. He was 99% sure that the EWS sensor ring at the ignition failed and would need to be replaced. How did he know this? Turns out that he replaced several of these sensor rings recently and a call to another dealer today confirmed a similar EWS sensor failure number on bikes that he serviced recently. This really concerns me as I often ride in remote areas with no cell phone service. What have others heard about this serious problem that can affect all recent (post 2005?) models?

To make matters worse, it took about 3 hours for a tow truck to show up despite repeated return calls to BMW roadside assistance. The tow truck operator was ornery as hell and would not listen to my advice about how to properly tie down the bike. All these delays caused us to arrive at the dealer past closing time. I could go on and on about all the hassles, but suffice to say that my first experience with BMW roadside assistance was not pleasant. More importantly, I hope the EWS sensor does not fail again after replacement next week.

[Ksrob]

The same thing happened to my wife's '07 RT with about 4k on it. Coming back from the National, stopped for a bite to eat and came out to the dead bike. First time in 35 years that a bike didn't get me home.

I complained to the customer service drone that called about the service I received from the repairing dealer. BMW said they were sorry but other than that, kiss it. He wouldn't transfer me to anyone higher to get satisfaction.

After 10 years of BMW ownership,both 2 and 4 wheeled, that about finished my relationship with the brand. I really don't like the attitude of the company. I visited with my local dealer and they too are tired of the one sided relationship.

Back to the EWS, it took a couple of weeks to get the bike back and it hasn't hicupped since. If you look around on other web sites, you'll see many posts concerning the problem. Adv rider is one that I seem to remember that looked into it.

Good luck,

[riderR1150GSAdv]

Welcome to the wonderfull world of BMW electronics.:bluduh This week, my brother had to bring his car (330i) in for total replacement of the steering column due to failure of the electronic steering lock as he had issues starting the vehicle. I have never ever heard of even the worst of vehicle brands having to replace that part.
I also heard about and seen plenty ( 4 in all) of EWS failures this past summer during my Alaska trip. One rider was stuck in the Yukon.
If BMW keeps this up, my 1150 will be my last BMW bike. I have an eye on the Moto Guzzi Stelvio.....:blush

[BMWon2]

Happened to me today. R1200gsa 2007. 5500k miles.
After riding for 35 degrees, After 95 miles, ended with a little off roading, stopped the bike for 10 minutes down the street from my house and it wouldn't start again. EWS!.
I was lucky to be only a few houses away.
Called the dealer and they were also aware of it and it sounds like a part that should be kept on the bike as a spare. But a problem to change out.

What's BMW doing about this.

[sfdave]

Same for me except after a turn of the key back to off, and on the next retry she started right up. Kind of makes you wonder though...

[BMWon2]

This is crazy that a bike like this can have such a failiure and not have a recall on this part.
Mine just went after 5500 miles and I'm told the replacement part will not be an improved version. This is the SUV of motorcycles and such a stupid little part can leave you stranded. They know about it and are doing nothing. Unbelievable!!

[gadgetboy]

For what it's worth, there's a new part number for the EWS ring antenna, does it mean improved reliability? :dunno

If you carry a spare, you can use it without removing the dead unit on the bike, you simply unplug the harness and plug in the spare, place it over the key hole, insert the plastic key and turn it on.

[BigAdv]

This is crazy that a bike like this can have such a failiure and not have a recall on this part.
Mine just went after 5500 miles and I'm told the replacement part will not be an improved version. This is the SUV of motorcycles and such a stupid little part can leave you stranded. They know about it and are doing nothing. Unbelievable!!

Funny that you should call it the SUV and this kind of thing should not happen. Did you ever watch THE RACE TO DAKAR? They where having all sorts of problems with the BMW X5 - EWS failures. Had to fly a guy in from germany with a GT-1 to get it going. Just thought I'd share.

Earl

[WestHautianPlen]

:scratch From what I have just read, I may have had an EWS problem instead of a battery problem.

I had stopped to fuel up prior to checking into a motel in Southern Illinois in Early November. Attempted to Started My 2007 R1200RT after fueling. Nothing!!! I had been riding with Heated seats and Grips on, thought I must have depleted the battery charge by leaving the key on. Tried a couple or three times to start it, still nothing. The Motel was Down Hill from the Gas Station So I Coasted to the Motel. Tried to Dump the clutch to start, still nothing. Rather frustrated I checked into the Motel. I did not bring jumper cables or a Battery Tender with me so I was thinking about calling a cab to get a lift to purchase a battery tender from an auto parts store. Hunger was starting to set in though, so I walked about a 1/2 mile to dine, ate and walked back. After I was back I tried to start my RT an it fired right up. No sign of a weak battery. I ran the motor at a fast Idle for 10- 15 minutes with everything off to charge the battery well.

The next morning it started fine, I Rode through Kentucky, then back home to Indiana, stopping several times and not even a hint of a problem.

Took the bike in for a 6000 Mile service about a week later. Described the problem I had and asked them to check the Battery, etc. They found nothing. The service manager said not to have both keys in the vicinity of the key switch location at the same time, but did not indicate that this has been a problem.

Do you think this could have been a EWS Problem? On the screen when I turned the key on at the Gas Station the third time I got an "EWS" on the Computer Screen. I thought it might have showed up because the battery was dead at the time, but now it makes me wonder.

:dunno :dunno

Nervous RT Rider

[Gringa]

Got a question, would a fault reader help out in any way with this issue? :dunno

[DarrylRi]

The owners manual for my 2007 R1200ST explicitly says not to put any other keys on the ring with the bike's ignition key, as this can confuse the EWS. When I bought the bike, the dealer told me the same thing.

[deilenberger]

Do you think this could have been a EWS Problem? On the screen when I turned the key on at the Gas Station the third time I got an "EWS" on the Computer Screen. I thought it might have showed up because the battery was dead at the time, but now it makes me wonder.

:dunno :dunno

Nervous RT RiderSounds like an EWS problem to me.. was your spare key in the vicinity?

Also - if it fails with EWS warning. Turn it off and walk away for about 10 minutes. The system has a time-out built into it - so if it detects a failure it won't respond for so many minutes (I seem to remember 5.. but could be wrong on that) so that someone with a code jumper (a tool that sends out sequences of codes) won't be able to use it..

[WestHautianPlen]

The Spare key was in my vest pocket or pant pocket. May have been to close when I was standing beside the bike after fueling. I put the bike on the center stand removed the tank bag and unlocked the fuel tank door, then re-inserted the key in the ignition switch. May need to avoid putting key into ignition until I am ready to go.

How would you handle this?

Plen

[deilenberger]

How would you handle this?

PlenGood question.. dunno. I would hope the dealer can pull any error codes from the EWS system. If they can - I would also hope the codes give enough information to determine if it was a "two-key" problem, or a failure of the antenna.

I would hazard a guess that it isn't an antenna failure since it doesn't seem to have happened to you since then (am I correct in this?) and you've ridden the bike some distance/time since then.

As far as I have been able to find out.. the EWS system only "reads" the key when you go to start the bike (as evidenced by some people putting a spare antenna on and just moving it in the vicinity of the key when starting.. then moving it away.)

I do not think your spare key caused the problem - the reason being - mine is sewn into my Roadcrafter top.. and isn't all that far from the ignition assembly and EWS antenna when I go to start the bike. I've never experienced an EWS error.

BTW - the EWS "recovery" where it later started fine is likely due to the "time-out" factor I mentioned. Too many attempts to start it within a certain time will cause it to time-out, and then it won't start until it sits for some time.

[Gringa]

Hi, sorry to repeat myself with the same question but did not get an answer for the first one or nobody knows; can a code reader either the one frm Africa or the MAC help with this particular issue in errasing the fault code?

Sorry but just felt ignored and consider it to be a valid question and usefull for all.

Frank

[deilenberger]

Hi, sorry to repeat myself with the same question but did not get an answer for the first one or nobody knows; can a code reader either the one frm Africa or the MAC help with this particular issue in errasing the fault code?

Sorry but just felt ignored and consider it to be a valid question and usefull for all.

FrankDon't feel ignored - I suspect no one has an answer to your valid question. Answering it would require someone to both have the failure and have a GS911 along at the time the failure happened.

If you'd like to visit me - I have a GS911- and I'm sure by unplugging your antenna we could create an EWS fault.

I do rather suspect there isn't anything to "clear" - that if the fault no longer exists - the EWS will clear all by itself (after the time-out period) - it seems that's what happened to a number of people. The system may store a record of the event happening (dunno - haven't had a bike to scan that had the problem) - and the record can probably be "cleared" - but the GS911 isn't going to "fix" it so you can start the bike. Whatever caused the EWS message is what has to be fixed then the bike can be started.

[BeemerMike]

As I said in another post to another thread . . . I hope my non-CANBUS, non-I-Drive, non-Chris Bangle BMW bikes and car (Z3) last a LONG time! ;)

[Gringa]

Thanks Don for the offer, I myself just got the Mac and was wondering if by just clearing the error code would help. Just the thought of carrying a spare antenna and sorts just makes you want to sell the bike and get an older one. I love my modern bikes and just don't like the idea of stupid errors leaving you stranded.

Cheers

Frank

[sfdave]

I love my modern bikes and just don't like the idea of stupid errors leaving you stranded.

I too, love my 1200GS, but miss the simplicity of my 1150. I'll be really PO'd if it strands me on a trip to Canada / Alaska or something. (or Richmond,CA :laugh )

[deilenberger]

As I said in another post to another thread . . . I hope my non-CANBUS, non-I-Drive, non-Chris Bangle BMW bikes and car (Z3) last a LONG time! ;)And you're telling those of us with CANBUS bikes this so we feel bad? :dance

[deilenberger]

Thanks Don for the offer, I myself just got the Mac and was wondering if by just clearing the error code would help. Just the thought of carrying a spare antenna and sorts just makes you want to sell the bike and get an older one. I love my modern bikes and just don't like the idea of stupid errors leaving you stranded.

Cheers

FrankI think you're being scared by Internet Hysteria. I frequent a LOT of R1200 forums - not only here - but lots of other places. I've heard of about 4, perhaps 5, instances of an EWS error causing someone a problem. That's out of how many R1200 CANBUS bikes?

Could it happen? Sure. Could an alternator rotor on an airhead fail and leave you stranded - sure - it's happened to a LOT of people. Could a fuel pump fail on an early K bike and leave you stranded? Sure - happened to a LOT of people. Could a brit bike from the '70's just barf out a connecting rod - leaving you stranded? Sure could - happened more than once.

NO mechanical/electrical device is 100% reliable. IF they were there would be no need for mechanics or repair departments.

I don't find the few problems reported (and IMHO - intensified by people reporting the same incident to multiple Internet forums) troubling enough to keep me off my bike, or want any other bike - even if it's simpler. I haven't had to bring my R1200R home on a trailer - and that's more than I can say for the airhead I owned and either of the the K bikes I owned..

Best,

[FredRydr]

I think you're being scared by Internet Hysteria.What's Internet Hysteria?

Fred

http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/frankenstein_villagers488.jpg
MOA Forum members after hearing about the Ironbutt rear drive failures.

[WestHautianPlen]

Don thanks for the input !!!
Fred thanks for the Humor!!!

Before the Internet Ignorance was not always bliss. I find these discussion so interesting.


Thanks Again

Plen Smith
Terre Haute, Indiana

[mikeperez]

Today, I went for a ride in sunny south texas and took a little break.

Key ON, check EWS on the screen of the LCD.

I have an 07 RT, with 15K miles, and last night was the first time I put a battery tender on the battery ... for some unknown reason?? If it works don't fix it!!!

Well anyway, DEAD, 45 miles from home, lucky for me I was able to contact a buddy to drag a trailer out to pick me up.... I never seen my bike on a trailer.... It looks really nice, ... but better between my legs ... it just takes me where I want to go... anyway, I called a BMW SHOP, and when I told him what I had, "he said, bring it to the shop and we will replace it, under warranty." I asked isn't there anything, I can do out in the field to reset this.??? he replied... well sometimes, you can wiggle the wires under the key and It may come back.... I though "wiggle the wires, on $20Kplus of bike... ?? WOW, I feel like i'm in the 60's.

Well the shop is 325 miles away...

The main problem with me on all of this is ... the mystery of what may have caused this... its like your wife/kid telling a little lie.... not so sure anymore.

I really love my bike, and HOPE this is a one time thing.... anyone heard of repeats on the same bike?.... could the battery tender, made this happen?

Is it possible ... it go away.

Looks like I am loading up a BORROWED trailer and heading up to the BMWshop for some unscheduled Service....

mp

[BigAdv]

As I said in another post to another thread . . . I hope my non-CANBUS, non-I-Drive, non-Chris Bangle BMW bikes and car (Z3) last a LONG time! ;)

Hate to break it to ya BeemerMike, but your Z3 has canbus as well as a few other networks. Depending on year it may even have EWS.

So are you going to sell it now?

Earl

[kr70657]

Today, I went for a ride in sunny south texas and took a little break.

Key ON, check EWS on the screen of the LCD.

I have an 07 RT, with 15K miles, and last night was the first time I put a battery tender on the battery

mp

Do you just clip the battery tender on the battery terminals? I'm curious, as that is what my salesman told me to do. I was ready to buy the $160 charger that connects to a powerlet (I think) when I picked up the bike. He asked if I had a battery tender, I said yes, he said don't bother with the BMW charger, just lift the seat and connect the battery tender. Makes sense to me. Then I'm diligently reading my owners manual where it says, on page 130, "Charging the connected battery directly at the battery terminals can damage the motorcycle electronics." Hmmm. Anyone else having EWS issues use a charger connected to the battery?

