No doubt, that ECU flash is INCREDIBLE!+2 on the ECU.
+2 on the ECU.
I’d like to see a pic of that wireless charger set up. I just updated to a wireless phone (iPhone 8+). Is it a cradle as well?
Have to get you some pics later but its basically one of these double side taped to a RAM mount X-grip. Then plugged into a fast charge adaptive usb plug. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078WQJMS8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1Very cool! I found this usb plug that displays vehicle voltage when not charging, or amps to the phone while charging. Kinda kills two birds with one stone:
Got a passive key from the local dealership today. I really don't like going to dealerships. I know the part's $27 on partzilla.com and I know the dealership is going to want more. They want $32. OK, whatever.
If you are in the Atlanta area, you usually have to go through Mountain Motorsports as they have a couple locations and they are the closest Kawi dealership to the city. I call their Marietta location. Ask how much it'd be to program the ECU to my bike they say $110, which I had read somewhere on the forum before. I figured I'd ask around and gave their Lithia Springs location a call. Programming an ECU, $38. So instead of a total cost of $150, it's going to be half that. Awesome. I order the key through their parts department. It's very interesting how the same company charges two different amounts for the same service. But of course I didn't mention that to the person on the phone.
This morning, I head over to the dealership first thing. Get there, pick up my part from the parts department, go to the service department, ask them to program it, no problem. I sign the paper, give them both keys. The service guy takes the key to the mechanic. Comes back a minute later, tells me this isn't a fob that'll run the bike, it's what the spare key goes into. Just a key holder. I tell him he's wrong, it's an RFID thing and it starts the bike, it just needs to be programmed to the ECU. He goes back in, the mechanic comes out and tells me the same thing. I tell them it's an RFID key, like a barcode. it's a passive key. They look at me like I have 6 eyes. The service guy tells the mechanic that he's on his side in the matter. I have no idea what this means. They are trying to form an alliance against the crazy guy who thinks a $30 piece of plastic is actually a key? The mechanic says he's never heard of something like that and that he'd have to do research on it. So I ask him to please do the "research" while I go to talk to the parts department. He's not happy with my request. I go back to the parts guy to ask him if the key came with a number or anything to put in the Kawasaki program. He goes and talks to the mechanics while I google how the programming works. 10 minutes later, parts guy comes back to tell me they figured it out. I pay the money and hop on my bike and leave.
The system's only been out for 10 years. I guess it's normal that they've no idea how to program it. I'll try again in 10 years.
Did you test it before you left?
Just a key holder. I tell him he's wrong, it's an RFID thing and it starts the bike, it just needs to be programmed to the ECU. He goes back in, the mechanic comes out and tells me the same thing. I tell them it's an RFID key, like a barcode. it's a passive key. They look at me like I have 6 eyes.
Giving up would've meant I would have a $30 paperweight that says Kawasaki on it. I'm glad it got sorted, but fighting the dealerships is not something I enjoy, yet it happens every time I go to one. It was nice to not have to pay $150 for a new key though. The shop in Marietta sees all sorts of attention online and their customer base is bigger which somehow enables them to charge more for things I guess.
So if you're in the Atlanta area and need a fob, go to Lithia Springs, I've done the battle for you already.
Well okrider, you may not be out of the woods battlewise just yet. If I recall correctly, when an RFID chip is programed in, it clears out all of the RFID chips previously programed in (Brian, jump in here if I'm wrong). I'm assuming that since they knew so little about it, that they didn't know that either. You should remove the battery from your active FOB and make sure the RFID chip in it still works. I'd bet it doesn't any more. Whenever an RFID chip is programed in, every RFID chip you have for the bike needs to be present and reprogrammed in during that session.
(See Brian, you didn't think I was listening when you did the tech session in Johnson City did you? )
Somewhere around here we have a service bulletin about programming the fobs.
Oh I bet it does. The guy had no intention to do the work to begin with so this isn't surprising. I'm going to keep an extra battery in the factory toolkit in the mean time in case the fob battery dies.
Although it might not get into theory, I bet you anything the programming manual DOES walk through ALL the procedure for "adding" a replacement key, which means reprogramming ALL keys. This is actually not that uncommon because it seems most cars are the same way. Had the dealer read and followed all the instructions, all the active and passive fobs would work correctly (and in both modes).
It is good he found out NOW instead of being stranded somewhere simply due to a dead battery in the active fob...