Got ABS/VSS/EBD/Check Engine/Limp Mode Lights - Any suggestions?

[tbjohnson10]

I have an 08 RS SM5, had all these faults (ABS, EBD, VSS, Check Engine, Brake Failure) a few years ago and just put the bike up after a dealer wanted $3k to switch out VSS before even troubleshooting. Pulled bike back out, put in a new battery, fired right up, and have been trying to address the codes again. Have bled the brakes a few times, and this morning bled the VSS - brakes are still spongy and can be pushed all the way down. I took each caliper off and as the brake pedal is pushed, the caliper does tighten. When bleeding the VSS, it was only pulling fluid from the front reservoir (thought I read that it would pull from both). I can get the faults to reset by holding the brake down for 30sec after turning the key, but faults come back after cranking bike and revving the motor. When I pull the codes, I get 1282 1210 and 2545. I was going to try Speed Bleeders on all 4 points and bleed again, putting new pads on the back to see if that helps before taking it to another dealer. Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Peter Aawen]

Often, a whole raft of lights/warnings like that on these things simply means that the battery isn't up to speed anymore, so a new battery that's been fully charged before or on installation (and NOT just installed, even if it does show 12 volts! :lecturef_smilie: ) plus checking/cleaning all the terminals & earth points might see the warnings & codes clear themselves once you carefully start riding it again.... and btw, those codes you've got aren't complete!? You need the Alpha character that should precede each of those codes for them to be valid - codes are an Alpha character that denotes which section/management computer is involved, followed by 4 Alpha-Numerics to link to the detail... :dontknow:

Still, it does sound as tho there's some VSS or brake issue involved, altho the pre-2013 Spyder brakes were renowned for always feeling a little spongy, but they did tend to work fairly well, especially if bled properly!? But if you can, I'd still be tempted to see if a good 8-12 hour battery charge on a charger/maintainer followed by a couple of blocks of careful riding would make any difference to all the lights & codes; and then report back with the full version of whatever codes you have showing after that. If it stands any chance of clearing all those lights & codes WITHOUT having to go to a dealer- and it does then it's gotta be worth a shot, doesn't it?!

 

[tbjohnson10]

thanks for the input, I will put it on a charger overnight and ride through the neighborhood tomorrow. Hopefully some progress will be made

 

[Freddy]

Example of error codes. Note the P2545.

https://www.canamspyderforums.com/threads/error-code-list.2799/

 

[tbjohnson10]

charged battery overnight, went for a quick ride still in limp mode with all faults. codes are
0. c 1201
1. c 1210
2 p 2545
3. u 0122
4. p 0170
today is the first time i have had the 2 bottom ones

 

[Peter Aawen]

Well bugga! That's the easy one off the board then! :banghead:

Given the year/model being an '08 GS (no '08 RS's? :dontknow: ) then from what I can see, both of those C codes are ABS related, possibly due to sensor or wiring issues; the P2545 is a VSS failure or CanBus/wiring failure; the U code is a Lost Comms, CanBus, or circuit failure (dodgy wiring maybe?); and the last P code is a sensor saying there's a fuel or air supply problem being reported.... so it seems that there might be a bit of a common thread running thru everything there... :sour:

Any chance your Spyder had some wiring damage occur before that first failure; maybe rodent damage during a winter lay-up, or possibly some wiring overheating during fitting accessories or on the exhaust type incident?? Cos from those codes, it's all sorta pointing towards some issues with the wiring &/or maybe something like your VSS has failed catastrophically and taken out some wiring or sensors as it burnt out.... but I'd guess that it's going to take a bit of step by step troubleshooting thru those codes to work it out?! :dontknow: And that probably means you'll either need a manual to guide you thru the codes & work if you take it on yourself; you'll need to find a good tech somewhere; or you'll need to get it to a dealer, preferably a good one with a good tech or two! Sorry! pps:

 

[tbjohnson10]

thanks for the reply. codes popped up a few years ago after i had been out of town for a couple weeks, but it was summer in florida, so not a time you think of rodents seeking shelter. havent added any accessories, so wiring hasnt been modified from stock. i took all the plastic off and have looked around for anything that looks suspect, but nothing jumps out. guess i'll take it in to the dealer i spoke with and see what they say.

 

[oldgoat]

I have an '08 GS SM5. It is fitted with auxiliary spotlights (led) and 2 small extra fans in the engine space to pull out hot air and blow it out under the bike. Many years ago I had been in a line-up at the Canadian/US border and had the extra fans + spotlights + headlights + regular cooling fan on with the engine idling. Finally passed thru the border & the Spyder shut down with all sorts of capital letters scrolling across the dash. The dash had changed colour as well. Got Spyder out of the way & just sat there in a funk. I turned everything off.
After a few minutes I turned the ignition on & it started & everything was ok. I kept the spotlights & extra fans off. I'm sure the battery voltage had dropped with all that idling causing all that scrolling.

My advice would be to thoroughly clean the battery terminals and then tighten them securely. Also check the ground connection on the exhaust side at the back of the seat by the big fuses. Do not loosen it, just make sure it is tight. The bolt head is darn difficult to reach so just make sure the nut is tight. Maybe your battery charger is not giving enough amps for an overnight charge. The engine has to be above 4K rpm (I think) before it will give any charge to the battery so don't rely on a run around the block to do much.

So from my experience it could just be a low battery voltage causing all the scrolling.

 

[tbjohnson10]

will check that, cant get over 3500rpm since after that limp mode kicks in