[cjack]

The Spare key was in my vest pocket or pant pocket. May have been to close when I was standing beside the bike after fueling. I put the bike on the center stand removed the tank bag and unlocked the fuel tank door, then re-inserted the key in the ignition switch. May need to avoid putting key into ignition until I am ready to go.

How would you handle this?

Plen

I have had other BMW chipped keys in my tank bag about 6 inches from the EWS ring when traveling. Both for my bike and my wife's. No issues.
Because of the date of your RT, and the many ring failures from that period, I would err on the side of the EWS ring failing. I don't know just what QC problem these rings have had, but for one to be slightly intermittant would not be out of the question although most all have failed permanently. I would want to carry a new ring. Did you not notice the EWS until the third time, or did it in fact not appear the first two?

[BeemerMike]

Hate to break it to ya BeemerMike, but your Z3 has canbus as well as a few other networks. Depending on year it may even have EWS.

So are you going to sell it now?

Earl

Oops! Sorry. A little careless in transferring from my earlier note, which was only talking about my BMW bikes. Nothing inherently wrong with CANBUS, but then again, on my 2001 Z3 I don't try to charge up the battery through the 12v outlet plug on the console (f/k/a "cigarette lighter")! ;)

My sailboat has a CANBUS system that ties all of the electronics together (chartplotter, depth, speed, etc.), and it works fine. But, I also don't try to charge up the boat's batteries through one of the 12v outlet plugs at the nav station, either!

And no, I'm not going to sell the Z3 now . . . I'm also not going to rush out and buy a Z4.

But, I do have to wonder if the BMW motorcycles are getting more complicated than motorcycles really need (or should) be, especially electronically. ABS? OK. EWS? Maybe not so much.

[WestHautianPlen]

I have had other BMW chipped keys in my tank bag about 6 inches from the EWS ring when traveling. Both for my bike and my wife's. No issues.
Because of the date of your RT, and the many ring failures from that period, I would err on the side of the EWS ring failing. I don't know just what QC problem these rings have had, but for one to be slightly intermittant would not be out of the question although most all have failed permanently. I would want to carry a new ring. Did you not notice the EWS until the third time, or did it in fact not appear the first two?

Sorry it took so long to respond. Out of the office today.

I did not notice the EWS on the screen untill I tried the third time. I was actually standing beside the bike when I tried it the first time. I wanted to start it up and warm up the seat and bar ends. It was a little cool. After It did not crank I mounted it on the center stand to see if I had it in gear or something. Thats when I noticed the EWS on the Screen.

I have wondered if removing the key from the ignition switch then reinserting the key might of helped, but from reading the other post it does seem like they just fail. I have not used a battery tender on my RT yet. I have a couple of them for the lawn mower, etc., but I will probably just start the bike up once a week to charge the battery and move the fluids around.
I have a jacket coming for my Bride and it should be in next week. I will talk to the shop about these suggestions. Thanks for the help.

Plen Smith

[AKBeemer]

For what it's worth, there's a new part number for the EWS ring antenna, does it mean improved reliability? :dunno

If you carry a spare, you can use it without removing the dead unit on the bike, you simply unplug the harness and plug in the spare, place it over the key hole, insert the plastic key and turn it on.

What is the part number?

[cjack]

What is the part number?

61 35 7 696 463

[mikeperez]

Do you just clip the battery tender on the battery terminals? I'm curious, as that is what my salesman told me to do. I was ready to buy the $160 charger that connects to a powerlet (I think) when I picked up the bike. He asked if I had a battery tender, I said yes, he said don't bother with the BMW charger, just lift the seat and connect the battery tender. Makes sense to me. Then I'm diligently reading my owners manual where it says, on page 130, "Charging the connected battery directly at the battery terminals can damage the motorcycle electronics." Hmmm. Anyone else having EWS issues use a charger connected to the battery?

The way it was explained to me, was the the ONLY charger to use is the BMW one, it is made to handle the electronic system in the BIKE, for the reasons on Page 130. I had an 2 year old HD tender, and I plugged in, WRONG thing to do, it did a great job on the battery, but trashed the "antenna ring sensor" which caused the EWS to fail.

Mine was under warranty, but it would have been a $200 fix. Suppose to not happen again with the new part, but ???

I have had it repaired already, seems to be working fine. I had the battery checked under a load as well, and she was not damaged. I say stick with the rules of the manual.

One thing I do recommend, is to ask multiple dealers about this if it happens to you. I called 4 shops, and got different answers from each, and only two of them were in the same ball park, the other two, you could tell, were part exchangers, and did not really know how to answer question. I think this is a good Mechanic test question.... if your trying to decide where to take your bike for service.

Good Luck
mike

[cjack]

The way it was explained to me, was the the ONLY charger to use is the BMW one, it is made to handle the electronic system in the BIKE, for the reasons on Page 130. I had an 2 year old HD tender, and I plugged in, WRONG thing to do, it did a great job on the battery, but trashed the "antenna ring sensor" which caused the EWS to fail.

Mine was under warranty, but it would have been a $200 fix. Suppose to not happen again with the new part, but ???

I have had it repaired already, seems to be working fine. I had the battery checked under a load as well, and she was not damaged. I say stick with the rules of the manual.

One thing I do recommend, is to ask multiple dealers about this if it happens to you. I called 4 shops, and got different answers from each, and only two of them were in the same ball park, the other two, you could tell, were part exchangers, and did not really know how to answer question. I think this is a good Mechanic test question.... if your trying to decide where to take your bike for service.

Good Luck
mike

I doubt very much that you hurt the EWS ring. I am guessing that the HD tender was a smart charger like the Deltran ones and would work just fine. The EWS rings have been subject to failing in a wholesale way during most of this year. Bad batch or something. They were on backorder for a month.

[mikeperez]

Thanks for the input, cjack.

I think your right...

mike

[dpspeer]

I started to get EWS errors at about 6,000 miles on my '07 RT. Fortunately, the bike did start each time by turning the key off and back on (never removed the key from the ignition nor did more than a couple seconds pass before turning it off and on).

The dealer confirmed the bike had 8 EWS failure codes in memory and replaced the antennae ring. They said they keep spare rings in stock as they've seen this problem "frequently of late".

[dorongrudo]

A while back in 2007 I went down (with my bike and my wife) somewhere in New Mexico. I was riding my 2005 R1200RT. It was a minor crash and we were OK. However, I lost my ABS and power brakes. I called BMW roadside assistance. They claimed that I, and my bike, do not exist. I called again with the VIN number and even went to the bike and read it from the bike - no go, I did not exist.

When I called few days later to complain, the good folks at BMW roadside assistance could not recall the incident. Not only I do not exist, I never even called.

WOW.

Capt. Grudo

[PGlaves]

A while back in 2007 I went down (with my bike and my wife) somewhere in New Mexico. I was riding my 2005 R1200RT. It was a minor crash and we were OK. However, I lost my ABS and power brakes. I called BMW roadside assistance. They claimed that I, and my bike, do not exist. I called again with the VIN number and even went to the bike and read it from the bike - no go, I did not exist.

When I called few days later to complain, the good folks at BMW roadside assistance could not recall the incident. Not only I do not exist, I never even called.

WOW.

Capt. Grudo

Off topic I know, but there seem to be people in this world who believe that when they screw up the appropriate resonse, rather that to accept responsibility for the screw up, is to lie. You seem to have found one or two of those. Sad.

[swall]

How big of a piece is the "antenna ring?" How well do you have to protect it if carried as a spare? How much disassembly is required to do the change out on the road?

[cjack]

How big of a piece is the "antenna ring?" How well do you have to protect it if carried as a spare? How much disassembly is required to do the change out on the road?

It, the box for it, is about 25% bigger than a boxed H4 headlight bulb. You can't replace it on the road because you would have to drill "one way" screws out of the upper triple clamp (after removing it from the bike's forks) to remove it. But you can unplug it and plug the new one in right next to the bad one and drive on.

[Troutluck]

I would think a more appropriate topic would be, "how do I disable EWS so it no longer poses a threat to the functioning of my bike." Don't get me started on CANBUS. Me, and the Internet mobs.

[deilenberger]

I would think a more appropriate topic would be, "how do I disable EWS so it no longer poses a threat to the functioning of my bike." Don't get me started on CANBUS. Me, and the Internet mobs.Hoping not to get you started..

That topic would be fruitless to persue. EWS is a function of the FZE module in the bike - it can't be "turned off" or disabled. It's there and will stay there. If EWS presents that big a threat to your happiness with a Hexhead, then perhaps a modern BMW isn't the bike for you. You might let BMW know that - loosing customers might have some effect on their future plans - or not.

As far as CANBUS - I like it. It greatly simplfies the wiring harness of the new bikes and by doing so should increase reliability. I've had to replace two wiring harnesses so far on BMWs due to failure caused by the complexity and density of the wiring. CANBUS eliminates that - and fuses - another common failure point. I like that - and it was a point in the bikes favor for me when I bought it.

Dunno about "Me, and the Internet mobs" - I've never run into either. ;)

[tripens]

I'm getting worried about all this EWS talk. Disconnected the battery on my '05 R1200GS (with a little over 56k miles), hooked up the CNTEC charger, and all was well. When I reconnected the battery, "EWS" showed up on the lower right-hand corner of the start-up screen, then a "DWA" with a picture resembling a flashlight battery half-charged. The bike starts and runs okay, and all codes disappear after starting. I disabled the remote control according to the book after changing the battery in the remote unit, and now the start-up shows EWS and DWA along with what appears to be a flashlight battery fully charged. My nearest dealer is 200 miles away, and I had planned on leaving for Mexico next weekend, so am more than mildly concerned. Any suggestions or guidance? Thanks.

'05 R1200GS
'80 R65
Some other stuff lying around the garage

[cjack]

Hoping not to get you started..

That topic would be fruitless to persue. EWS is a function of the FZE module in the bike - it can't be "turned off" or disabled. It's there and will stay there. If EWS presents that big a threat to your happiness with a Hexhead, then perhaps a modern BMW isn't the bike for you. You might let BMW know that - loosing customers might have some effect on their future plans - or not.

As far as CANBUS - I like it. It greatly simplfies the wiring harness of the new bikes and by doing so should increase reliability. I've had to replace two wiring harnesses so far on BMWs due to failure caused by the complexity and density of the wiring. CANBUS eliminates that - and fuses - another common failure point. I like that - and it was a point in the bikes favor for me when I bought it.

Dunno about "Me, and the Internet mobs" - I've never run into either. ;)

:thumb

[cjack]

I'm getting worried about all this EWS talk. Disconnected the battery on my '05 R1200GS (with a little over 56k miles), hooked up the CNTEC charger, and all was well. When I reconnected the battery, "EWS" showed up on the lower right-hand corner of the start-up screen, then a "DWA" with a picture resembling a flashlight battery half-charged. The bike starts and runs okay, and all codes disappear after starting. I disabled the remote control according to the book after changing the battery in the remote unit, and now the start-up shows EWS and DWA along with what appears to be a flashlight battery fully charged. My nearest dealer is 200 miles away, and I had planned on leaving for Mexico next weekend, so am more than mildly concerned. Any suggestions or guidance? Thanks.

'05 R1200GS
'80 R65
Some other stuff lying around the garage

Those symbols appearing are just checks. If they go away, then the check is good and no issues.
Also, I personally don't recall any of the '05 bikes having an EWS antenna issue. Seemed to be mostly starting with '07 for awhile.

[tripens]

Those symbols appearing are just checks. If they go away, then the check is good and no issues.
Also, I personally don't recall any of the '05 bikes having an EWS antenna issue. Seemed to be mostly starting with '07 for awhile.

Thanks, Chuck; appreciate the quick response. I was hoping that was all that was happening, but it just seemed strange that those things have not shown up before. Guess I'll find out how good BMW of Mexico City is, if a problem arises, eh? ;)
Pete

[Motorwerk]

The DWA is the alarm battery. That should never show up unless the batteries are weak or dead. Suggest replacing them it if it's ever used.

[tripens]

The DWA is the alarm battery. That should never show up unless the batteries are weak or dead. Suggest replacing them it if it's ever used.

Thanks. I replaced the battery in the remote units--one of them worked per the instructions, the other one didn't (i.e., the LED light on one of the remotes lit, the other one didn't). I reintroduced the unit that lit up per the instruction booklet, but nothing happened, and the "DWA" and picture of a battery continues to come on and stays on until the engine is started. Same with the "EWS" in the lower right-hand corner of the display panel. I must be missing something in the DWA set-up instructions........Gotta' love somethin' I just don't understand!

[BigAdv]

The DWA is not a check it is telling you that the batt. in the module(on the bike) is going dead.

Earl

PS; its amazing whats in the riders manual!!

[Motorwerk]

Thanks, Earl. Hopefully, that will help.

The alarm module is located in the tail behind the passenger seat.

There are two CR123A lithium batteries that need to be replaced. When the batteries are good there is no display indicator.

[tripens]

The DWA is not a check it is telling you that the batt. in the module(on the bike) is going dead.

Earl

PS; its amazing whats in the riders manual!!

Dang; if only I would take the time to read, and English is my First Language also!! It's strange that one of our "local" (within 250 miles) dealers did not know what DWA means--so much for confidence, eh?
Thanks a million, Earl. Appreciate the info.

[tripens]

Thanks, Earl. Hopefully, that will help.

The alarm module is located in the tail behind the passenger seat.

There are two CR123A lithium batteries that need to be replaced. When the batteries are good there is no display indicator.

Thanks. I'll get right on 'em and hopefully have no more surprises.

[BigAdv]

No problem. I do this at work sometimes, I'll take the owners book out of the glove box, mark the page with a sticky note that pertains to the cust. complaint, and leave it sitting on the seat. Sometimes its out of frustration, but sometimes its to help. Depends on the cust. and how much they are bitching about. I really dont like to get a work order with 10 lines of complaints, when 9 of them are user errors. It is very sad that someone can drop 100k on a veh. and not bother reading the users manual. Sorry, venting, long day.....

