ews bmw recall

[john roc]

just picked up my r1200rt from my dealer,was in there having a new drive shaft fitted warranty claim.they told me my bike was listed to have a new ews ring fitted booked in on the 2nd july as per bmw's instructions,as anyone els'e had news of this?

regards John

[Don_Eilenberger]

Wouldn't surprise me since BMW cut the price of the antenna ring drastically with the newest PN.. and they often do that on the car side when a Service Campaign is about to begin.

[BMWRich58]

just picked up my r1200rt from my dealer,was in there having a new drive shaft fitted warranty claim.they told me my bike was listed to have a new ews ring fitted booked in on the 2nd july as per bmw's instructions,as anyone els'e had news of this?

regards John

 

Been reported last month or so on the English and European 'cycle web sites.

Problem most popular amongst '07-'08 bikes of all models.

Dealer supposedly checks VIN# and will tell if the bike is affected or not.

Just now happening here in the States.

[MIST]

It was explained to me that this is not a recall, but a service bulletin.

 

Mike

[BitScribbler]

It was explained to me that this is not a recall, but a service bulletin.

 

Mike

 

Exactly right, it isn't a recall in the UK. Dealers are advised that as an affected bike comes in for other servicing they should change the antenna ring. Bikes affected are those manufactured from August '06 to March '08. That's a lot of bikes!

 

My bike is having the new ring fitted this week. I would strongly encourage all of you to actively chase your dealer to get the fix, because it is a real pain when it fails. I should know, I very nearly lost a two-week tour to Slovakia because of it!

[RedMac]

Wouldn't surprise me since BMW cut the price of the antenna ring drastically with the newest PN.. and they often do that on the car side when a Service Campaign is about to begin.

 

Don,

Do you have the new part number? I'm leaving for an extended trip out went in about 2 weeks and figure I may want to bring a spare (even though mine does not appear to be one of the affected bikes, I'm still nervous, it's worth it to me to have a spare).

[Don_Eilenberger]

61357705247 - $36.67 from MaxBMW.

[RedMac]

61357705247 - $36.67 from MaxBMW.

 

Thanks Don...

 

So I call my local dealer... he tried to talk me out of getting one. "You know you can't change it yourself, requires special tool, yada yada yada". Tell him I want it anyway, he quotes me $83.00. WTF???

 

So I say nevermind, call Chicago BMW. They can have it to me in a few days, rush, $33.something.

 

For $33 or so bucks, it's worth carrying a spare.... Plus, I know if I have a spare, my original one will never fail!!!!!!

[Don_Eilenberger]

Apparently - some dealers - may have ordered some antennas before the price change and are trying to recoup the outlay. Max had one to me in 3 days.. and you'll never need it if you carry it with you.

 

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

[decorbin]

Has anyone changed one themselves? What is involved?

 

My wife's bike is being towed back from about 70 miles away right now due to an EWS failure. Talk about a pain...we were 2 hours away out in the mountains. Of course, the dealer is not open today, so the bike is being towed back to our home. Because of where our home is located, the tow truck can't get down here. I will have get it down here somehow myself.

 

This is my wife's 6th BMW (its an F800ST)....but it will be a while before she has any faith in it again, and she certainly would never go for a ride alone.

[john roc]

when they change mine i will request they fit allen screws i will keep the original one as a spare,and if things go pear shaped it will be an easy change over to get me home

[jastelt]

Right, the ring is held on with special screws that have to be drilled out. I understand it is a bear to get to on an RT.

[jastelt]

My EWS failed in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, once the bike cooled down it started working again! Then next time I turned the bike off the same thing happened. Appearantly that's something they sometimes do, so if you have a failure just wait about 30 to 60 minutes and try again. You might get lucky.

I would recommend everyone who has a bike in the range mentioned above get that EWS ring changed out as soon as possible. When it fails there is no way to get the bike going again without trailering it to the dealer.

[BigAdv]

does anyone have a copy of the TIB that they can post or pm.?

 

Earl

[BeemerLover]

Is there a thread here or elsewhere that gives the procedure for replacing this while on the road?

 

Looking at my trusty repair CD it looks like there is an easily accessible 4-wire plug that goes into the module with the igniton switch and the antenna. Makes sense -- two wires for the ignition, two for the antenna. Would it make sense to tap into the two antenna wires so that, if the bike fails on the road, an antenna could be hooked to the taps?

