What did you do to your Concours today?

[Rubber_Snake]

No doubt, that ECU flash is INCREDIBLE!

+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?

[2talltim]

+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=1

[Rubber_Snake]

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=1

Very 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:

https://www.amazon.com/Charger-Adapter-Display-Voltage-Detector/dp/B0795CNWZ9/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1528990988&sr=8-13&keywords=fast%2Bcharge%2Bcar%2Bcharger&th=1

I only wonder how visible the display will be in broad daylight. 

[okrider]

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.

[gPink]

Did you test it before you left?

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.

[okrider]

Did you test it before you left?

Yeah I asked the mechanic to show me how it works. It works fine.

[gPink]

 

[maxtog]

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.

Unfortunately, we hear this story far too often.  Ignorance abounds.  The Concours is expensive, reliable, and fairly rare.  Most shops rarely see one, and it is the only Kawasaki to have an RFID ignition.  Good thing you didn't give up   I would love to have been there for the argument.

[okrider]

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. 

[just gone]

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?  )

[B.D.F.]

Yep, when the bike is coded to recognize a new RF or 'battery' type of fob, all the fobs used on that bike must be present and the RFID part of all fobs again registered in the bike. Otherwise the RFID portion of the fob (all the fobs) no longer works and then that day when you really need it..... no- worky.

The authentication part of KiPass is in two different parts, totally independent of each other. One is the RF portion in the KiPass ECU, the other is the RFID circuit in the ignition switch housing. To further complicate matters, the KiPass ECU has six, one- time programmable spaces to register fobs, and they cannot be re- written ever again in the future. The RFID portion also has six spaces for fobs but they can and are re- writable. That is the underlying reason why the bike 'remembers' previously registered RF fobs but 'forgets' all the RFID fobs. And by the way, this rule applies to the RFID portion of a working RF fob too, it just means that when the battery is dead and one tries to use it in RFID mode by putting it against the ign. housing boss it will not work if it was not re- registered when a new RF fob was coded.

I understand this is quite confusing and it actually took a long time for those of us who bought the bike early to figure out, find out, be taught, or stumble onto the workings of the system. To this day I have never seen a comprehensive article or publication from anywhere, including Kawasaki, that explains this. Which is why so very many dealerships do not have this knowledge BTW.

The only defense against this is to try ALL the fobs you have, in BOTH modes (RF with a battery, and RFID with the battery removed) to make sure all the fobs you have work correctly in both methods with the bike. I suggest everyone do this whenever the KiPass system in worked on, including the tire pressure sensors (they too are part of KiPass).

Brian

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?  )

[okrider]

Well, sh!t..  Just checked and as you guys suspected, the original fob doesn't turn the bike on without the battery anymore and shows me a subkey ID error. Guess I'll be heading back there next Saturday..

[gPink]

Somewhere around here we have a service bulletin about programming the fobs.

[B.D.F.]

Yeah but that article does not include an over- view of how KiPass actually works. Which leads directly to people putting some minimum distance between an active, RF fob and the bike so 'the system does not keep transmitting and drain the battery(s)'.

Again, I think this is a problem because the system is fairly new, absolutely new to a lot of people still, and not understanding how something works has been and still is the very best way to have it fail us, or to have us ruin the system and by far the best way to generate hate and wariness of this 'mystical', elusive and pesky system. 

Brian

Somewhere around here we have a service bulletin about programming the fobs.

[maxtog]

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...

[okrider]

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.

[B.D.F.]

And that is a great idea but everyone should also know how to use a fob that has outright failed on the RF side. Long time ago, I seem to remember someone soaking his fob in different liquids from water to Scotch and the only thing that made it into the fob and defeated it was a rather nice, dry Riesling. Oh, and BTW, the fob WILL transmit correctly when submerged inside a glass of Sprite.... there is a photo of that around here somewhere. 

Brian

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.

[MAN OF BLUES]

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...

you sir ARE correct... sad the mentally lacking tech people expected to operate the machine to 'program' said installed, and other parts, simply can't or don't read the book... or the screen in this case, for the CD that came with the KDS software...

I found, and downloaded the KAWASAKI DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM KDS VER. 3 INSTRUCTION MANUAL Dated 12/2009, Version 3.0.9
(kawasaki p/n 57001-1650)
it comes on the actual software disc, that came with the KDS unit....duh.
 completely free online... can't remember where, nor would I send out copies, as it is marked as copywritten...
But... it completely, step by step, walks thru all the programming.
I've found it priceless in researching 'what is/is not' required for replacement of any part that ties into the "smart parts" of this bike...

might want to highlight, and print that 'bold letter stuff', and hand carry it to the OWNER of that dealership.. and he can hand it to the "tech".....

having noted this, they should also have the newer versions, that accomodate the linked brakes, and new passive 'card' fob...

I think it is now
Manufacturer # 57001-1802

Superseded part number(s)
57001-1650

google it up.

[gPink]

These folks have found and downloaded the 2016 KDS training course. Shame on them. You could take it to your clueless dealer.

https://www.motorcycleproject.com/text/KDS_2016.pdf

[okrider]

So can I just buy KDS and do this work myself? Found the product in the link below. What kind of a cable would I need to connect my computer to the bike?

https://www.bikebandit.com/oem-parts/detail/kawasaki/57001-1802/b3287760