Just glad to help

Earl

[tripens]

No problem. I do this at work sometimes, I'll take the owners book out of the glove box, mark the page with a sticky note that pertains to the cust. complaint, and leave it sitting on the seat. Sometimes its out of frustration, but sometimes its to help. Depends on the cust. and how much they are bitching about. I really dont like to get a work order with 10 lines of complaints, when 9 of them are user errors. It is very sad that someone can drop 100k on a veh. and not bother reading the users manual. Sorry, venting, long day.....

Just glad to help

Earl

No problem, Earl; it's just that the owner's manual that came with my '05 GS, the DWA manual that came with the unit, and the Hanyes fail to show the code. I even double-checked page 32 of the owner's manual and the index to no avail. I even called one of the nearby dealers (before going to the forum) and was told that the "computer was searching for the DWA signal!" Could it be that the Canadian owner's manual is different? Anyway, thanks to your help, all is well and I can now ride with confidence (I hope). Thanks again!!

[BigAdv]

No problem, Earl; it's just that the owner's manual that came with my '05 GS, the DWA manual that came with the unit, and the Hanyes fail to show the code. I even double-checked page 32 of the owner's manual and the index to no avail. I even called one of the nearby dealers (before going to the forum) and was told that the "computer was searching for the DWA signal!" Could it be that the Canadian owner's manual is different? Anyway, thanks to your help, all is well and I can now ride with confidence (I hope). Thanks again!!

That pic. is from the riders manual for a 07 RT, so the page # might be different. BMW may have changed the info on the newer book also. I know that this info was in my book for my 07 GS Adv. as well. Who knows. The point is that now you know. Also, the DWA system will not imobalize the bike, justs flashes the lights and sounds the horn. The batt.s in the unit are so if someone is trying to steal the bike, and disconnects the main batt. in an atempt to disarm the DWA, it will still have power to flash and honk. So no need to loss confidence in the bike.

I did not get it on the RT. When I had the GS, I would either forget to arm it, or forget to dissarm it, found it a PITA. A lot of money for some flash and noise. Especially considering that the bike already has an imobalizer(EWS).

Earl

[swall]

I was putting on a Cbaily windshield today (on my R1200R) and decided to see what one has to do to plug in a new EWS module for an emergency fix. Here's the drill. 1--remove windshield.2--remove headlight (2 T40 screws). 3--remove the headlight holder bracket (4 T40 screws). Two are in plain sight on the top/side of the triple tree. Two are on the bottom side of the triple tree. 4--cut wire tie holding the brake hose. The bracket will now hang down enough for you to access the module. 5-- remove plastic shroud over the module (2 T10 screws).6--plug and play.

[deilenberger]

Excellent info! Thanks much..

[revkev]

I have my 2008 1200GS purchased and it is awaiting pickup in SW Wisconsin (14 inches of new snow yesterday) so my questions are...is the EWS some type of warning/anti-theft gizmo, is it a problem on the new bikes as well? I like reading these sites for information but the downside is the hundreds of problems "might" happen if I take off on the bike. Perhaps I will just drive it within 5 miles of home. The dealer included a BMW battery charger that plugs into the outlet of the bike. Is that the thing to do to charge it? Granted, I haven't read the manual nor have they given me the explanations in person but if someone would mind a short answer or two I would appreciate it. The same dynamic happens with the site TDI FORUM, designed for VW diesel engines. I have had one for 6 years with 170,000 miles with nary a problem but reading the site makes me wonder when it will break down with all the myriad of problems discussed on the board. I am not much of a worrier by nature but I am for sure NOT a mechanic.

[deilenberger]

revkev (your real name is?)..

It's a not to worry. The EWS is the same as is used in millions of cars - a chip in the ignition key talks to the bikes computer and if they talk correctly the bike will start. If they don't - the bike will display EWS error and won't start. Anti-theft. Not an alarm.

There were a number (not many that I can find actually) of people who experienced a failure in the EWS system due to a defective part. Some cases may also have been caused by the owner unknowingly causing the fault by carrying both keys on the same keyring - so the EWS system didn't know which key to sync up with.

BMW has redesigned the part and gave it a new PN and we haven't heard of anyone having a problem since that happened. Since you bought a 2008 bike, I think the chances of having a problem are extremely slim.

And - the "Internet effect" was at work here - while the number of failures appeared to actually be quite low - they were well publicized and an Internet furor more or less - with lots of chat and fear-mongering going on.

[revkev]

Thanks for the update. The real name is Kevin. I think I had such a key on a Bonneville and also on a Riviera.

With the new bike there is the "real" key and also the plastic key. How does the plastic key work if it doesn't have a chip? Is it good to have another EWS equipped key as a backup? Just wondering.

I was hoping that the new bike would have the issues resolved, at least in part.

And yes, the internet effect was in effect.

Thanks again!

Kevin

[deilenberger]

The plastic key has a chip in it. Tiny chip..

[Screamineagle]

I have a 2007 R1200RT. Reading the internet scared me so much that I decided to only ride my RT around the block. It now has 34,800 miles on the clock. NO Problems with the machine but I am really sick from all those trips around the block. LOL

[FredRydr]

I have a 2007 R1200RT. Reading the internet scared me so much that I decided to only ride my RT around the block. It now has 34,800 miles on the clock. NO Problems with the machine but I am really sick from all those trips around the block. LOL
Bill, if you go by my house one more time, I'm gonna toss a spike strip onto the road.

Fred

[womanridge]

I am now an official member of the "EWS" club.
I bought a new 07 RT 3 weeks ago. Had an EWS fault the first weekend. Waited 5 minutes, reset itself. Had 3 a week ago, same thing. Took it in for my 600 mi,. service yesterday. Told them about it. They thought it was low voltage. They thought they corrected it. I then took a joy ride after my service appointment. At approx 900 miles, I stopped for a break. EWS came on and bike wouldn't start. Waited 5 minutes. No go. Waited another 10 min. still no go. Called the dealer from the remote location, better than 50 miles from their shop. They sent a truck & trailer out to pick it up. They delivered my old CLC on the trailor so I had something to ride and took my RT back to the shop.
Now that's service. MISCHLERS BMW, BEAVER DAM, WI.
They replaced the key/antenna. Still no go. They are waiting to call BMW on Monday. I don't know who's more frustrated, me or the dealer. All I know is BMW needs to figure this out and support their customers AND dealers regarding this problem. Spring is here in Wisconsin. It's time to ride.:help

[stpgh]

Same thing happened to me yesterday. At 650 miles it would not start after riding to work. I tried waiting and the spare key, nothing but the dreaded EWS light.

[cjack]

They replaced the key/antenna. Still no go. They are waiting to call BMW on Monday. I don't know who's more frustrated, me or the dealer. All I know is BMW needs to figure this out and support their customers AND dealers regarding this problem. Spring is here in Wisconsin. It's time to ride.:help

This is the first EWS replaced and no fix I heard of...both keys tried in the new antenna?

[coutel]

I think the EWS anti theft system on a motorcycle is more problem than what its worth...If someone wants to steal a bike they push it around the corner and get a few friends to throw it into the back of a truck.....

Its a shame that EWS is not an optional extra when purchasing a new BMW bike:dunno

[womanridge]

This is the first EWS replaced and no fix I heard of...both keys tried in the new antenna?I didn't have the spare key with me on Friday, however the spare did not work the first time I had the warning three weeks ago. :banghead
I'm planning a 5,000 mile trip in two weeks and I'm getting quite nervous. My dealer thinks it's the computer. We'll see what BMW says tomorrow.

[womanridge]

Same thing happened to me yesterday. At 650 miles it would not start after riding to work. I tried waiting and the spare key, nothing but the dreaded EWS light. Did yours eventually start?

[stpgh]

Nope. It went on the flatbed and took a trip to the dealer.

[womanridge]

Nope. It went on the flatbed and took a trip to the dealer.
The dealer called me at the end of the day today and said all is repaired. They replaced the antenna ring and did something with the computer via BMW instructions.
I asked them to keep it a few days and to ride it. I'll pick it up in a few days. Here's hoping.

[signit98]

All I know is BMW needs to figure this out and support their customers AND dealers regarding this problem.

I truly hate to bring this up, because I generally am not a friend of lawyers... but this seems to be a reasonable case for a class-action LS if they keep ignoring it and keep playing their arrogant attitude at BMWNA with the ever increasing amount of issues with this thing!

I have not had the EWS failure (yet, as it seems to be more a "when" than an "if"), but if I do, there is enough evidence around that they should be well aware of this problem and have not acted upon it!

Seems to be a bunch of frustrated folks around that are ticked off by BMW's ongoing ignorance and "playing the numbers" game...

[cjack]

I truly hate to bring this up, because I generally am not a friend of lawyers... but this seems to be a reasonable case for a class-action LS if they keep ignoring it and keep playing their arrogant attitude at BMWNA with the ever increasing amount of issues with this thing!

I have not had the EWS failure (yet, as it seems to be more a "when" than an "if"), but if I do, there is enough evidence around that they should be well aware of this problem and have not acted upon it!

Seems to be a bunch of frustrated folks around that are ticked off by BMW's ongoing ignorance and "playing the numbers" game...

I think BMW can demonstrate that they redesigned or changed manufacturers for this ring when it started to fail. That was last year. All '07 bikes that I heard about. I am assuming that all those that have failed were the older part. I have not heard of any failures with the new part. What the computer had to do with it, I cannot guess, but the ones that failed here were fixed with the new antenna.

[deilenberger]

I truly hate to bring this up, because I generally am not a friend of lawyers... but this seems to be a reasonable case for a class-action LS if they keep ignoring it and keep playing their arrogant attitude at BMWNA with the ever increasing amount of issues with this thing!
What motivates the attorney who will pursue a class-action lawsuit is greed. In order to satisfy that greed - they'd have to show damages caused by BMW ignoring a known problem. The amount of damages in this case wouldn't seem all that appealing to the attorney.. perhaps 20-30-40 people who have been inconvenienced? That's worth??I have not had the EWS failure (yet, as it seems to be more a "when" than an "if"), but if I do, there is enough evidence around that they should be well aware of this problem and have not acted upon it!
I would - and I have - argued this. It's not a "when" - it's a remote "IF" looking at the real number of people experiencing it vs the number of bikes sold. As Jack will point out - it's primarily '07 models. As I've observed - the vast majority happen within the first few thousand miles. There are exceptions to both these conditions - but overwhelmingly - these seem common factors in the failure.

This fit right in with the "bathtub curve" failure prediction mode commonly used in engineering - especially for electronic devices. A fairly high (by comparison) early "infant" failure rate as the defective parts reveal themselves, followed by a very long and very low continuing failure rate, finally followed by a rising failure rate as parts die of old age.

If you don't have an '07 - IMHO - Forgeddaboutit.. If you have more than 3,000 miles on your '07 - Forgeddaboutit..
Seems to be a bunch of frustrated folks around that are ticked off by BMW's ongoing ignorance and "playing the numbers" game...There are always frustrated people - and the web is a wonderful way for them to vent (NTTAWWT). BMW's acknowledgment that they realize there was a problem is by producing a new part. No formal announcement, but they haven't refused to fix any bikes that I've heard of, so they are keeping their part of the agreement they have when they sell you a bike. AFAIK - they never promised perfection..

Hey - it IS frustrating, but to me - it's not something that will keep me from riding my bike, and if it did - I'd spend the $$$ and carry a spare antenna on the bike. In the grand scheme of BMW fookups - it really seems a rather minor one. Not costly, and doesn't cause people to crash. Primarily an annoyance and inconvenience.

[AKBeemer]

What motivates the attorney who will pursue a class-action lawsuit is greed. In order to satisfy that greed - they'd have to show damages caused by BMW ignoring a known problem. The amount of damages in this case wouldn't seem all that appealing to the attorney.. perhaps 20-30-40 people who have been inconvenienced? That's worth??I would - and I have - argued this. It's not a "when" - it's a remote "IF" looking at the real number of people experiencing it vs the number of bikes sold. As Jack will point out - it's primarily '07 models. As I've observed - the vast majority happen within the first few thousand miles. There are exceptions to both these conditions - but overwhelmingly - these seem common factors in the failure.

This fit right in with the "bathtub curve" failure prediction mode commonly used in engineering - especially for electronic devices. A fairly high (by comparison) early "infant" failure rate as the defective parts reveal themselves, followed by a very long and very low continuing failure rate, finally followed by a rising failure rate as parts die of old age.

If you don't have an '07 - IMHO - Forgeddaboutit.. If you have more than 3,000 miles on your '07 - Forgeddaboutit..There are always frustrated people - and the web is a wonderful way for them to vent (NTTAWWT). BMW's acknowledgment that they realize there was a problem is by producing a new part. No formal announcement, but they haven't refused to fix any bikes that I've heard of, so they are keeping their part of the agreement they have when they sell you a bike. AFAIK - they never promised perfection..

Hey - it IS frustrating, but to me - it's not something that will keep me from riding my bike, and if it did - I'd spend the $$$ and carry a spare antenna on the bike. In the grand scheme of BMW fookups - it really seems a rather minor one. Not costly, and doesn't cause people to crash. Primarily an annoyance and inconvenience.

Don,

In a previous thread on this subject, or perhaps it was about the final drive, you described what was going on as internet hysteria. I think that is a fair way of putting it. I own a 2007 RT and I’m concerned about both issues but I think the fear is elevated beyond what is reasonable by the visibility the forums give to the relatively few people who have problems. I am not trying to minimize the impact of being one of the poor soles who is stranded by a EWS or FD problem, but taking too much counsel of such fears is counterproductive.