 

Gael

[Don_Eilenberger]

I believe it's actually a shielded cable. It's simpler for "on the road" (dunno anyone who has done it - so this is all theory for the moment) to simply (easy word to type..) unplug the old antenna and plug it into your spare, held up over the key so it senses the key as you try to start the bike.

 

People have also theorized tie-wrapping your spare mini-plastic key to the spare antenna and using it that way.

 

I would suggest that cutting into the wiring harness is not going to make BMW or the dealer real happy.. and they might just void some warranty on you due to that.

[BeemerLover]

Don, I agree with the warranty part. I have two years left on my '07 RT and don't want to void that! But, if I can id the wires that I need to tap into, carry two posi-taps and an antenna with me, all I would need to do is to remove the cover over the connector, tap the wires, attach the antenna/plastic key and then be on my way. But it is probably not that simple. Do you have a wiring diagram that id's the wire color for the antenna?

 

Gael.

[Don_Eilenberger]

No, I don't have a diagram.. but since there are 4 wires going to the antenna, and room on the antenna for some sort of circuit board, I don't think it's a good idea to mess with the wiring. I would much rather simply unplug the old one and plug the new one in. There is always the possibility that having both plugged in at the same time could cause an EWS error.

[BeemerLover]

Don, seems like I made assumptions that were incorrect. It would seem that the 4-wire plug is only for the EWS ring and, if I get in a pickle, all I would need to do is to remove the cover, unplug the connector, plug in the replacement antenna/plastic key, put my regular key in the ignition and start the bike. Make sense?

 

Gael

[Jim VonBaden]

Don, seems like I made assumptions that were incorrect. It would seem that the 4-wire plug is only for the EWS ring and, if I get in a pickle, all I would need to do is to remove the cover, unplug the connector, plug in the replacement antenna/plastic key, put my regular key in the ignition and start the bike. Make sense?

 

Gael

 

That is how it is done!

 

Jim

[BeemerLover]

That is what I needed to know! Thanks, Don & Jim. I'll order a ring today!

 

Gael

[Don_Eilenberger]

Yup. That's it. Simpler than hacking into the wiring harness.

[JRMSR]

Don, seems like I made assumptions that were incorrect. It would seem that the 4-wire plug is only for the EWS ring and, if I get in a pickle, all I would need to do is to remove the cover, unplug the connector, plug in the replacement antenna/plastic key, put my regular key in the ignition and start the bike. Make sense?

 

Gael

 

That is how it is done!

 

Jim

 

How EXACTLY do you use the plastic key. Does it have to be placed in a specific orientation into the new ring???

[mrmaico]

Don, seems like I made assumptions that were incorrect. It would seem that the 4-wire plug is only for the EWS ring and, if I get in a pickle, all I would need to do is to remove the cover, unplug the connector, plug in the replacement antenna/plastic key, put my regular key in the ignition and start the bike. Make sense?

 

Gael

 

That is how it is done!

 

Jim

 

How EXACTLY do you use the plastic key. Does it have to be placed in a specific orientation into the new ring???

 

Here's what it should look like.....on a GS that is.

 

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6588382&postcount=933

 

Barry

[BigAdv]

So no body has access to the Technical Information Bulitan or Service action campain? Is it just speculation?

 

Earl

[Ken H.]

How EXACTLY do you use the plastic key. Does it have to be placed in a specific orientation into the new ring???

 

No, the key just has to be in close enough proximity to the antenna ring.

 

The way these things work is there is two coils of wire in the antenna assembly. The first is energized by the vehicle (has voltage sent to it) which creates a small magnetic field. A key within that field is energized (begins producing a small amount of internal power) by the magnetic field of the ring/coil. This powers up the transmitter in the key, which begins sending out, transmitting that key's unique identifier code. "13AB76ED" or whatever. The second coil of wire in antenna assembly picks up this transmission and sends it on to the vehicle's computer (on a BMW bike to the ZFE module). Which then looks up the key's transmitted code in its 'approved keys' database and makes a decision whether or not it has a valid key code, thus whether or not to allow the vehicle to start. If (in this example) 13AB76ED = 13AB76ED, the bike is allowed to start. If not, it is not, and "EWS" is displayed on the ride info screen.

[Paul Mihalka]

The problem I see is that some times replacing the antenna does not fix the "EWS" problem, so carrying a spare is not always the solution. I've seen in the shop EWS failures where first the antenna is replaced, still not good, the whole bike wiring harness is replaced, still not good, then the bike gets plugged in to the BMW computer and under direct individual instruction things are loaded into the bike's electronics. Please don't ask me for more information, I don't have any.

