'08 FZ-6: ER_1 Code...help please

[SpacemanSpiff0x0]

So I have an '08 FZ-6...and I love it. I just got over the break-in mileage and everything has been fine. The bike however, has been having some electrical issues that are really worrisome. I wish they would have started prior to the 550-mile mark so that I could just turn the thing in, but it seems that now that ship has sailed. I will try to give the best information that I have up to date...

Background:
I took the bike on a 120-mile trip to State College Pa with no problems. While I was there I got caught in heavy rain for about 15 miles on a highway...still no problems. I parked the bike in a covered and guarded garage for two days and then headed back home. About 30-40 miles into the trip the bike died and showed an ER_1 code. I pulled over, but by the time I had done so the computer had cycled back to normal and the bike started right up. This happened several times during my ride home and I discovered something odd (at least for someone with a car computer background). When the bike dies on the highway the computer will cycle (tach to the bottom and back, lights blinking, etc) and the motor will simply start firing again. I don't even have to pull over.

Symptoms:
Complete loss of power and a 1-5 second delay for the computer to "re-boot".

Cause:
Completely unknown. I tried to pay attention to throttle position, temperature, load, humidity, and the phases of the moon. It seems to be a completely random malfunction (the worst kind of electrical problem).

The bike shop that I bought it at tried to figure it out but found nothing wrong and (of course) couldn't get the problem to reproduce.

I have a major trip planned in two weeks and now I have a phantom in my brand new bike that the shop has no idea how to fix.

Has anyone else had this problem or any experience with electrical bugs on an FZ-6? Any help would be appreciated...I am at a complete loss here.

 

[wrightme43]

No man, I sure havent.
Have you tried the old unplug and replugh everything trick. It fixes alot of problems for some reason.

Sorry thats happening to you.

 

[wrightme43]

Fault code: Er-1
Diagnostic Code: --
Symptom: No signals are received from the ECU.
Probable cause of malfunction:

Open or short circuit in wiring sub lead.
Malfunction in meter.
Malfunction in ECU.​

 

[SpacemanSpiff0x0]

Thanks for the reply but the shop told me that description of the error code is basically just a generic thing to say there is a connection problem...somewhere.

 

[wrightme43]

Yes,

Have you tried unpluging and repluging every connector you can find. Removing and reinstalling all fuses, and just generally going over your bike with a fine tooth comb.

Seriously, if your all leaned over, and your bike shuts off it can make you die. The shop saying we dont know doesnt fly. It has to be fixed. I am not being mean or anything, I just dont think the gravity of the situation has been explained to the shop, or if it has they may of convinced you that its not a big deal.

 

[FZ1inNH]

Yes,

Have you tried unpluging and repluging every connector you can find. Removing and reinstalling all fuses, and just generally going over your bike with a fine tooth comb.

Seriously, if your all leaned over, and your bike shuts off it can make you die. The shop saying we dont know doesnt fly. It has to be fixed. I am not being mean or anything, I just dont think the gravity of the situation has been explained to the shop, or if it has they may of convinced you that its not a big deal.

He's totally "wright" here! This is not safe and needs to be addressed. Have them try to reproduce using a water hose and getting the bike very wet throughout and see if it happens again. I wouldn't ride it much until they fix it and even if they say it is fixed, be extra careful until you're confident it will not happen again. Forget the trip if it isn't fixed because we do NOT want to read about you in the news!

 

[SpacemanSpiff0x0]

I agree that it is a major issue...and I will not be taking the trip if it does not get fixed. I'm just hoping that someone else has had the same issue so that this does not turn into a bigger headache.

If they cannot fix it can I force them to replace the ECU or something like that under warranty?

I put it through some really rough paces this afternoon...and nothing. I hate problems that can't be reliably reproduced!!!

Thanks for the advice thus far though...I will keep the thread updated if I am able to make any progress on this. I plan on pulling the plastic, lifting the tank, and going over every wire and connector that I can get my grubby little hands on. I think my dad has a voltmeter somewhere...

 

[SpacemanSpiff0x0]

Well...yesterday the FZ got some tender love and attention. I washed the bike...pulled the plastic...waxed everything I could get my hands on. WD-40'd the pipes and high heat areas...and pulled, checked, and re-attached all of the electrical leads that I could get to. Everything looks like the bike is brand new in there (it should...the bike is brand new) and tested ok. I rode over to my grandparents this morning to help them with some yardwork and had no problems. I am hoping that it is fixed.

If it happens again, however, I am going to assume that one of the main electrical components (ECU etc...) is faulty. Is there any other possible cause that I am missing?

Thanks again for the help,
Justin W

 

[wrightme43]

bad wiring harness, bad connector, bad connector pin, bad ground to battery or to frame, bad fuse block, just off the top of my head. LOL

 

[SpacemanSpiff0x0]

Woof...I hate electrical problems. I am going to ride it around this weekend and see if the problem persists. If it does my father is an electrical engineer and he thinks that he can trace every connection and narrow it down.

Anyone have a wiring diagram for an '08 to help us out?

Thanks

 

[djneall]

I had this exact same problem with my 08 FZ6. Two weeks old. I got some heavy rain, and shortly afterwards the same Er-1 code, engine shutdown, and then after some time it would re-boot. It happened enough times in a row that I pulled over into a driveway and had it towed to the dealer as this was a very sketchy situation . After troubleshooting, the shop tech told me that the only possible issue they could find was some water in one of the ECU connectors which they sealed with dielectric grease. It has not happened again, but I have not had much rain lately so I will still be cautious for a few days if I end up in heavy rain.
I will be curious to see if you can track down anything more specific in your case.