It would be helpful if we had access to real data on the subject. Exactly what percentage of us are having EWS failures or final drive failures. I suspect that the numbers would be much lower than some (most) suspect. I assume BMWNA knows these numbers but are unlikely to want them made public; but, the MOA can at least ask. Another way the MOA could help is to survey the membership and see what we report.

[MPATROVSKY]

I read the entire thread and feel compelled to spike this ball into the court.
Disconnecting the battery prior to charging is probably the safe way. I plug into my standard power outlet (2006 R1200RT) with a Battery Tender Jr. and turn on the ignition key to "wake up" the circuit. The onboard computer disconnects the power outlet when the battery is fully charged.

The above is just how I do it. The main reason for my post is to note that if and when you disconnect your battery, before using the bike when you hook the battery back up you must turn on the key and fully open the throttle for a few seconds before closing it and then starting the bike. This allows the computer to recalibrate the throttle synchronization.

Marty in Oregon:german

[signit98]

If you don't have an '07 - IMHO - Forgeddaboutit.. If you have more than 3,000 miles on your '07 - Forgeddaboutit.

Well then, according to you, being that my 07 has more than 3K miles on it... it should work.

Can I send you the towing bill if it doesn't? :D

Sure, it might just be a mosquito in the big picture, but it can be rather dramatic for the individual affected, if it happens in the middle of nowhere... which is where some folks take their GS's and RT's for example...

I still don't like the way BMW has gone about it...

[deilenberger]

Well then, according to you, being that my 07 has more than 3K miles on it... it should work.

Can I send you the towing bill if it doesn't? :D

Sure, it might just be a mosquito in the big picture, but it can be rather dramatic for the individual affected, if it happens in the middle of nowhere... which is where some folks take their GS's and RT's for example...

I still don't like the way BMW has gone about it...There is no shortage of alternatives to pick from.. some of them even manage to include ABS now as an option (21 years after BMW did..)

My point is - if you worry on it - buy the spare antenna and at least read about how to jury-rig it in. Then stop worrying about it - chances are excellent 10 years from now you're gonna be selling "EWS Antenna - never used.." on the Fleamarket. And it isn't "according to" me.. it's according to the observed failures reported on multiple forums. There have been very very few at miles over 3,000. Almost all have been within the first 1,000 miles.

[stpgh]

Well, the dealer just called and said that the bike has started numerous times since it was hauled to his shop without fail. They are going to check the computer for fault information. I have a lousy feeling that I am going to end up with a "no need for repair" answer on saturday. And then, someday down the road in Bumf&%k Egypt it is going to leave me stranded.

[Ksrob]

For my sample, my wife's '07 RT EWS failed at 4800 miles on a Sunday that was 105 degrees.

She and I will stop and look at/photograph areas that are interesting to us. Some of those places are in the boondocks. If the EWS fails then, it could be a life or death situation.

I'm sure that there could be a way to bypass the system for the ones who don't want/need it. While it probably needs to be set up at the factory to be switched on or off, surely in this age, it can be done.

BMW needs to listen and react sooner.

Respectfully submitted,

[cjack]

Well, the dealer just called and said that the bike has started numerous times since it was hauled to his shop without fail. They are going to check the computer for fault information. I have a lousy feeling that I am going to end up with a "no need for repair" answer on saturday. And then, someday down the road in Bumf&%k Egypt it is going to leave me stranded.

Hmmm....if it has the old part number EWS antenna, I would replace it whether it works now or not.

[womanridge]

I picked up my RT from the dealer yesterday. They replaced the antennae ring and enterred something on the computer.
I started and stopped 3 times in the 65 mile trip home. No faults. Had a full day today and it's horrible weather here, so I was unable to test it out further. I plan to do a few hundred miles this wekend. That should be a good test. Here's hoping.

[bmwson]

I have a 2007 R1200ST. The antenna ring failed back in January at 3000 miles and again this past weekend at 4800 miles. I've taken it to a different dealer although I'm sure that's not the problem. I love this bike but I really am disappointed that such a minor thing can render it useless. Also, the part is a special order that keeps the bike in the shop at least ten days.

[womanridge]

I have a 2007 R1200ST. The antenna ring failed back in January at 3000 miles and again this past weekend at 4800 miles. I've taken it to a different dealer although I'm sure that's not the problem. I love this bike but I really am disappointed that such a minor thing can render it useless. Also, the part is a special order that keeps the bike in the shop at least ten days.

Did they replace the antenna ring in January when it first failed and is this the second ring to fail?

[cjack]

Did they replace the antenna ring in January when it first failed and is this the second ring to fail?

And was the ring in January the old part number or the new one? What about this ring?

[Motodan]

EWS on 2008 w/ 836 miles

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday [4/11] my 2008 R1200RT with 836 miles had a BIG EWS smiling at me when I tried to start it, but just 5 miles from home and 11 miles from dealer. I call Roadside Asst and the guy confirms my coverage and tells me either tow or to get my other key and it will start. Call my wife she leaves work, stops and gets key, it doesn't work. I call Roadside back...the girl can find no record of me or my bike or my call from just 45 minutes earlier. She wants to know what model, color of bike and on and on, but still can find no records. Then she says, is it a 325i, I said lady it is a motorcycle not a BMW car. Then she wants my Serice Contract number???????? I'm getting no where with her and then the cell phone dies. I walk to the store and use pay phone to call dealer for a tow. I then call Roadside back and get a third person who finds my file and knows what I'm talking about. Get to dealer, three hours later tech comes out and says I've got a code showing wire failure [not antenna ring] and entire wiring harness needs to be replaced. I'm gald I was not in the middle of Wyoming or Montana when this happened. I now have not only a concern about how trustworthy this bike is, but also BMW's Roadside Service. Anyway, timing was good as temps are going down again and maybe snow tomorrow. Hopefully there is a wiring harness in this hemisphere.

[cjack]

EWS on 2008 w/ 836 miles

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday [4/11] my 2008 R1200RT with 836 miles had a BIG EWS smiling at me when I tried to start it, but just 5 miles from home and 11 miles from dealer. I call Roadside Asst and the guy confirms my coverage and tells me either tow or to get my other key and it will start. Call my wife she leaves work, stops and gets key, it doesn't work. I call Roadside back...the girl can find no record of me or my bike or my call from just 45 minutes earlier. She wants to know what model, color of bike and on and on, but still can find no records. Then she says, is it a 325i, I said lady it is a motorcycle not a BMW car. Then she wants my Serice Contract number???????? I'm getting no where with her and then the cell phone dies. I walk to the store and use pay phone to call dealer for a tow. I then call Roadside back and get a third person who finds my file and knows what I'm talking about. Get to dealer, three hours later tech comes out and says I've got a code showing wire failure [not antenna ring] and entire wiring harness needs to be replaced. I'm gald I was not in the middle of Wyoming or Montana when this happened. I now have not only a concern about how trustworthy this bike is, but also BMW's Roadside Service. Anyway, timing was good as temps are going down again and maybe snow tomorrow. Hopefully there is a wiring harness in this hemisphere.

It's not just a break up front where the flexing is?

[Motodan]

Code indicates too much resistence between Pin 3 and Pin 55. Should be less than 1 Ohm, but showing 10M Ohms. Pin connector or wire????

[BMWRich58]

Early models with EWS failure????
Mine is an early '07 model purchased in June '07 currently now showing 15K miles and no failures yet. Am I just lucky or due for failure?

[daddyal]

My '07 Adv (purchased in March '07) failed after 750 miles in Amarillo, Texas. 300 miles to Albuquerque, Santa Fe, or Oklahoma City. Buy the part if you plan to be further than 200 miles from any service center as BMW will not pay for any towing farther away.

[cjack]

Code indicates too much resistence between Pin 3 and Pin 55. Should be less than 1 Ohm, but showing 10M Ohms. Pin connector or wire????

That is one wire of a four wire harness that goes between the EWS antenna ring and the BMSK Control Module. I would be stripping the wrap off that starting at the antenna ring and seeing where the break is. Fix it and make sure that the flex there is not going to cause a repeat.
My guess, although I am not there to see it...

[bmwson]

I have a 2007 R1200ST. The antenna ring failed back in January at 3000 miles and again this past weekend at 4800 miles. I've taken it to a different dealer although I'm sure that's not the problem. I love this bike but I really am disappointed that such a minor thing can render it useless. Also, the part is a special order that keeps the bike in the shop at least ten days.

Yes the ring was replaced in January with the latest part number. One good thing about this latest failure is that Wild West BMW of Katy Texas got my new antenna ring and put in on my bike in an amazing four days. It is working great for the moment.

[bmwson]

Yes the ring was replaced in January with the latest part number. One good thing about this latest failure is that Wild West BMW of Katy Texas got my new antenna ring and put in on my bike in an amazing four days. It is working great for the moment.

I mispoke, Wild West BMW got it done in three days!

[womanridge]

I mispoke, Wild West BMW got it done in three days!
I'm happy that you got it back working again, but now you've got me worried. The old one and the new one failed. You're on your third antenna ring? That is definately a reason for concern.

[mtfrench]

I'm happy that you got it back working again, but now you've got me worried. The old one and the new one failed. You're on your third antenna ring? That is definately a reason for concern.

Since I started this thread back in November 2007, I have been following the numerous posts with a discerning eye. The second antenna ring on my 2007 GSA is still working so this is good news. Now the bad news. I was at my dealer today to pick up some items and I ran into a guy who was towed in this morning with an EWS failure on his 2008 GSA. This bike has the new antenna part number! He then told me that this is his THIRD EWS failure during the past 12 month, with the other two occurring on his 2007 GS. I then asked the parts person how many antenna rings they installed on disabled bikes in recent months. Her estimate was 25! Whether paranoia or common sense, I decided to go ahead and purchase a spare ring with the new part number "just in case." This was the last one in stock. As I was getting ready to leave the shop, the owner came rushing over and asked whether I would be kind enough to return the antenna ring I just purchased (in return for a replacement early next week) because a disabled 2006 GSA was being towed in that afternoon with another EWS failure!

This irritating flaw with some of the recent bikes is not going to keep me from riding to work or touring to distant places this summer, but I sure wish BMWNA would figure this one out soon.

[deilenberger]

Thought of this while riding to work this AM:

One possible answer I can think of - would require some software coding by BMW - but it should still qualify as anti-theft under whatever requirements are driving BMW to install EWS - is a PIN-Code override for the EWS.

The scenario would be:

1 - On delivery of the bike, the new owner would select a PIN-Code, that is stored in the EWS system. It's programmed in by the dealer when they prep the bike. It can only be changed IF the old PIN code is known - and only changed using the dealer GT1.

2 - If the system throws an EWS error - there would be an option for the operator to override the error by entering the PIN code. The code would be entered using the same technique/button used for setting the clock. Once the code is successfully entered - the EWS would be overridden and the bike could be started. There would be a 3-5 minute timeout if you enter the wrong PIN-Code before it could be re-entered.

To me - this seems workable - and should satisfy the "Passive" anti-theft requirements most insurance companies have.

Now - how to get BMW to think THEY came up with the idea? Anyone have any contacts in BMW-Motorrad?

[BeemerMike]

Now - how to get BMW to think THEY came up with the idea? Anyone have any contacts in BMW-Motorrad?

Tell them it's a good feature to add to "I-Drive". ;)

[deilenberger]

Yes the ring was replaced in January with the latest part number. One good thing about this latest failure is that Wild West BMW of Katy Texas got my new antenna ring and put in on my bike in an amazing four days. It is working great for the moment.Do you have the PN they used on your January replacement? It should be listed on the warranty invoice (not "doubting" - but curious what PN's are failing..)

[Motodan]

As posted earlier, my '08 R1200RT with 836 miles showed an EWS symbol and would not start last Friday [04/11/08]. Just this morning [04/16/2008] BMW has given ok to replace entire wiring harness, which is what tech thought it would need due to high resistance between Pin 3 and Pin 55. Not the ring antenna, but elsewhere - a defect. And guess what... wiring harnesses are ON BACK ORDER! And get this...the tech says, "You know, it probably won't take long to get one in. However, if it had been the final drive bearing, that might have taken longer because so many of them fail, there just aren't enough to go around." Quality? Geeee! Really have to question the product quality control by this ledgendary manufacturer.

Getting warmer out - Six days and counting.

[AntonLargiader]

And get this...the tech says, "You know, it probably won't take long to get one in. However, if it had been the final drive bearing, that might have taken longer because so many of them fail, there just aren't enough to go around." Quality? Geeee! Really have to question the product quality control by this ledgendary manufacturer.

Really have to question your mechanic's understanding and experience. I'm not sure where to start, so I'll just venture a guess that he was just mouthing off.

[cjack]

Ditto. I also have to wonder about an entire new wiring harness when one wire is open circuited. But...I am getting one side of the technical info...so maybe there is more to it.

[Motodan]

Ditto. I also have to wonder about an entire new wiring harness when one wire is open circuited. But...I am getting one side of the technical info...so maybe there is more to it.

Appreciate the doubt on what is transpiring. Evidently BMW has directed the dealership to replace the entire harness and return it to them for - POST QUALITY CONTROL - CONTROL...I assume. I asked that exact question..."Can't you just repair the one wire?" Apparently BMW wants to look at it...what can I say? Yes, it is interesting, that comment on final drives. Who has ever heard of a BMW Motorcycle Final Drive going bad? Spline, bearing, gear...not here! I imagine it was somewhat of a tongue-in-cheek comment, but appropriate?