[Don_Eilenberger]

Paul, while that's true - carrying a spare is better than sitting there with thumb up proverbial butt. I think I've seen 2-3 reports where an antenna ring didn't fix the problem. Seen a lot more where it did.

 

For $36 - I'll carry the spare with me.. and expect to never need it.

[Don_Eilenberger]

Tom - some are easier than others. Looks like on the Roadster the headlight has to be removed to get to the cover over the antenna connector.. that might add 10 minutes to the job, but not much more.

 

I'll be leaving with a spare next week when I head to West Virginia - even though I have 15,000 miles on mine.. I'll have a lower mileage '07 GS accompanying me, so.. better safe than sorry.

[Twisties]

I talked to my service manager today. He said a recall is coming, but he doesn't know when. He gave me build dates and my bike is right in the middle.

 

They've fixed 3 bikes this week. In fact the tech was doing one when I got there. He told me he wouldn't leave town without a spare. I bought the part for $40 and he showed me how to band-aid it. It's literally a 1 minute fix. No cable needed, just a T-10 and a zip-tie. I'm on the road, but if anyone wants to see how it's done, I'll post pics when I get home.

 

Yes please, thanks,

 

Jan

[BigAdv]

The second coil of wire in antenna assembly picks up this transmission and sends it on to the vehicle's computer (on a BMW bike to the ZFE module). Quoted from Ken.

 

Ken this is not accurate, the ring is wired directly to the eng. ecu (BSM-K) Otherwize a good discription of how it works.

 

Earl

 

 

[RoSPA_man]

I talked to my service manager today. He said a recall is coming, but he doesn't know when. He gave me build dates and my bike is right in the middle.

 

They've fixed 3 bikes this week. In fact the tech was doing one when I got there. He told me he wouldn't leave town without a spare. I bought the part for $40 and he showed me how to band-aid it. It's literally a 1 minute fix. No cable needed, just a T-10 and a zip-tie. I'm on the road, but if anyone wants to see how it's done, I'll post pics when I get home.

 

My EWS (March 07 RT) was already replaced but I was told by a dealer yesterday that if the word "Ignition" is not on the ring, then it has to be replaced again (warranty recall UK). As I understnd it, that word must be in ultra small type on the ring surrounding the ignition key slot - can anyone verify this?

[Ken H.]

The second coil of wire in antenna assembly picks up this transmission and sends it on to the vehicle's computer (on a BMW bike to the ZFE module). Quoted from Ken.

 

Ken this is not accurate, the ring is wired directly to the eng. ecu (BSM-K) Otherwize a good discription of how it works.

 

Earl

 

Ah yes, I was typing from memory without the wiring CD in front of me. It indeed goes to the BMS-K module. Thanks for posting the clarification.

[Don_Eilenberger]

The posting above said that the word "IGNITION" is in small letters is embossed into the plastic around the rim of the new antenna ring.

 

I just looked at my current one, and the spare I have (with the new PN) - the new (spare) does have the word "IGNITION" around the rim - directly opposite "OFF". The old antenna ring has no wording on it - just a symbol for on and off.

 

YMMV as may your antenna ring. The new one I got had a production date of 04/02/08 on it.

[Heck]

For $33 or so bucks, it's worth carrying a spare.... Plus, I know if I have a spare, my original one will never fail

 

 

True dat !!

[Bandha]

This issue actually made the press here in Sydney and I quizzed the dealer before I picked my bike up (3 weeks ago). He said all deliveries in Oz were now either fixed from the factory or they would fix them before handover.

[Teddy]

This issue actually made the press here in Sydney and I quizzed the dealer before I picked my bike up (3 weeks ago). He said all deliveries in Oz were now either fixed from the factory or they would fix them before handover.

 

Yep my ST was fixed with a new antenna ring (ignition on the black plastic) when it was in for its brake line recall replacement. The dealer said it was a 2hr fixup (antenna ring) so I couldnt pick the bike up lunchtime as previously promised. I eventually got the bike back @ 16:30. Would have been nice if they had rang & told me.

 

Still I was happy that it was changed as it had been throwing error codes according to the service department.

 

Cheers Teddy

[Froy]

 

I just looked at my current one, and the spare I have (with the new PN) - the new (spare) does have the word "IGNITION" around the rim - directly opposite "OFF". The old antenna ring has no wording on it - just a symbol for on and off.

