Ignition Siwtch Failures

[Fred W]

Just talked to the service manager: yup. It's the ignition switch. Yamaha is sending the parts gratis but I have to pay labor.

Can you take the part and install it yourself? Even if not, see if you can get the old parts to autopsy.

 

[FJR-Pilot]

Just talked to the service manager: yup. It's the ignition switch. Yamaha is sending the parts gratis but I have to pay labor.

Can you take the part and install it yourself? Even if not, see if you can get the old parts to autopsy.

I don't have the time to do the repair myself - plus the bike is due for the 26,000 mile valve job. I am also having them flush all the fluids ... can you hear the ka-ching on this bill? Good news is they agreed to swap key cylinders so I still will only need one key.

I'll ask for parts to examine failure mode.

 

[Shane Stump]

Well, as much as I love my FJR, it is starting to SCARE ME :dribble: :dribble: !

Today it left me stranded for the 3rd time - I guess y'all figured out this time it was because of the "ignition switch failure"... I was riding at 40 mph and the bike just DIED!!! Luckily for me, I had just got off the freeway to get gas and it died in a neighborhood road... I don't want to think what would have happened if my bike had pulled this little stunt while I was on I35 (in Austin) doing 75 mph dodging STUPID drivers!

I had to get a rental car and hopefully I will get my bike back next week with a NEW ignition switch!

Tomorrow I am calling YES to find out how I get reimbursed for the rental car!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Shane

 

[Fred W]

Well, as much as I love my FJR, it is starting to SCARE ME :dribble: :dribble: !
Today it left me stranded for the 3rd time - I guess y'all figured out this time it was because of the "ignition switch failure"... I was riding at 40 mph and the bike just DIED!!! Luckily for me, I had just got off the freeway to get gas and it died in a neighborhood road... I don't want to think what would have happened if my bike had pulled this little stunt while I was on I35 (in Austin) doing 75 mph dodging STUPID drivers!

I had to get a rental car and hopefully I will get my bike back next week with a NEW ignition switch!

Tomorrow I am calling YES to find out how I get reimbursed for the rental car!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Shane

What model year FJR? 2006? 2007?

It is kind of important to know that info so that people will see what years these problem pertain to.

 

[Shane Stump]

Well, as much as I love my FJR, it is starting to SCARE ME :dribble: :dribble: !
Today it left me stranded for the 3rd time - I guess y'all figured out this time it was because of the "ignition switch failure"... I was riding at 40 mph and the bike just DIED!!! Luckily for me, I had just got off the freeway to get gas and it died in a neighborhood road... I don't want to think what would have happened if my bike had pulled this little stunt while I was on I35 (in Austin) doing 75 mph dodging STUPID drivers!

I had to get a rental car and hopefully I will get my bike back next week with a NEW ignition switch!

Tomorrow I am calling YES to find out how I get reimbursed for the rental car!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Shane

What model year FJR? 2006? 2007?

It is kind of important to know that info so that people will see what years these problem pertain to.

2006 FJR1300AE!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Shane

 

[FJR-Pilot]

Just talked to the service manager: yup. It's the ignition switch. Yamaha is sending the parts gratis but I have to pay labor.

Can you take the part and install it yourself? Even if not, see if you can get the old parts to autopsy.

I don't have the time to do the repair myself - plus the bike is due for the 26,000 mile valve job. I am also having them flush all the fluids ... can you hear the ka-ching on this bill? Good news is they agreed to swap key cylinders so I still will only need one key.

I'll ask for parts to examine failure mode.

They could not give me the switch back b/c they had to turn it in as a core to Yamaha since they paid for the parts. They did the cylinder swap but did not drill out the bottom screws to examine the internals. Their shop was quite busy when I picked up the bike so they didn't have time. :angry: bike runs well though!

 

[Fred W]

Just talked to the service manager: yup. It's the ignition switch. Yamaha is sending the parts gratis but I have to pay labor.

Can you take the part and install it yourself? Even if not, see if you can get the old parts to autopsy.

