Completely screwed

[dolau]

  So...... the apparent problem with the radiator fan that stopped the bike from starting has a completely different problem which will virtually scrap the bike. (Still have the problem with the radiator fan I guess)

The mechanic has found the problem- there is corrosion in the plug connecting to the ECU and two pins on the ECU have corroded away and are shorting out the other pins. This is a three year old bike that has done 8000 miles- not a winter hack!

Mechanic says I need a new CPU and possible plug but worse that that I need a new ignition barrel and new set of keys coded to the ECU and the whole bike coded to the ECU as this is the brain of the bike- Estimated cost approaching £2000

I dont have £2000 to spenjd on the bike and so would be grateful if anyone on here knows which years ECU's are compatible with my 2009 FZ6S2? I dont know if earlier versions or later vesions would be suitable and hopefully I can find one on EBAY as a set from a scrap donor bike.

The alternative seems to be scrapping my pride and joy and selling it off in bits (other than the ECU) and hope to make enough money to buy another bike

In the meantime- check under the tank to the rear near the shock absorber and see if any water has been getting in- not sure what to recommend then- unplug it and hope nothing breaks so you can vaseline the pins or leave it alone

[richfzs]

Absolute nightmare! I'd be talking to Mr Yamaha about that, regardless of warranty periods. Goods must be fit for purpose, and last a reasonable amount of time, etc etc.

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2

[Grahamm]

This is a three year old bike that has done 8000 miles- not a winter hack!

I'd look at making a claim under the Sale of Goods Act and/ or the Sale and Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations 2002 which say (paraphrased) Goods must be of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose. If a product develops a fault after six months but within six years and it's reasonable for that product to last that long and you can demonstrate that the fault was present at time of purchase then you can require the retailer to refund you or repair or replace them (provided that the option wouldn't incur excessive cost).

Now I'd think that it's reasonable to expect that the plug isn't going to rust through and cause problems within three years (provided you've not grossly mistreated the bike!) so the fault may well have been present at time of purchase.

I'd contact your local Trading Standards/ Citizens Advice who can probably give you the full details, but I'd say there's good grounds for trying to claim.

[rustyrider]

Agree totally with the above.  To fail within that time it's not of merchantable quality and Yamaha should be footing the bill to put it right.  Unless you've fitted any aftermarket parts or removed anything that has allowed water to get to the ECU, then it's your own fault.

[AdieR]

Something doesn't add up to me; I can see corrosion causing a problem, but it certainly shouldn't cause problems to that extent; I wonder if he's having you?

The management systems between years will be similar, but the ball-ache is that if you have to buy a new ECU, everything will have to be replaced with it and the whole system re-programmed. FWIW, I'd try the immobiliser transceiver first (the sensor on your ignition switch) and try and clean up the corrosion; it'll still be expensive but when the alternative is scrapping or a £2k replacement system, it's probably worth a try. I paid £3500 for my '08 S2 (now at 12k miles without a problem, touch wood), and if a mechanic told me I needed to spend £2k to sort a problem like that I'd hand him the keys and buy a different bike.

How long have you had it for, and did you buy it new or used? Dealer or private?

[Lazarus]

agreed!!
 
Manufacturers have a responsibility regardless of the warranty period (fit for purpose) which you could argue that the bike has been used solely for the purpose that it was designed for. for a MAJOR part to fail within just a relatively short period of time points to the fact that there was an inherrent fault.
 
I would try the Citizens advice first :
 
 You discover the fault more than six months after you bought the car If you discover the fault more than six months after you bought the car, it is up to you to provide evidence that it was faulty when you bought it. You can do this by getting an independent expert’s report into the car’s condition.
 
I know it states "car" but this applies to all vehicles.
 
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/consumer_e/consumer_common_problems_with_products_e/faulty_goods_e/what_is_meant_by_goods_not_fit_for_purpose.htm
 
 

[Lazarus]

i agreed with the first few posts - Adier replied whilst I was typing :|

[Hodge]

I agree that it is time to speak to Yamaha directly.

[dolau]

Thanks for the advice guys- I did that already in a long sob story email also mentioning that it should not go that quickly or if it is possible there should be something in the manual that says vaseline the connector once a year- I am sure it is a pretty dodgy thing to take the ECU out and clean it regularly so - yes I thing it is a design fault.

I also mentioned I am just about 60 and not a boy racer- the only mods I have done are brake lines and lights- nothing to the ECU or under the tank

Mehanic says there is a hole in the air box/ battery compartment straight through to the rear shock preload adjustment area so water can get in- seems about a poor design as a fan that can be stopped by a small pebble because of a gap.

It is definately corrosion- he showed me the ECU and plug and there is like a copper deposit on the plastic of the socket and plug and two pins have melted away

[AdieR]

IIRC Kawasaki had problems with failed ECUs on early ER6's due to positioning, which was duly modified by the factory on the later ones; can't remember if they were subject to any recall though.

ECU's should last the lifetime of the bike; I'll be checking mine shortly when I put the new tax on it.

Let us know what you get back from Yamaha.

[Andy FZS]

If the ECU and plug are scrap then is it worth trying to dig your way into the ECU and soldering a wire to the board where the terminal came from? I've not seen the ECU so it may not be possible but if it's scrap anyway is it worth a try?
Andy

[AdieR]

Have you per chance got pictures of the damage to the ECU?

Corrosion can cause some heat (due to excessive current demand to overcome the resistance) - but it shouldn't be so high that pins (or anything else) are melting.

[dolau]

I must get some pictures when the shop open again on Monday

[Andy FZS]

Item number: 130668255375 on EBay if any good?
Andy

[AdieR]

I've had a chat with another mechanic, and whilst by his admission he wasn't familiar with the bike (he'd serviced a few, but never had a problem with one), he agreed the pins rusting so early was poor, he also reckoned it may be worth getting it looked at by a Yamaha dealer to see if they could help first.

[dolau]

Not a very good picture of the pins in the ECU but you can see the greenish corrosion and the missing pins to the right hand side

[AdieR]

Any updates / joy from Yamaha yet?

[nickm]

I had a similar problem with my bike in 2010....it started with the engine management light coming on....my dealer found corrosion ..... he cleaned it and sealed it with silicon....on the invoice it says: repaired faulty connection in loom! My bike is 57reg and I use it all year round....I also remember him saying that they check all connections if the carry out the servicing so it must be common on these bike...even I might have a claim...