 

 

Does this mean that my '08 RT wich has the embossed INGITION on the antenna ring allready has the new version? My dealer found my bike on his lists of antenna ring upgrades and I am allready scheduled for it..

[Don_Eilenberger]

Does this mean that my '08 RT wich has the embossed INGITION on the antenna ring allready has the new version? My dealer found my bike on his lists of antenna ring upgrades and I am allready scheduled for it..

I can only point you to the post above which has all the info I know about it. I didn't say that "IGNITION" meant OK - someone else quoted their dealer as saying this.

[RedMac]

I got my spare from Chicago BMW. Even though mine should NOT be one of the affected bikes, ya never know (early 2006 RT). I'm leaving on an extended trip week after next.

 

I'd hate to be sitting in the mountains in Colorado or out in the desert in UT with a bike that won't start. Cheap insurance as far as I'm concerned. Plus I can put it up for sale when I sell the bike in a few years!

[alexp]

My 08 is on the trailer to be drop off tomorrow. I have the bike for 3 months and 1200 miles. Wouldn't start and displays EWS !

I guess it couldn't wait to be called! We need that part now! BMWNA! get one coming to Hawaii pronto.....

[Jim VonBaden]

I was talking with a BMW tech over the weekend and was told he replaced 16 last week. They are proactively replacing them on bikes in for service if they fall in the range of bikes with potentially bad rings. No word on if it was an official TSB, but one would assume.

 

Jim

[BMWRich58]

I've got an '07 GSA made in April '07 with 16K miles,ring antenna #61-35-7696463-11 no problems...as of yet....

[bobbybob]

My dealer today says so far no service bulletin or recall--couldn't (or wouldn't) give me a VIN # range (or date range) either. Has anyone heard anything positive from BMWNA yet?

[Bob_Minor]

Received this from my dealer today:

 

THIS MORNING I RECEIVED NOTICE FROM BMWNA THAT A RECALL WILL BE ISSUED REGARDING THE PROBLEMS WITH THE EWS RINGS.

AS SOON AS THIS HAPPENS I WILL OPEN A WORK ORDER FOR YOUR BIKE AND NOTIFY YOU WHEN THE PART ARRIVES.

 

[Bernie]

I got a 07 RT with 15966 miles, no problems so far. I am leaving on the 2nd for a 3 week ride out west and my dealer suggested I should take a antenna along, for peace of mind. He said that I would get reimbursed, if it failed. I think it will be easier to temporary hook it up, then wait for hours for some one to pickup the bike, in the middle of Timbuktu.

[xbubblehead]

I got a 07 RT with 15966 miles, no problems so far. I am leaving on the 2nd for a 3 week ride out west and my dealer suggested I should take a antenna along, for peace of mind. He said that I would get reimbursed, if it failed. I think it will be easier to temporary hook it up, then wait for hours for some one to pickup the bike, in the middle of Timbuktu.

 

We just went thru Beartooth hwy down thru Yellowstone and the Great Tetons. We did fine until we hit Fort Collins, CO when my buddie's 2008 R1200RT EWS system failed at 5800 miles, we felt very lucky that it fail there and not at the "top of the world" store back at the Beartooth pass.

 

We called roadside - which had a flatbed there in 20 mins and took the bike to Northern Colorado BMW/Ducati. They gave him a loaner and we hit the New Belgium microbrewer and had a comfortable stay in town that night. Northern Colorado BMW/Ducati was awesome and we had the bike back the next morning - including the 6k maint completed.

 

Oh yea, we left for our trip from D.C. and were approx 2000 miles away from home when the EWS failed. At first we were concerned about the fix but Northern Colorado BMW/Ducati made us completely comfortable and we felt confident they would have the repair done with very little time lost on our trip.

[gregpopovich]

Sorry if I'm a bit slow-- but what does EMS stand for? & if I have a 2006 R1200RT does this effect me?

[bobbybob]

EWS is the key security "scheme". The ign. key has a chip embedded in it and is activated by a ring antenna around the ign. switch. Some of the antennas are failing and the bike will not start. Check with your dealer to see if you could be affected....possibly.

[gregpopovich]

Thanks for the explanation, so would the dealer replace the ring around the ign. or antenna? I'm kind of sure my bike was built 01/06 at least there was a sticker under the passenger seat that had a 0106 on it.