I don't have the time to do the repair myself - plus the bike is due for the 26,000 mile valve job. I am also having them flush all the fluids ... can you hear the ka-ching on this bill? Good news is they agreed to swap key cylinders so I still will only need one key.

I'll ask for parts to examine failure mode.

They could not give me the switch back b/c they had to turn it in as a core to Yamaha since they paid for the parts. They did the cylinder swap but did not drill out the bottom screws to examine the internals. Their shop was quite busy when I picked up the bike so they didn't have time. :angry: bike runs well though!

Now would be the time to order an install a "Brodie Relay"

 

[FJR-Pilot]

... Now would be the time to order an install a "Brodie Relay"

That is an excellent point!! Will begin investigating and creating that much needed emergency kit.

THANKS FOR THE TIP! Who the heck wants to get stranded like that again!

 

[Shane Stump]

Well, picked up bike this evening with new ignition switch installed ... I got about 2 miles from dealer and bike stalled at red light. Restarted immediately and pulled into large Dell empty parking lot. Bike power came on but bike wouldn't start (no code but smelled something burning)!

Called Woods Fun Center and they dispatched a trailer to get bike... they are going to look over all the wires as it seems somewhere there is a short!

I am thinking my next bike will be a Honda again ... while it may be boring to some, at least it is DEPENDABLE!!

Oh well, hopefully I will get it back before the weekend!

Happy New Year!

Shane

 

[Fred W]

Well, picked up bike this evening with new ignition switch installed ... I got about 2 miles from dealer and bike stalled at red light. Restarted immediately and pulled into large Dell empty parking lot. Bike power came on but bike wouldn't start (no code but smelled something burning)!
Called Woods Fun Center and they dispatched a trailer to get bike... they are going to look over all the wires as it seems somewhere there is a short!

I am thinking my next bike will be a Honda again ... while it may be boring to some, at least it is DEPENDABLE!!

Oh well, hopefully I will get it back before the weekend!

Happy New Year!

Shane

Shane,

The FJR is as dependable as a rock (once you take care of that switch).

Woods Fun Center, OTOH, maybe not so much? Sure sounds like they messed up your wiring.

 

[v65]

Shane,
The FJR is as dependable as a rock (once you take care of that switch).

Woods Fun Center, OTOH, maybe not so much? Sure sounds like they messed up your wiring.

Yeah, that sounds like a dealer screw up, not the bikes fault.

 

[Shane Stump]

Shane,
The FJR is as dependable as a rock (once you take care of that switch).

Woods Fun Center, OTOH, maybe not so much? Sure sounds like they messed up your wiring.

Yeah, that sounds like a dealer screw up, not the bikes fault.

I have been having "electrical" problems with my FJR since the recall ECM was replaced... I just mentioned to the dealer .. it may be a coincidence, but it seems like things keep going down hill.

Happy New Year!

Shane

 

[Fred W]

Shane,
The FJR is as dependable as a rock (once you take care of that switch).

Woods Fun Center, OTOH, maybe not so much? Sure sounds like they messed up your wiring.

Yeah, that sounds like a dealer screw up, not the bikes fault.

I have been having "electrical" problems with my FJR since the recall ECM was replaced... I just mentioned to the dealer .. it may be a coincidence, but it seems like things keep going down hill.

Happy New Year!

Shane

Hmmm. This is getting curiouser and curiouser...

Did you have the ECU replaced at the "Woods Fun Center" too?

 

[ice_station_zebra]

Well, picked up bike this evening with new ignition switch installed ... I got about 2 miles from dealer and bike stalled at red light. Restarted immediately and pulled into large Dell empty parking lot. Bike power came on but bike wouldn't start (no code but smelled something burning)!
Called Woods Fun Center and they dispatched a trailer to get bike... they are going to look over all the wires as it seems somewhere there is a short!

I am thinking my next bike will be a Honda again ... while it may be boring to some, at least it is DEPENDABLE!!

Oh well, hopefully I will get it back before the weekend!