[deilenberger]

Ditto. I also have to wonder about an entire new wiring harness when one wire is open circuited. But...I am getting one side of the technical info...so maybe there is more to it.BMW may have learned that letting most mechanics work on something as fiddly as a wiring harness repair (especially a shielded cable repair) leads to more trouble than it's worth...

Just a guess on my part - but I've had to fix a lot of mechanic's electrical repairs.. there are exceptions, but there is a reason they're considered exceptions. :bolt

[cjack]

BMW may have learned that letting most mechanics work on something as fiddly as a wiring harness repair (especially a shielded cable repair) leads to more trouble than it's worth...

Just a guess on my part - but I've had to fix a lot of mechanic's electrical repairs.. there are exceptions, but there is a reason they're considered exceptions. :bolt

True sometimes, but I think BMW tends to err on the side of believing that their techs are very capable. One thing that makes me think that is they issued the dealers a big box of various replacement connectors with yellow wires on them, instructions, and some really fine fabric tape to use when the Canbus bikes came out. Very handy compared to the "old" days.
Maybe it's the inspection for QC issues as to the whole wiring harness in this case. Pretty rare happening though.

[MPATROVSKY]

Isn't there some way of hardwiring a workaround this stupid antennae? I live in the boonies and my dobermans and sigs pretty well protect the bike from theft when I'm home and when we travel we never leave the bike where it can be a target. I need this "protection" like a second a**hole.

Marty in South West Oregon
former R1150RT (04)
now R1200RT (06) and wondering if I traded up or down.:violin

[riderR1150GSAdv]

Since I started this thread back in November 2007, I have been following the numerous posts with a discerning eye. The second antenna ring on my 2007 GSA is still working so this is good news. Now the bad news. I was at my dealer today to pick up some items and I ran into a guy who was towed in this morning with an EWS failure on his 2008 GSA. This bike has the new antenna part number! He then told me that this is his THIRD EWS failure during the past 12 month, with the other two occurring on his 2007 GS. I then asked the parts person how many antenna rings they installed on disabled bikes in recent months. Her estimate was 25! Whether paranoia or common sense, I decided to go ahead and purchase a spare ring with the new part number "just in case." This was the last one in stock. As I was getting ready to leave the shop, the owner came rushing over and asked whether I would be kind enough to return the antenna ring I just purchased (in return for a replacement early next week) because a disabled 2006 GSA was being towed in that afternoon with another EWS failure!

This irritating flaw with some of the recent bikes is not going to keep me from riding to work or touring to distant places this summer, but I sure wish BMWNA would figure this one out soon.

I was a witness to all this, as by coincidence, I was getting parts and saw MT at the dealership picking up his new ride..:thumb
How's the new ride MT?? :lurk

[mtfrench]

I was a witness to all this, as by coincidence, I was getting parts and saw MT at the dealership picking up his new ride..:thumb
How's the new ride MT?? :lurk

Howdy, good buddy. Absolutely love the new ride and no regrets about the trade. Better yet, no EWS failure so far, but I have to admit that I find myself taking a few extra seconds watching the display screen each time I turn the key on.:(

[riderR1150GSAdv]

Shweet!:wow

[Screamineagle]

I hesitate to tell you guys from Texas, but I have a feeling that the failures in Texas are a direct result of electronic interference from space craft flying near by. Who knows, maybe all the failures are a result of space craft. Those little green men have it IN for BMW and want the company to look bad.

[jmf]

I hesitate to tell you guys from Texas, but I have a feeling that the failures in Texas are a direct result of electronic interference from space craft flying near by. Who knows, maybe all the failures are a result of space craft. Those little green men have it IN for BMW and want the company to look bad.

Nothing a little tin foil won’t take care of

[MLS2GO]

I'm not kidding.

http://www.stopabductions.com/

[womanridge]

While riding thru Tucson today, during a 5K southwest trip, I met up with 3 BMW riders from N.Y. After a short greeting, I asked if they have heard of EWS failure. Did their eyes light up. One of them just had the problen on a 2007 RT while riding through Texas. They were on their way to Phoenix and then California.
If they're lurking here on the forum, hope I got it right.

[Motodan]

It is now 14 days since the EWS flashed on the panel of my 2008 R12RT with only 836 miles. Still waiting for part from Germany. Weather has been beautiful. Happy to say the old Harley {2005 w/25k ] is still trouble free since new and able to make it without EWSing me.

[Motorcyclist]

It is now 14 days since the EWS flashed on the panel of my 2008 R12RT with only 836 miles. Still waiting for part from Germany. Weather has been beautiful. Happy to say the old Harley {2005 w/25k ] is still trouble free since new and able to make it without EWSing me.

That sucks. Have you considered talking to the dealer or BMW directly and see if you can be compensated in some way? Perhaps BMW will give you a free service, etc., something to acknowledge that you are being deprived of the bike due to something within THEIR control. Or, alternately, tell them you'll start sending payments when you have a bike in your garage.

EWS is the answer to a question that nobody has asked.

[Motodan]

It is now 18 days since EWS and no start. Thus far the bike has been taken apart to replace the entire wiring harness, BUT still EWS coming up and no start. Wait for word from BMW on next step?????? When does federal lemon law become a possibility?

[deilenberger]

It is now 18 days since EWS and no start. Thus far the bike has been taken apart to replace the entire wiring harness, BUT still EWS coming up and no start. Wait for word from BMW on next step?????? When does federal lemon law become a possibility?What federal lemon law? The only lemon laws I know of are at the state level. For some reason some states (like NJ) exclude motorcycles (guess we're not serious transportation.) And most of the ones I've read require repeated attempts over some number of visits by the manufacturer to try to fix the problem, plus ## number of days out of service.

So they replaced the harness - but I don't recall seeing mention of replacing the antenna.. Looking at the thread - it appears to me the mechanic read a high resistance at the engine control end of the wiring harness for the antenna and assumed the wiring between that point and the antenna is bad.

IMHO - if the antenna itself was bad - he probably could have gotten the same reading at that point.

Has he measured continuity on the antenna? Doesn't sound like it.

It can sometimes be a very trying thing when a mechanic tries doing electronic troubleshooting. Some of them are absolutely awful at electronics - and they rely on the GT1 diagnostics in place of knowledge and experience.

[cjack]

I thought when I read the "infinite" ohms report, that the GT1 probably had the tech do a resistance check between the socket, pin 3 on the antenna and pin 55 on the BMSK computer connector. That is a typical test the diagnostic software puts you through when a fault like this is found. I was wondering why they didn't bridge that wire and test the finding, but looking now I see that looks like a twisted pair. Makes sense (no pun intended) that a twisted pair, shielded, may be required to transmit a response from a memory chip. Maybe that explains why it seemed necessary to replace the harness in the field.
Do I need to carry some cat5 along with my spare ring antenna?
Always remembering, though, we are probably getting the information at least two persons removed from the actual work.

[mtfrench]

It started out as a perfect day to ride; mid 70s, sunny, and light breeze. After riding about 250 miles, my riding partner and I stopped for a quick drink. 10 minutes later we returned to our bikes. His 06 R12GS fired right up. My 07 R12GSA with 4K miles would not turn over and the dreaded EWS warning signal was staring at me. After a call to my dealer he explained that the only option was to call BMW roadside assistance and have the bike towed to him, about 100 miles away. He was 99% sure that the EWS sensor ring at the ignition failed and would need to be replaced. How did he know this? Turns out that he replaced several of these sensor rings recently and a call to another dealer today confirmed a similar EWS sensor failure number on bikes that he serviced recently. This really concerns me as I often ride in remote areas with no cell phone service. What have others heard about this serious problem that can affect all recent (post 2005?) models?

To make matters worse, it took about 3 hours for a tow truck to show up despite repeated return calls to BMW roadside assistance. The tow truck operator was ornery as hell and would not listen to my advice about how to properly tie down the bike. All these delays caused us to arrive at the dealer past closing time. I could go on and on about all the hassles, but suffice to say that my first experience with BMW roadside assistance was not pleasant. More importantly, I hope the EWS sensor does not fail again after replacement next week.


Let's continue my story:

7:00am yesterday (Saturday): My wife and I depart Miami Beach on our 08 GSA for a relaxing ride up to North Florida to visit some friends.

1:00pm: Stop at Daytona BMW dealer so my wife can try on a pair or mesh riding pants. I start joking with the service manager (Mark Sanchez) about all the EWS failures and we chuckle that it's probably a matter of time before the 136 ring on my GSA will fail.

2:00pm: Stop for gas about 6 miles from Daytona BMW. Try to start bike and no go. Look at screen and the dreaded EWS image is staring back at me. I can't f*cking believe it! Take out my spare 247 ring and begin the emergency procedures to disconnect the old ring and connect the new one. Get the bike started in about 20-30 minutes. [Took longer than it should have because of the cursing breaks.]

3:00pm: Arrive back at Daytona BMW and plead with Mark to fix me up even though they are closing in 2 hours and are working on other bikes. Given that this was my second ring failure in 6 months and I have a gorgeous wife, Mark agrees to start working on the bike.:heart

5:00pm: New ring (247) is safely installed and our journey continues. I can't say enough about Mark Sanchez and his quality staff at Daytona BMW for helping out a broken down rider who was not even a regular customer.

So, what did I learn from experiencing two EWS failures on two different bikes in 6 months?

1. Always carry a spare antenna ring (#247) if you own a late 2006 or newer bike. I don't carry a spare on my 05 GS because I have 25K trouble-free miles and no reports of failures on 05 and most 06 bikes.

2. Make sure you feel comfortable with the procedure for swapping rings on the road. I didn't practice before my most recent failure because I read enough about the minute details.

3. Take care of the hard-working mechanics when they fix your bike on short notice.

4. Don't let the setbacks ruin the rest of your ride, remember that machines, like life, offer no guarantees, and drink plenty of Kool-Aid!

Hope to see some of you on the road this summer!

[deilenberger]

It does seem to becoming more and more a possibility - especially if you have the early antenna and not too many miles on it (it still is predominantly failing early in it's life..)

This weekend I attended the BMWBMW Square Route Rally. My riding partner to the rally just got his '08 R1200RT with 800 miles on it back from the dealer who had installed a new antenna on it after it failed on Weds. I'm not sure what PN he got - he didn't bring the invoice with him.

While at the rally - Fred Rau of Motorcycle Consumer News was a speaker on "You might be a motorcyclist.." - an interesting open-form chat with Fred. Fred had started for the rally on an '08 R1200RTP loaner - which refused to start part way to the rally with an EWS error. Since he was riding with Bob Henig of Bob's BMW - the tow to a dealership wasn't a problem. I believe Bob may have gotten the bike fixed and back to Fred by the time he left last night (he was gearing up for a ride when he left - not a "drive".. in Bob's car..)

I had a chance to chat with Fred and suggest my "cure" for the EWS Blues.. he thought he might be able to get someone in BMW to listen - so there is hope perhaps.

My EWS Blues Cure - a user selectable 4 digit PIN# override for EWS.
PIN# entered with the clock button - like the time is. Each digit rolls over if you hold it down, then 10 seconds and it move to the next digit.
When the system IS working - if the user wants they can change their PIN# to whatever they want. The initial PIN# could be set by the dealer.
If the EWS system triggers - the user could then enter the PIN using the buttons and the bike would start. Naturally - the key would still be required to turn the ignition on, so you still have passive theft deterrent (which is what the insurance companies want.)
Until the antenna is fixed - the PIN# would be required to start the bike each time... passive deterrent again.
If BMW was worried about nimble fingered thieves figuring out a 4 digit PIN (which is - 10,000 combinations in case you're wondering) they could incorporate a 5 minute timeout for an incorrect entry.

The EWS Blues Cure would go a long way towards helping people feel comfortable with a system that most people never asked for and really don't want. I believe Harley-Davidson has something similar.

If you like the idea - pass it along, and make sure your dealer's service manager hears about it. The more people who bring it up to BMW - perhaps the better the chance is they might just do it. Cost to them would be minimal - a few lines of code to be dumped to the engine module next time the bike hits the dealership.

13,750 miles on my original EWS - '07 R1200R

[mtfrench]

Don,

Your EWS Blues Cure sounds like a possible solution worth pursuing. I'll pass along to the service manager at my dealer. Regarding your R1200R, the milage would suggest you are "out of the woods." However, I would still carry a spare.:deal Cheers.

[revkev]

I would be interested in knowing the mileage on the bike for each person who has had an EWS failure. Perhaps also the year, model of the bike and geographical location where it happened might also add some intrigue to the cause of the failures.

[deilenberger]

I would be interested in knowing the mileage on the bike for each person who has had an EWS failure. Perhaps also the year, model of the bike and geographical location where it happened might also add some intrigue to the cause of the failures.The majority have been '07 and now '08 models, and most before 1,000 miles. There have been a few random reports of earlier ones having a problem and a few random reports of problems after 1,000 miles, but typically - the failure is early and restricted to '07/08 models.

I'm just curious - why would geography make a difference?

[crgrbrts]

MY '07 K1200R Sport suffered its first EWS failure at about 1,000 miles. The antenna ring was replaced but the same failure has occurred again THIS MORNING at around 3,000 miles. The bike, which I'm viewing dimly at the moment, is on its way to the dealer for a second repair.

At this point I'm beginning to miss my old non-computerized bikes and am worried about my fate this summer as I take long journeys into remote destinations.

Has ANYONE figured out how to bypass this ridiculous system?? My bike's wonderful otherwise.

[cjack]

MY '07 K1200R Sport suffered its first EWS failure at about 1,000 miles. The antenna ring was replaced but the same failure has occurred again THIS MORNING at around 3,000 miles. The bike, which I'm viewing dimly at the moment, is on its way to the dealer for a second repair.

At this point I'm beginning to miss my old non-computerized bikes and am worried about my fate this summer as I take long journeys into remote destinations.