 

[SpacemanSpiff0x0]

Not to sound happy that you had to deal with this issue...but it is nice to know that I am not alone here. I had a worry that I got some wierd electrical lemon or something. They did the same thing with mine...which I repeated...and I put about 100 miles on today with no issues.

It has been dry though...so we'll see when it is wet.

 

[medic2574]

spaceman. I'm new to this forum and needed help for the very problem you described. It rained very hard the during the night-bike out in the rain. Went to run a few errands and had loss of power on the intersate!! All fluid levels fine and Temp was 180-190's range when this happened. It started back up by popping the clutch and ran for about 100yards and had a repeat. The dealership thought it was bad gas and couldn't reproduce the problem. Started fine and about 5 miles into return trip home the same thing happened. Turned the key to off and on. Strange things happened with tac needle going up to 7000rpm multiple times with continous cycles of the engine priming. also an occasional strange electicle sound. Went back to dealer and this time it was reproduced with an Er. Code 1 ECU. They removed and checked all the wires and reconnected them. Per the mechanic, he took it for a hard 4 mile ride and seems to fine. I'm picking the bike up in the am and crossing my fingers that the problem is solved. I will let you know the outcome.

 

[SpacemanSpiff0x0]

You should be fine as long as the mechanic is competent.

After fixing mine (same way they're going to fix yours) my bike has not had the problem. It looked to me like they just did a crappy job sealing and packing the conections under the seat for the '08 models. Crappy job by Yamaha...but it doesn't seem to cause a permanent issue once the connections are repacked.

 

[Arkangel77]

This is a huge concern for me. I am very scared of Yamaha because I have heard of them having many such problems with there new bikes. A good friend of mine has a new R1 and he has had NON stop problems with it. Its bin in the shop more than its bin on the street. They still can’t seem to figure it out.:thumbdown: I work with 2 other guys who own several bikes and have bin ridding for years and they both say stay way from Yamaha.:don'tknow: The only Yamaha I ever owned was a grizzly and I loved it.:thumbup: I want to buy a new FZ6 but I am worried about this sort of thing?:scared: I will be watching this closely and I hope you guys have success in fixing this. Good Luck.

Arkangel77

 

[marke14]

Holy sh!t guys! This is DEFINITELY a warranty problem!

Make them fix it! MAKE them!

You can call Yamaha and make them, I believe. You should all call Yamaha to report the problem as well. If dealerships just grudgingly fix the problem and there ought to be a recall, you should take the 5 minutes to make the call to complain. I'd send an email through their website too.

Good luck! I will remember to continue to not ride in the rain! Good god they're supposed to be watertight and weather proofed!

 

[jsp]

Holy sh!t guys! This is DEFINITELY a warranty problem!

Make them fix it! MAKE them!

Correct! Bleed' em dry!

 

[beuwiq]

:don'tknow:

This is a huge concern for me. I am very scared of Yamaha because I have heard of them having many such problems with there new bikes. A good friend of mine has a new R1 and he has had NON stop problems with it. Its bin in the shop more than its bin on the street. They still can’t seem to figure it out.:thumbdown: I work with 2 other guys who own several bikes and have bin ridding for years and they both say stay way from Yamaha.:don'tknow: The only Yamaha I ever owned was a grizzly and I loved it.:thumbup: I want to buy a new FZ6 but I am worried about this sort of thing?:scared: I will be watching this closely and I hope you guys have success in fixing this. Good Luck.

Arkangel77

Had same issue just less than 2 months ago. Took my bike to an electrician to sort because the HID lights wouldn't come on. Shortly after he sorted the lights out I saw the Er_1 code on my dash. I almost got hypertensive. Took it back to the guy but he couldn't find anything wrong. After some research I found out it is a connection error problem. So I decided to try it out myself . Because here in Nigeria we hardly have experienced hands (they just try wit the little knowledge they've gotten over the years of trying ).

So it's a lot of DIY over here especially when the technician is kind enough to tell you he has no idea of how to solve your issue . I must confess this forum has really helped me sort out some issues on my own or made me give the technicians a heads up on what to do when I encounter problems. All I do is pop a question or read through similar issues :thumbup::thumbup:


I unplugged the connectors behind the bashboard & find out a pin had been broken so I bypassed that part wit d broken connection wit a wire. Then removed the battery terminals for a while (Was told this helps reset the System ) Then vuala Er_1 was gone since then :rockon: :cheer:

I've had this bike for about 3 years now and didn't get it brand new either. I must say its been a trouble free bike (except small issues that spring up once in a while ). Well since its man made it must have its own issues. & bet other bike come with their generic problems too

As for now we can conclude that when an Er_1 shows up it should be some connection issue. Either ECU connection or Dashboard or some other connection.

I even took pictures of the process. Probably post it later

 

[beuwiq]

Woof...I hate electrical problems. I am going to ride it around this weekend and see if the problem persists. If it does my father is an electrical engineer and he thinks that he can trace every connection and narrow it down.

Anyone have a wiring diagram for an '08 to help us out?

Thanks

I dread electrical problems

 

[beuwiq]

I'm having issues with uploading pictures from my computer. When I can figure it out I'll post the pictures

Would appreciate any directions on how to go about it