Happy New Year!

Shane

I'm not hearing anything about ignition switch problems/failures with 2008 FJR? Has this been reported as a problem yet, or is it too soon? My bike has 8,000 miles on it, and other than the BT021 it's been a dream machine.

 

[Shane Stump]

Shane,
The FJR is as dependable as a rock (once you take care of that switch).

Woods Fun Center, OTOH, maybe not so much? Sure sounds like they messed up your wiring.

Yeah, that sounds like a dealer screw up, not the bikes fault.

I have been having "electrical" problems with my FJR since the recall ECM was replaced... I just mentioned to the dealer .. it may be a coincidence, but it seems like things keep going down hill.

Happy New Year!

Shane

Hmmm. This is getting curiouser and curiouser...

Did you have the ECU replaced at the "Woods Fun Center" too?

Yes the ECU was replaced at Woods Fun Center...

I am still waiting to hear back from them ....

Happy New Year!

Shane

 

[Fred W]

I'm not hearing anything about ignition switch problems/failures with 2008 FJR? Has this been reported as a problem yet, or is it too soon? My bike has 8,000 miles on it, and other than the BT021 it's been a dream machine.

If you search through the messages archives you'll find a couple of different threads where people chime in their experiences. I would agree that the ignition switch failures appear to be limited to 2006 and 2007 model years. Why that is, is unknown.

There have been failures reported of switches on other model years, but these appears to be of the "dirty contact" variety, not the "overheated contact induced desoldered wire" type which has been epidemic on the '06 and '07's.

FWIW, folks were having problems in the first year of ownership with the '06's.

 

[Shane Stump]

I'm not hearing anything about ignition switch problems/failures with 2008 FJR? Has this been reported as a problem yet, or is it too soon? My bike has 8,000 miles on it, and other than the BT021 it's been a dream machine.

If you search through the messages archives you'll find a couple of different threads where people chime in their experiences. I would agree that the ignition switch failures appear to be limited to 2006 and 2007 model years. Why that is, is unknown.

There have been failures reported of switches on other model years, but these appears to be of the "dirty contact" variety, not the "overheated contact induced desoldered wire" type which has been epidemic on the '06 and '07's.

FWIW, folks were having problems in the first year of ownership with the '06's.

Well talked with Woods Fun Center and they are now looking through all electrical connections including add-ons... I hope I don't get into a pissing contest on "the 3rd party accessories" caused this... the cruise control was installed by Smitty, the PIAA lights + Garmin GPS were installed by a competent friend and these "add-ons" gave me no problems for the first two years of ownership.

Oh well, I will check back with them on Friday.

Happy New Year!

Shane

 

[SkooterG]

There has not been one reported failure of an ignition switch on an 08 FJR. Also important, is to note that Yamaha changed the part number of the ignition switch from 07 to 08. So it seems they may have fixed it.

 

[ice_station_zebra]

There has not been one reported failure of an ignition switch on an 08 FJR. Also important, is to note that Yamaha changed the part number of the ignition switch from 07 to 08. So it seems they may have fixed it.

Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better! I've got a lot of big rides/rally/trips planned for next year and didn't want ignition failures naggin' at me. One of the reasons I went with the FJR was low maintenance and reliability compared to my BMW K1200rs and the fear of a final drive failure, clutch contamination etc etc etc. It never ends with BMW

 

[Shane Stump]

Well, I am still WITHOUT a bike :angry2: :angry2: !

Woods Fun Center replaced ECM, head light something or other and now most things on the bike are responding the right way.

The high beam is still staying on and so they are calling their regional Yamaha tech rep on Tuesday to get his opinion (they are afraid that the problem is still not completely solved so I have been having various electrical problems for the past year).

I called Yamaha's Customer Service to let them know that I am NOT happy about being without my bike for over TWO MONTHS since August and they assured me they would do everything possible to get my bike back to me in proper running condition ASAP!

Oh well, I guess I am done venting.

Thanks for listening!

Shane