Has ANYONE figured out how to bypass this ridiculous system?? My bike's wonderful otherwise.


The second failing ring part #?

[revkev]

Geography question...

I am wondering about the location of the failures because there is a possibility (admittedly it could be remote) that such failures might be keyed by interference from gas station electronic filling devices, microwave traffic, etc. etc. etc. that tend to be found in more technologically advanced areas. If there are few, if no, verifiable reports of failures in remote and rural areas one might wonder why. I am pushing 5,000 miles on my 2008 1200GS, so that is why I was asking about the number of miles when the failures occurred. I live in a fairly rural area as well.

[crgrbrts]

The replacement antenna ring was part # 61357714207. That's the newer one, isn't it? ...and that's what bothers me.

[deilenberger]

MY '07 K1200R Sport suffered its first EWS failure at about 1,000 miles. The antenna ring was replaced but the same failure has occurred again THIS MORNING at around 3,000 miles. The bike, which I'm viewing dimly at the moment, is on its way to the dealer for a second repair.

At this point I'm beginning to miss my old non-computerized bikes and am worried about my fate this summer as I take long journeys into remote destinations.

Has ANYONE figured out how to bypass this ridiculous system?? My bike's wonderful otherwise.No - there is currently no "bypass" (I'm sure if there was - Bob Henig would have known about it and Fred Rau's bike would have been running post-haste and pronto..) So..

Feel free to pass on:
http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showpost.php?p=333393&postcount=118
to your dealer. Print it out and pass it on. Lets make BMW aware that (1) we think there is a problem (2) we think there is an answer (3) we'd like them to take care of 1 & 2.

[deilenberger]

The replacement antenna ring was part # 61357714207. That's the newer one, isn't it? ...and that's what bothers me.

Punching that number into Chicago BMW's parts lookup - Price is $143/retail. I thought the new antenna is lots cheaper and ends with 247 (or 274)..

Looking on REALOEM - we get a PN of 61357696463 - which also is way high in price. That appears to be out of date.

If I put 61357714207 into MaxBMW's website - it comes up at $82.50.

I'm totally confused.

Jack?

[cjack]

Punching that number into Chicago BMW's parts lookup - Price is $143/retail. I thought the new antenna is lots cheaper and ends with 247 (or 274)..

Looking on REALOEM - we get a PN of 61357696463 - which also is way high in price. That appears to be out of date.

If I put 61357714207 into MaxBMW's website - it comes up at $82.50.

I'm totally confused.

Jack?

65 21 7 671 272 #1
61 35 7 696 463 #2
61 35 7 714 207 #3
61 35 7 717 136 #4
61 35 7 705 247 #5

The MSRP by BMW is as follows, the first two are around $172, the next two are around $150, and the latest, the 247, was around $82.50 but I think has changed and is less now. Their web site is probably reflecting the lower price of the 247 (which isn't even right any more) for the 207, etc.

[AKBeemer]

If there is a detailed description of how to do a roadside change of the antenna on an RT published anywhere I'd appreciate knowing where it is. I understand the concept and I assume it will require significant removal of plastic bits. Maybe even worth a rehearsal in the comfort of my garage. My 07 RT is out of the danger zone of the early miles, but I'd like a little insurance before making the ride to the lower 48 this summer.

[crgrbrts]

Of course, we may have to revise our definition of the "danger zone" for EWS failure. If a new antenna is fitted -- as wason my bike -- and the failure occurs again -- as happened to me today -- one wonders. Could the antenna not be the culprit, but rather the victim of another fault?

I must admit, I'm unsure of the antenna's function. An antenna is usually a passive device and could not fail unless physically compromised This one must be powered and active, I'm guessing. What is this thing, exactly??

[womanridge]

I would be interested in knowing the mileage on the bike for each person who has had an EWS failure. Perhaps also the year, model of the bike and geographical location where it happened might also add some intrigue to the cause of the failures.

My failure occured 3 different days. The first two were self-correcting. In other words, it reset itself after waiting 5 or more minutes. The third occurrence was 4/4/08 in a rural area. It wouldn't start, even after waiting 1/2 hr. or more.
I have a 2007 RT that I bought new in Mar 08. I only wish I had asked for the old & new part number as "cjack" suggested. Sorry, all.:doh

[revkev]

How many miles were on it, Womanridge?

[womanridge]

How many miles were on it, Womanridge?

oops, sorry. Less than 300 the first occurence. Approx. 900 the final time.

[mtfrench]

I would be interested in knowing the mileage on the bike for each person who has had an EWS failure. Perhaps also the year, model of the bike and geographical location where it happened might also add some intrigue to the cause of the failures.

First failure on my 07 GSA with about 3,700 miles.

Second failure on my 08 GSA with 1,107 miles.

I would not feel so comfortable after surpassing the 1,000 mile threshold. At this time, the best security is carrying a spare antenna ring (#247). Swapping antenna rings to start the bike is fairly easy on a GS and GSA. Could be a little more difficult on an RT with the fairing.

[riderR1150GSAdv]

Wow I can't believe it happened again to you...Let 441 Cycle know about this too. Maybe as more dealers get involved, the better chance that BMW may do something....:dunno

[deilenberger]

I must admit, I'm unsure of the antenna's function. An antenna is usually a passive device and could not fail unless physically compromised This one must be powered and active, I'm guessing. What is this thing, exactly??It's a simple coil of wire. It's not strictly passive because it sends a signal to the key on startup and the key talks back.

Just curious - do you use a battery charger on your bike? (Grasping at straws..)

[deilenberger]

I have a 2007 RT that I bought new in Mar 08. I only wish I had asked for the old & new part number as "cjack" suggested. Sorry, all.:dohYou should have gotten a receipt for the warranty repair - which will list the parts used and PN's. No prices - but PN's should be there.

[crgrbrts]

Yes, Don,

I have used a Battery Tender on this bike once -- but not recently.

Craig

[crgrbrts]

Okay, here’s my plan:

I’ve just ordered a new antenna ring with the latest part number. When it arrives, I’m going to epoxy my spare key to it, encase the pair in resin and mount the apparatus in an aluminum mini-box. From the box will extend a shielded wiring lead and sturdy connector. I will mount the box in a safe location, grounded securely to the frame. I will then break the wiring from the existing antenna ring and splice in a pair of connectors, one of which will mate with the “spare” antenna ring box cable. I’ll wire in the electrically shielded and hermetically sealed “spare” as the primary antenna ring and use the original – still in place at the ignition switch – as the backup.

This is just in case the next EWS failure occurs out of towing distance to my friends at Bob’s BMW.

[deilenberger]

Okay, here’s my plan:
snip of plan..This is just in case the next EWS failure occurs out of towing distance to my friends at Bob’s BMW.Please take photos.. Make a wonderful tech article for the ON..

[crgrbrts]

I can't promise an easy cure, but I have discovered the root cause of EWS failures. It is, indeed, a component within the transponder section of the antenna ring assembly.

I had noticed that BMW techs -- usually good about returning faulty parts to owners when those parts are replaced -- were reluctant to do so with bad antenna rings. Now I know why.

A little discrete "dumpster diving" behind a BMW bike dealer's garage this morning yielded a discarded assembly. I brought it home and eagerly disassembled it for inspection.

WARNING!: I was shocked -- even frightened -- by what my "exploratory surgery" revealed, but I recovered sufficiently to grab my dgital camera and get off a couple of shots before fleeing the scene.

If you have delicate health or are in the company of small children, please do not view the attached photo.

[mrich12000]

:rofl :rofl :rofl I looked:bow :bow :clap :clap :buds

[FredRydr]

Okay, here’s my plan:...

Are you serious?

Fred (who has a spare chip from the plastic key that snapped in half)
'07 R1200R

[crgrbrts]

Am I serious?

Yes, I am -- to a point. I do plan to mount the new ring antenna and spare plastic key in a Mini-box and rig up a wiring lead and connector to mate with the connector from the wiring harness to the existing ring antenna. I won't encase them in resin, though. I'll simply secure them with contact cement so I can remove them, if necessary. I will seal the box, though, and drill a very small hole in the bottom to prevent condensation being trapped inside -- and mount this to a good grounding point on the bike. I'll leave the "backup starting demodulator" unconnected, however, unless needed.

[cjack]

My dealer had another one come in. The third one in about a year though. A 100 mile old '08 K12GT. It had the 136 ring antenna and when diagnosing, a new ring antenna didn't work either. Then they found a small break in the green wire right at the ring antenna connector. It looked like it had been damaged and maybe broke when removing the connector. After fixing that, the original antenna still didn't work. So they installed a new 247 antenna and all is good and wonderful now.
Just mentioning this so that a similar "two things wrong" situation won't have anyone going around in circles trying to fix one of these.

[crgrbrts]

As I mentioned in a post elsewhere, I obtained three faulty antenna rings for inspection and dissection. all were part # 6135 7714207 -01 and were manufactured in September, 2007. I've cut open two of them and found, in both cases, cold solder joints between the transmitter circuit board and the antenna coil itself. (Jack will know what that means). Besides noting the tell-tale look of the crumbly, gray solder joints, I found that I was able to separate the supposedly secure board from the connector pins with absolutely no effort. Also, while the board is encased in silicone rubber for weather protection, there's no electromagnetic shielding in the device at all.

I still don't know precisely what causes these things to fail so predictably (my dealer has replaced four in two days), but I thought the bad QC was worth mentioning. Allegedly the latest ....247 iteration of this device cures all. We shall see. It would be nice if BMW itself told us what's what and how the boards have now been re-designed.

73 to fellow Beemerhams,

Craig
W3CRR

[deilenberger]

As I mentioned in a post elsewhere, I obtained three faulty antenna rings for inspection and dissection. all were part # 6135 7714207 -01 and were manufactured in September, 2007. I've cut open two of them and found, in both cases, cold solder joints between the transmitter circuit board and the antenna coil itself. (Jack will know what that means). Besides noting the tell-tale look of the crumbly, gray solder joints, I found that I was able to separate the supposedly secure board from the connector pins with absolutely no effort. Also, while the board is encased in silicone rubber for weather protection, there's no electromagnetic shielding in the device at all.
Craig,

This may be the result of going "green"..

I still don't know precisely what causes these things to fail so predictably (my dealer has replaced four in two days), but I thought the bad QC was worth mentioning. Allegedly the latest ....247 iteration of this device cures all. We shall see. It would be nice if BMW itself told us what's what and how the boards have now been re-designed.

73 to fellow Beemerhams,

Craig
W3CRRI wouldn't expect BMW to say much. The vendor of the rings is probably going to stay pretty mum on the topic.. but.. I'd suspect the new solder which has no lead in it may be to fault. There have been other problems reported with the new environmentally safe solder - and gray and crumbly sounds like that might be the case.

Maybe the vendor found some old solder and actually used it.. we can hope. Or figured out how to make a decent joint with the new stuff.

[cjack]

Craig,

This may be the result of going "green"..I wouldn't expect BMW to say much. The vendor of the rings is probably going to stay pretty mum on the topic.. but.. I'd suspect the new solder which has no lead in it may be to fault. There have been other problems reported with the new environmentally safe solder - and gray and crumbly sounds like that might be the case.

Maybe the vendor found some old solder and actually used it.. we can hope. Or figured out how to make a decent joint with the new stuff.

This always reminds me of the 30 years or so when I would hold the 60/40 solder in my lips, the board in my hand and the soldering iron in my other hand. I quit doing that about 10 years ago and still seem to know which end is up. Guess it didn't hurt me...too much.

[crgrbrts]

Yeah, and I used to put the tinned soldering iron under my nose to feel if it was hot enough. But, I'm okay, too. Did I ever tell you that I used to put the tinned soldering iron under my nose to feel if it was hot enough? Well, I used to put the tinned soldering iron under my nose to feel if it was hot enough. But, I'm okay. No really!

What were we talking about?

[mrmaico]

As I mentioned in a post elsewhere, I obtained three faulty antenna rings for inspection and dissection. all were part # 6135 7714207 -01 and were manufactured in September, 2007. I've cut open two of them and found, in both cases, cold solder joints between the transmitter circuit board and the antenna coil itself. (Jack will know what that means). Besides noting the tell-tale look of the crumbly, gray solder joints, I found that I was able to separate the supposedly secure board from the connector pins with absolutely no effort. Also, while the board is encased in silicone rubber for weather protection, there's no electromagnetic shielding in the device at all.

I still don't know precisely what causes these things to fail so predictably (my dealer has replaced four in two days), but I thought the bad QC was worth mentioning. Allegedly the latest ....247 iteration of this device cures all. We shall see. It would be nice if BMW itself told us what's what and how the boards have now been re-designed.

73 to fellow Beemerhams,

Craig
W3CRR

Someone posted at Advrider that the 247 is simply a bypass and has no antenna. No idea where he got that info from though.

Barry

[crgrbrts]

If the 247 really is a bypass circuit, that's the best news ever on this topic. If not -- well, at least it's a comforting rumour.

[deilenberger]

Someone posted at Advrider that the 247 is simply a bypass and has no antenna. No idea where he got that info from though.

BarryI suspect he's smoking something. There is no "bypass" for EWS. No way, no how.

Don't believe everything you read on the Internet (including this..)

[mbocean]

Another EWS failure story. (2007 GSA with 2000 miles) To spare the details, I was left stranded in North Texas on a country road for over 8 hours. Bmw roadside assistance informed me after 2 hours that they couldn't help me. No towing service was available. Fortunately a friend of mind drove 2 hours and we loaded my bike on his truck. These stories are becoming to common. Does anyone know why BMW has not recognized this problem, and conducted a RECALL on this? There appears to be enough occurances to indicate this needs to be done. Any feedback would be appreciated.

