Damn ....... It did it again

OK, so I'm on day 3 of a week long ride. Just riding along normally with the cruise control turned on but not set.

I look down and see the cruise icon light flashing off and on (blinking off and on). A few seconds later the Check Engine Light comes on. I turn the cruise off and the check engine light goes off as well.

Turn the cruise back on and it seems fine for a few seconds then starts blinking away again, check engine light comes back on. Blinking stops, check engine light goes out and I can set the cruise as normal. However, as I'm on cruise, the blinking starts, it cancels the cruise and check engine light comes on again for a few seconds.

Turn the cruise off again, just going along and then the check engine light comes back on without the cruise control light on at all. Blinks a couple times and goes out on its own.

Went on like this for about 50 miles, stopped for gas. Started out again and never saw the blinking cruise or the check engine light again for the rest of the trip (3 days, about 700 miles).

This happened exactly the same way about a year ago on a previous trip. Same scenario, blinking cruise, check engine light until I stopped for the night. Never saw it happen again for the rest of that trip. This is a Gen III 2013 with approx. 4,000 miles.

Any ideas / thoughts ? No error code was showing on the dash when I checked it.

Thanks for any feedback.

100% sure the battery terminals are screwed down tightly? When did you check them?

Ignacio said:

100% sure the battery terminals are screwed down tightly? When did you check them?

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^^^ --- ^^^ What he said ... Exact same thing happened to me . Check for good tight power connections to the battery ...

Haven't check the battery connections since I put in the extra fuse panel right after I got the bike. Will do that right away.

Thanks for the info

I checked the battery connections and all looks/feels secure. It doesn't appear that this is the problem.

Other thoughts or suggestions ? Anyone else seeing anything like this on their Gen III's ?

It's literally been a year between these two episodes where this shows up.

Is there some kind of recall or service builtin for the front brake lever switch? Could that be your problem? If it's under warranty, take it in...

The service manual has a diagnostic procedure / check for the cruise control.

Should still be in warranty ?

I found the exact symptoms outlined in the Service Manual on page 1-12. I don't know how to post it here but if you have the manual you'll see the 'flashing' cruise light and the 'engine trouble warning light'. Only problem is I don't see any 'Malfunction Code' displayed.

Do you need the dealer to determine if a Malfunction Code was created and stored somewhere? I'm taking it in today to have it checked out. I'll advise what they find out.

Thanks again for any insight you can provide.

Let us know what they find.

Remember that a flashing indicator is different to one that is steady on.

Flashing suggests that a fault has occurred & has cleared, steady on will bring up a fault code.

You will have to get into the diagnostics to view the history.

OK ......... I took it in to have the dealer look for fault codes, etc. and much to my surprise (delight) he found a newly issued Technical Bulletin (M2014-015) just issued on Oct 2, 2014 around this very problem.

The bulletin states under certain circumstances:

"When traveling downhill for extended periods at a steady speed, the check engine light may illuminate intermittently with the meter displaying code 14".

When they ran diagnostics, they did find a fault code 14 on my bike.

The solution is to re-flash the ECU, which they did on mine. I got a copy of the bulletin from them and can scan it but don't know how to post it here, or, if you're interested send me an email and I'll forward you a copy.

The affected range for this bulletin is:

2013 FJR1300AD RP24E-0000001 - 0000637

2013 FJR1300ADC RP24Y-0000006 - 0000088

I won't know for sure that this resolved my problem, it looks like it should, but only time and miles will tell as it was very intermittent.

Hope this helps

This is very interesting. I went to Colorado at the end of August and after the downhill ride from the top of Pikes Peak (about 18 miles) my engine warning light came on. It stayed on until I stopped for gas shortly after and then did not come back on and has not recurred since. I'll have to let my dealer take a look and see if there is a stored fault code and if my ECU needs re-flashing--I'm in the VIN recall range at 225.

Well, now we have a darn good idea of just how many 2013 FJRs were manufactured.

Not so fast Bram...my vin number is outside that range. Non-Kali bike...

Valkmike's referenced Yamaha Technical Bulletin can be downloaded here (PDF)

Great shades of the early Gen II ECUs.

Under certain conditions, the ECU may not estimate the altitude changes correctly due to a programming anomaly.

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Did some software engineer copy code from the 'Altitude Sickness' Gen IIs?

I wonder if they could fix the cruise control limit while they are at it since the Service Bulletin does an ECU reflash!

Ya, when I saw that the fix required a re-flash of ECU, I asked the same question about the cruise limit.

The service rep looked at me and casually said "No" and then just smiled.

Oh well, it was worth a try.

I have my 2014 ES at the dealer for another cruise control issue. Just returned from a 2000 plus mile trip and I experienced a intermittent problem with the cruise control over a 5 day period. The cruise would set a speed and maintain it. If I used the rocker switch to add or subtract speed the cruise would only intermittently react to the input. It would just continue at the initially programmed speed. Other times if I repeatedly punched the + it would finally react and increase the speed. Same with the - to shed speed. No codes were thrown. This was an intermittent problem that would sometimes malfunction for hours and then start working normally again. Dealer has had the bike for four days and has not called so I guess they are still trying to duplicate it or conferring with Yamaha. It worked normally when I took it in for warranty service.

I hate to resurrect a 6-month dead thread, but better that than to start a new one on the same topic.

My '13 returned home today from an overnight stay at the dealer for the blinking orange cruise control symbol issue. A couple of weeks ago, I was on the first leg of a 2.5 day excursion up into the Ozarks and southern Missouri. The bike was at around 7600 miles on the clock.

I had just come off a section of open road (using the cruise) and into a small town. The cruise light began a steady blinking. It wouldn't let me set speed. Only coming to a full stop, turning the bike off with the key and restarting would make it go away. The same thing happened about 5 times on that trip.

When I set up the service appointment, I told the service writer that there was probably a service bulletin out for this issue and that it involved flashing the ECU (which is what they did). That hopefully takes care of it for good.