[lensuz]

What model years can be identified as likely to have this problem? Are only the '07s and '08s the only years affected?

Sorry you had to wait for 8 hours and still not get a tow. I am going to look into towing insurance other than BMW. Getting stuck in the boonies without towing can get $$$$.

[crgrbrts]

The Adventure Rider site (advrider.com) has a couple of thousand posts on this topic (no kidding). As I've mentioned elsewhere, I've suffered two failures on my '07 K1200R Sport -- one during its first 1,500 miles of life and the second, a few days ago, at a little less than 3,000 miles. I have inspected three bad ring antennas retrieved from my dealer (they replaced at least four last week alone). The latest faulty units were all manufactured in September, 2007 and bear part #61357714207 - 01. I've dissected two and found bad solder joints between the transmitter circuit board and the antenna coil itself. I cannot say that was the problem, though, since the failure rate on these devices appears to be time-in-service specific.

The replacement for these faulty units is part number 61357714247 and is said to provide a cure for this all-too-common problem.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience with BMW Roadside Assistance. I, too, had to be towed last week but the driver arrived within 45 minutes, loaded my bike carefully and skillfully and delivered it to my dealer promptly. Less than 24 hours later, my bike was repaired, washed and ready to go -- thanks to the great crew at Bob's BMW.

Craig
on the road again in Merry-Land

[Patteng]

What is an "EWS" I don't think my 1150RT has one?:blush

[deilenberger]

What is an "EWS" I don't think my 1150RT has one?:blushYou don't have one. If you want to know what it is - search is your friend.

[drmajor]

I would like someone to congeal this EWS fix.

1st, will the PN- 61 35 7 705 247 ring fix this w/o reprogramming the bike?
2nd, How to do it? Is it pretty easy to take off or does the front triple clamp and etc. have to be removed?
3rd, will both of my present keys still work?

The Extension cable is only needed if I plan to use the 247 ring as a side item?

It is my understanding that the new ring PN- 61 35 7 705 247 is not having failure?

thanks.

[tomm51]

I bought a new R1200RT two weeks ago.Now with 1847 miles EWS failure.Tried both keys.No luck.Awaiting for the tow.Bike was manufactured November 07.Dealer has another one there today getting its immobilizer ring replaced.I want a spare ring.I travel way to much to be stuck with a key that won't work.Dealer wants 144 dollars for an extra ring for my tool kit.The dealer loaner bike is out :whistle .I ordered my extra $60 metal key two weeks ago but its not in yet.I wish BMW would leave these immobilizer rings in cars and off of there bikes.

[crgrbrts]

Installation of the new antenna ring alone will correct the problem -- no manual reprogramming is necessary.

While removal and replacement could be done without some front end disassembly, it would be awkward. The retaining bolts are "security" types and must be drilled out and -- in order to maintain your warranty -- replaced with the same type. It'd be best to have a dealer do the job under warranty, if possible.

The latest iteration of the device is supposed to be fault free. That, of course, remains to be seen. I've been through two antenna rings and the last one was supposed to be the cure, too. I've bought a spare "just in case".

[JimVonBaden1]

Installation of the new antenna ring alone will correct the problem -- no manual reprogramming is necessary.

While removal and replacement could be done without some front end disassembly, it would be awkward. The retaining bolts are "security" types and must be drilled out and -- in order to maintain your warranty -- replaced with the same type. It'd be best to have a dealer do the job under warranty, if possible.

The latest iteration of the device is supposed to be fault free. That, of course, remains to be seen. I've been through two antenna rings and the last one was supposed to be the cure, too. I've bought a spare "just in case".

I'm not so sure that is true. I know of a few dealers that will drill them out and replace them with regular bolts.

Jim :brow

[AKBeemer]

Jim,

Boy-oh-boy is there a market here for a new video. "Emergency installation of the EWS Antenna" with sections on the RT, GS and R models. Sign me up for the first copy.

:lurk

[deilenberger]

And I'll be "congealing" this into the larger EWS thread.

Folks - please try to keep the EWS threads in the larger thread. It will help others to find the inforrmation they need. All the questions asked here have been answered before..

[deilenberger]

I bought a new R1200RT two weeks ago.Now with 1847 miles EWS failure.Tried both keys.No luck.Awaiting for the tow.Bike was manufactured November 07.Dealer has another one there today getting its immobilizer ring replaced.I want a spare ring.I travel way to much to be stuck with a key that won't work.Dealer wants 144 dollars for an extra ring for my tool kit.The dealer loaner bike is out :whistle .I ordered my extra $60 metal key two weeks ago but its not in yet.I wish BMW would leave these immobilizer rings in cars and off of there bikes.Give the dealer the latest PN (in thread above) for the antenna ring and ask them to look at the June 1st price list. $36.67 - I have one ordered a week ago from MaxBMW.

[deilenberger]

I would like someone to congeal this EWS fix.

1st, will the PN- 61 35 7 705 247 ring fix this w/o reprogramming the bike?
Probably. There has been one report I've seen of a wiring harness failure. The vast majority are bad antenna rings.
2nd, How to do it? Is it pretty easy to take off or does the front triple clamp and etc. have to be removed?
The ring is fastened to the bottom of the upper triple-clamp with theft-proof screws. The BMW manual shows removal of the upper clamp and drilling out the bolts.

I'd suggest instead - you carry the spare. It can be used by just being in proximity to your key - so you unplug the old one, plug in the new one and hold it in position so your key triggers it. Or your spare key. Then let the dealer worry about fitting a new one.

3rd, will both of my present keys still work?
Yes. If they work now.
The Extension cable is only needed if I plan to use the 247 ring as a side item?
Yes
It is my understanding that the new ring PN- 61 35 7 705 247 is not having failure?
It's the 5th try by BMW. I hope it's failure free since I bought a spare one.
thanks.
No problem. Lets try to keep this all in one thread please..

[crgrbrts]

Regarding the security bolts issue - I should clarify and say that's what I've been told. It was explained to me that BMWNA wants the security bolts replaced with identical fasteners so as not to defeat the "anti-theft" properties of the assembly.

I'm tempted to get really crazy and anarchic and replace the bolts myself with Torx types -- which I will do if I ever experience another EWS failure.

[tgideon]

Add another EWS failure to the list. '07 R12ST with 5200 miles. Replacing the ring antenna did NOT resolve the EWS error, and the dealer is now awaiting instructions from BMWNA as to the next step. Of course, my bike will have to wait until BMWNA figures out how to resolve the EWS problem with the R12RT that has been sitting in the same shop for 3 weeks (ring antenna and wiring harness replaced so far) while the legendary engineers of Germany twiddle their respective thumbs (assuming BMW actually employs any primates).

Cost to me so far? $900 in nonrefundable fees for a track school I should be attending today and tomorrow, likely need to cancel a cross country trip that I have been anticipating for almost a year, and a boatload of aggravation. Cost to BMW? Loss of a 25+ year customer and as much negative PR as I can possibly generate. I suppose the BMW AG bean counters will consider that a splendid trade off.

[deilenberger]

While it must be helpful to you to vent about your failure.. I wonder what you would have BMW do at this point?

How could they make you a continuing loyal customer?

Telling them you'll never buy another BMW probably isn't the way to get them to change since they now know they lost you already.

Just curious - I can understand your frustration, but don't understand what you hope to accomplish aside from giving them a black eye.

BTW - have you contacted BMW-Motorad and told them about your displeasure? That would seem a useful first step perhaps in getting them to change something.

[revkev]

If the EWS problem is normally the result of an identified faulty, and now fairly cheap part, why wouldn't BMW issue a recall. Sure it would be expensive but the bad PR, which seems to be growing, and the loss of many loyal present and future customers seems to be a steep price to pay.

Perhaps it would be more costly to recall than I can imagine.

Perhaps BMW thinks a recall would create an even worse PR nightmare.

Perhaps BMW is too proud to admit a mistake.

Perhaps BMW doesn't know exactly how to fix the problem.

Perhaps BMW is somewhat incompetent in these area.

Perhaps the problem is more vocal and less common than my perception of it.


More questions than answers on this one IMHO. It just doesn't make much sense to me. Denial usually doesn't solve a problem.

[deilenberger]

I wouldn't expect a "recall" - that is reserved for a hazardous condition fix, or a fix required by law. I would hope for a service campaign, which accomplishes the same thing. And BMW has done service campaigns before.. I think they may actually realize that perfection in everything isn't really possible.

[crgrbrts]

I feel very badly for you, tgideon.

Who is your dealer and where's you track day? Some. dealers, like mine, maintain service loaners and some tracks rent bikes.

Also, a calm appeal to BMWNA might -- just might -- yield some positive action for you.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[cjack]

Add another EWS failure to the list. '07 R12ST with 5200 miles. Replacing the ring antenna did NOT resolve the EWS error, and the dealer is now awaiting instructions from BMWNA as to the next step. Of course, my bike will have to wait until BMWNA figures out how to resolve the EWS problem with the R12RT that has been sitting in the same shop for 3 weeks (ring antenna and wiring harness replaced so far) while the legendary engineers of Germany twiddle their respective thumbs (assuming BMW actually employs any primates).

Cost to me so far? $900 in nonrefundable fees for a track school I should be attending today and tomorrow, likely need to cancel a cross country trip that I have been anticipating for almost a year, and a boatload of aggravation. Cost to BMW? Loss of a 25+ year customer and as much negative PR as I can possibly generate. I suppose the BMW AG bean counters will consider that a splendid trade off.

Well...I think it is wrong that BMW can't fix your bike in time. If I had those expectations and it all depended on someone or some other entity to fulfill them...I would have a back up as best as I could.
A friend of mine once said that your problem isn't that your bike broke, it is that you don't have two bikes.
Hoping that your bike is ready for your trip.

[tgideon]

Who is your dealer and where's you track day?

Battley Cycles in Rockville, MD, and they have been very helpful; BMWNA, for those of you who asked, expressed indifference, to put it gently, when I called, so I will work my way up the ladder respectfully in hopes of expediting a solution. The track days were to be with Reg Pridmore at VIR, and he does not have any bikes he can rent on this trip. As for a second bike, I bought the R12ST specifically to own a "do it all" bike that would be suitable for the occasional track day...it's been more than a few years since I actively raced, and keeping the GSXR I sold earlier to use 3 or 4 times a year doesn't make sense and isn't in my budget

Frankly, Don, giving BMW a black eye sounds just about right to me. As far as I am concerned, BMW has done the damage to itself, and the last time I looked, the First Amendment contained no provision excepting accurate criticism. This is a problem that has been known for over 6 months, but there does not appear to be any sense of urgency in addressing the underlying issue (and please bear in mind I am talking about an "EWS" failure that is NOT resolved by replacing the antenna ring). I suppose this situation is one of those "rare" failures you mentioned several times earlier in this thread. The point is, "rare" is in the eye of the beholder. What is "rare" from your perspective has become the norm in my BMW ownership experience over the last 15 years. Electrical problems, drive shaft problems, leaking seals everywhere, defective coils, and on and on the list goes. Every motorcycle I've ever owned, 22 at last count, has been properly maintained, but somehow only the post-1995 BMWs have been failure prone. Just coincidence, I'm sure. Oh, forgot the black box meltdown, alternator failure, and lunched water pump impeller shaft on the '85 K100.

Why should I continue to patronize a brand when the last 2 bikes I bought turned out to be shop queens (K1200RS and the current R12)? Why should I continue to say nice things about a brand that has repeatedly failed on me? Why would I want to continue to do business with a firm whose reaction to problems is to drag its heels until the problem can no longer be ignored? As far as I am concerned, my only recourse is to take my business elsewhere in the future, and to be blunt about my reasons for doing so should my riding friends ask.

I don't have the wealth of BMW experience that many MOA folks do, but I have owned BMWs for over 25 years, and in my personal ownership experience each new machine has been less reliable than the one I traded in. Call me ignorant or a very slow student, but I think this time the lesson has been well learned.

If and when our friends in Germany get serious about quality control, I'll rethink my position. For now, I'll keep the R12ST, which is a fabulous bike when it runs, hope this issue gets resolved satisfactorily, and pray that I am not one of the chosen few to suffer the next "rare" incident of bad engineering/assembly/outsourcing. Although.....a Yamaha R1 with bar risers and soft bags is starting to look pretty good as an all around bike.

[cjack]

Frankly, Don, giving BMW a black eye sounds just about right to me. As far as I am concerned, BMW has done the damage to itself .

I didn't read that Don was against you giving them a black eye, just that you would be hurting yourself in the bargain.


Why should I continue to patronize a brand when the last 2 bikes I bought turned out to be shop queens (K1200RS and the current R12)? Why should I continue to say nice things about a brand that has repeatedly failed on me? Why would I want to continue to do business with a firm whose reaction to problems is to drag its heels until the problem can no longer be ignored? .

The following is the answer for me.

a fabulous bike when it runs, .

And in spite of many individual experiences that one could most likely quote about different companies and other brands of bikes I don't really think that BMW is so unusual in the area of quality control and certainly is one of the best in the area of warranty coverage and implementation. I have seen so many issues covered out of warranty, major expensive repairs done under good will warranty, and pretty much the hands down best in timely parts availability and reasonable cost. I certainly don't blame you for your disappointment in your bike. As these bikes get more and more technologically complex, I am sure that many of us will no longer be able to say that it never left me by the side of the road. But hot damn! When it's right, it's great!
In the article about Robert Hellman, I was amused at his not liking his R100RT, the best bike ever made, when he had it restored and rode it after many years of riding BMW latest offerings. He said it rode like a lawnmower with a hinge in the middle. But there is a price to pay for the technological complexity that provides the performance we enjoy now. More stuff, more chances for something to break. I'm not saying we needed EWS, but the technology is no different than the stuff we (I) have come to need...it just happens to be the unfortunate high tech item that had a bad run. BMW is probably just as pissed at the supplier of those antenna rings as we are with them (BMW).

[deilenberger]

And I'll just add a comment to Jacks eloquent posting.

Besides being marvelous bikes when they are right - not all of them are bad.

My R12R has been the most troublefree vehicle I've ever owned, and thats from a large selection of vehicles (about 47-48 cars at last count, and 20 or so bikes). It includes Japanese, German, American, you name it vehicles.

My total warranty claims on the R12R in 15,000 miles has been the loss of one screw from a saddlebag hinge, and I replaced one "C" clip in the bag latch mechanism.

That's been it. I get on it, I turn the key and it delights me each and every time.

That's obviously not the case for everyone - but I know more people who have been delighted with their newer BMWs than were disappointed in them.

My reply to tgideon is - you shouldn't. You've lost confidence in BMW bikes so it's time to move on. I've done that from time to time - usually with some reluctance, but also with a sense of relief. If the bikes don't delight you - no one is paying you to ride them, so you might as well get one that will delight you.

[tomm51]

My R1200RT won't be ready for a week but I get a 07 K1200GT as a loaner tommorow.My last bike was a 04 Gt so I am looking forward to a long ride this weekend.I really liked the 04 but I lost the center and side stands going over railroad tracks.I put on 9700 miles on that one in three months this year.Hopefully this EWS repair will be fixed for good because I have a trip to Canada coming up soon with the wife.

[JoeMoke]

Leaving for a 10 or 12 day trip this sat. Went down to Cliffs cycle and picked up a spare antenna. They were surprised at my request. Said they have hardly fixed any at all. Yet they did have the part on the shelf:whistle When I called Max in NH (where I bought the bike), just to inquire on the frequency of the problem the reply was the same. Very few. Oddly, they jumped right on right on the idea of this being one of the problems of the internet, things getting blown out of proportion. Whatever. Anyway, 07 rt / 1k miles, with a spare antenna (lucky rabbits foot) ready for its first adventure. I'm hoping that if there is a failure I can do as earlier stated about plugging in the new one w/o having to tear it down just to get me home.

I will say though, that coming off of Guzzis, I do know how it feels to finally have to give up on a brand due to continuing problems. Just for me, it really was hard not to bad mouth them. But the way I see it they shot themselves in the foot. I'll just take my bat and ball and play else where. Guess it was time to move on.
Thanks
John

[tgideon]

To all, but especially Jack and Don, thank you for your gracious replies to my rants. I will not waste any more bandwidth or further test the tolerance of the MOA Forums with more of the same; your replies have been on point and very helpful in calming down my inner whiner.

I suppose my real issue has less to do with reliability of a particular machine than frustration with being, for all practical purposes, a statistical anomaly. Unfortunately, when being an anomaly becomes the norm, perspective tends to fly out the window. Additionally, as family circumstances, work responsibilities, etc. increase, the opportunities to do the riding I would like to decrease. The upshot is that those lost opportunities (for me at least) tend to sting more.

So, the matter is now in the hands of my shop and NA, and what happens, happens.

Again, thanks to everyone, and wherever you ride this Summer, be safe, have fun, and tell us all about it when you get back.

Ted

[deilenberger]

Ted, et.al..

No official word yet - but on another forum, an RT owner who had his bike in for other warranty work was told by the dealer that his bike was scheduled for a recall for the antenna ring for July 1st.

I sorta doubt if it will be a "recall" - I'd expect a Service Campaign, but it wouldn't surprise me at all since the antenna ring price dropped like a rock on June 1st, giving dealers time to stock up rings to cover the service campaign. BMW often does this with parts on the car side that are involved in a service campaign (coils comes to mind on the I6 engines.. went from $130/each to $30/each when BMW started paying to replace all of them..)

I expect more info will be forthcoming before too long (and I went and bought a spare a week ago.. figures, a new twist on Eilenberger's Law of Spare Parts..)

[RoboRider]

Can anyone tell me the years affected by this? I have an 05 R12RT. Do I need to be concerned?

Robo

[mrmaico]

Can anyone tell me the years affected by this? I have an 05 R12RT. Do I need to be concerned?

Robo

05 GS here and it seems, so far at least, that it is mainly 07 and 08 bikes that are having the majority of the problems. I'm guessing that if there is some type of recall that we won't even be included in the list of bikes covered. If we were included I don't think I'd have mine changed, I'd just take the spare, if that was allowed, and carry it with me.

BTW, I've read on another forum that someone has gotten the dreaded EWS with the new 247 antenna but it sounded like he hasn't actually gotten the bike fixed yet so there's always the possibility that something else is causing the problem.

Barry

[deilenberger]

Can anyone tell me the years affected by this? I have an 05 R12RT. Do I need to be concerned?

RoboProbably not. There have been very few reported failures before the '07 model year.

[Motorwerk]

The poster on the 'other' site mentions August '06 to March '08.

Now I'm worried. Although, no problems so far (crosses fingers) in 6k+. They must have installed an old unit in the factory.

[deilenberger]

Mine is a 10/06 production date ('07 model year..) and no problem in 15k miles, so far.. but I will be carrying a spare antenna ring with me next week when I head off to the wilds of West Virginia.. :laugh

See Law #2: http://www.eilenberger.net/laws.htm

[JimVonBaden1]

Mine is a 10/06 production date ('07 model year..) and no problem in 15k miles, so far.. but I will be carrying a spare antenna ring with me next week when I head off to the wilds of West Virginia.. :laugh

See Law #2: http://www.eilenberger.net/laws.htm


The problems did seem to begin after the mid-06 changes. Of course most bikes will never see an issue, and if you have over 20K you would be the first to get one at those high miles that I know of.

Jim :brow

PS Where is Poolside to tell us that we can disable the system, IF we only knew how?:laugh

[dpspeer]

My '07 made it 6,300 miles before failing. However, I was lucky in that it happened at home!

[bluwing]

I have a friend with a 2008 GS Adventure stuck north of Denver with a EWS failure.
Less than 1700 miles and won't start. Why would they put this on an adventure style bike? There are no ways to disable it in this situation?

[revkev]

So if a person's bike falls within the VIN# of the service bulletin/recall from BMW is the dealer required to fix it with a replacement? Is there definitive guidance to the dealers or is it their option to fix it before or perhaps after failure?

[deilenberger]

So if a person's bike falls within the VIN# of the service bulletin/recall from BMW is the dealer required to fix it with a replacement? Is there definitive guidance to the dealers or is it their option to fix it before or perhaps after failure?http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?t=27297

[cjack]

So if a person's bike falls within the VIN# of the service bulletin/recall from BMW is the dealer required to fix it with a replacement? Is there definitive guidance to the dealers or is it their option to fix it before or perhaps after failure?

I think for a Campaign, the dealer is to follow the normal warranty proceedures. So it is treated same as any failed warranty part, except that in a Campaign, the part is replaced whether it failed or not.

[rcliffor]

There still seems to be some confusion over whether or not this is a recall, or just a service bulletin. I asked my local dealer and he did not know for sure. I have not received anything from BMW telling me to take my 2007 GS in for antenna ring replacement.

Has anyone actually received a letter from BMW (not a dealer) saying there is a recall?

[deilenberger]

There still seems to be some confusion over whether or not this is a recall, or just a service bulletin. I asked my local dealer and he did not know for sure. I have not received anything from BMW telling me to take my 2007 GS in for antenna ring replacement.

Has anyone actually received a letter from BMW (not a dealer) saying there is a recall?It is NOT a recall. It's a "service campaign" (several people with some dealer info have confirmed this.) As a service campaign, I don't expect BMW to send out letters - the work is supposed to be done the next time the bike is seen by the dealership.

RECALLS are offical notices by the NTHSA on safety related service issues. This is not a safety probem, so no recall.

[jimfastcar]

This was posted on another forum, and my bike is not listed as having a problem. It could be a US list though, not covering bikes exported to Canada....
I have sent an email to Dealer asking if he sees an issue as I leave Sunday for Gillette.....

[BLAST54]

Jim,
How did you get that to post?
I tried right from the beginning to copy and paste from Max's site and would not happen.

Bill

[OUTBACKUFO]

What model years can be identified as likely to have this problem? Are only the '07s and '08s the only years affected?

Sorry you had to wait for 8 hours and still not get a tow. I am going to look into towing insurance other than BMW. Getting stuck in the boonies without towing can get $$$$.

i have AAA and they do tow cycles... when i hada FD failure at 3 am at I70 and I15... they had a guy there in two hrs and got me to Vegas.... AAA give you a 100 mile towing alotment... then it is $$$$ per mile after that though..

[soffiler]

Jim,
How did you get that to post?
I tried right from the beginning to copy and paste from Max's site and would not happen.

Bill

Hey Bill:

File this one in the "learn something new every day" department.

First, visit Max's site, call up the image, right-click on it, and Save As <whatever.jpg> on your computer.

Now, visit the MOA forum and start a reply or a new thread.

Once you enter a title and some text, scroll down and note "Additional Options". There's a button called "Manage Attachments".

This brings up a new window. Hit the "Browse" button and locate <whatever.jpg> on your computer. Note there are limitations here; the picture can't be greater than 800x600 nor greater than 156K bytes. If you want to attach something that's larger, you'll have to use some sort of photo manager on your own system to resize it down to fit.

Now hit "Upload" button; you should get a "Please Wait" then when the filename appears it's done and you can "Close Window".

You can Preview Post at this point if that's your habit, or hit Submit Reply.

For the sake example, I am attaching a shot of me somewhere outside Ely MN during the trip to West Bend in '07. This one is about 132K bytes.

[BLAST54]

Steve,
Nice pic !
THanks for the info.

Bill

[Sanders]

2007 R1200 GS Adv.
14,800 miles
Failed once in Kansas 102F ambient
Failed forever at home in Hastings Mn. Three days later
Replaced in 24 hours with the 247 part #
at Moon Motors in Monticello Mn

[motoedde]

Just be glad you're not this guy...stuck on the Afghan border having to pay out of his own pocket to deal with the problem...if its in fact the EWS Ring antenna...

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/europe/bmw-turkey-36427

[deilenberger]

Just be glad you're not this guy...stuck on the Afghan border having to pay out of his own pocket to deal with the problem...if its in fact the EWS Ring antenna...

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/europe/bmw-turkey-36427Eddie,

Since he never mentions EWS, just that his fuel pump doesn't run, I would hazard a guess that he is correct in his diagnosis. That certainly IS a known problem on GS's for the fuel-pump relay to go bad (and it's part of the pump apparently)..

I think you may have muddied the waters a bit when you suggested the EWS to him without giving him any clues on how to tell if it's an EWS problem (pretty simple - does it say EWS in big letters in the display?) Perhaps you might help him out with a bit of diagnostic advice..

BTW - Interesting spot to be stuck: http://travel.webshots.com/album/173617199okPQPR?start=0

http://www.advantour.com/tajikistan/khorog.htm

I'm guessing he's an adventure traveller?

[motoedde]

Thanks Don for note...I kinda type a bit faster than I think on occasion, and I didn't mean to imply that the EWS antenna ring was the issue(in that post or the one above) BUT to be aware.

To make matters worse, if he can't get the problem fixed he has to ship the bike to Turkey...yikes...everything automotive/moto related is taxed like hell...$10 for a gallon of gas...$3-400 for a tire...etc. Not to mention the flight...

Un-sponsored or located far away from Cross Country BMW, these things can add up!

Anyways, I posted him a little follow up note to clarify.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/europe/bmw-turkey-36427#post197962

[cjack]

We had an EWS ring (a 207) fail on a K12S today. Took 5 minutes to plug the 247 ring in and 45 minutes to decide how to tie wrap it nice (obsessive compulsive).

[Bob1100RTC]

Called my dealer today and asked about the ring recall. He ran my vin and told me my bike was involved. He asked if I was having a problem. I said no. He told me they had several bikes with problems they were trying to get to and would I mind waiting a couple weeks. I said no problem. Going in the beginning of August. Can't complain about that.

[Motorwerk]

Well, mine was replaced on Thursday. No problems with this one or the last one. Hopefully, this is the cure for this issue.

[bktaylor2]

i have a 08 rt. it hapened to me at 650 miles. the dealer told me it is happening to all of them. why they aren't replacing them before we spend 18k is beyond me.
2 days after it happened to me it also happened to a freind of mine with a 08 gt at about 1200 miles. great customer service huh!!!!

[cjack]

i have a 08 rt. it happened to me at 650 miles. the dealer told me it is happening to all of them. why they aren't replacing them before we spend 18k is beyond me.
2 days after it happened to me it also happened to a friend of mine with a 08 gt at about 1200 miles. great customer service huh!!!!

The campaign to replace them requires the dealers to complete the replacement on all the bikes in stock before delivering them. Of course, this puts quite a burden on the dealer just in time for the busiest time of the year and as well, the campaign just came out a week or two ago. To add to that, the dealer had to read all the "mail" from BMW to see the campaign as soon as it was "official". Surely some bikes got out before the rings were replaced. Regrettable and costly to all including BMW. I think understandable because if I were to guess, BMW had to be sure of the latest antenna ring before they told the dealers to replace 10,000 or so of them.

But damn...they run so well if they would only let us start the engines...

[cjack]

Called my dealer today and asked about the ring recall. He ran my vin and told me my bike was involved. He asked if I was having a problem. I said no. He told me they had several bikes with problems they were trying to get to and would I mind waiting a couple weeks. I said no problem. Going in the beginning of August. Can't complain about that.

Carry the new ring and a #10 torx wrench while you are waiting.

And, on second thought, carry the latest ring and torx after you have the newest ring...