LiveValve Warning Light / i4wd

[DorkMissile]

So made my way up Munising, Mi to ride the north shore of the U.P. this week to get in some trail riding and have encountered some weird issues

So we put on about 25 miles and looked down and had the shock warning light on. We stopped and shut the machine off, unplugged all 4 shocks, plugged them in and the light went out, and all seemed fine.

20 miles or so down the road, immediately when shifting into 4wd, the light came on again right when pushing the button. We unplugged the rear shocks and plugged them back in, no issues for another 30 miles of riding.

Now this was all going on right at the end of the break in / initial service interval (started at 80 miles, ended the day at 135), but the machine is low miles and mechanically sound. The only thing done to it is that I have dropped pre-load by about 3/4" in the rear, 1/2" in the front, raised the tender rings up 8 turns in the back and 4 in the front. The only thing I have seen on the machine in question is that the alignment is a titch off to the left.

Would the alignment / shock settings be causing the issues? The riding was30-40mph, not really rough, but a lot of chatter bumps.

 

[MFG]

So made my way up Munising, Mi to ride the north shore of the U.P. this week to get in some trail riding and have encountered some weird issues

So we put on about 25 miles and looked down and had the shock warning light on. We stopped and shut the machine off, unplugged all 4 shocks, plugged them in and the light went out, and all seemed fine.

20 miles or so down the road, immediately when shifting into 4wd, the light came on again right when pushing the button. We unplugged the rear shocks and plugged them back in, no issues for another 30 miles of riding.

Now this was all going on right at the end of the break in / initial service interval (started at 80 miles, ended the day at 135), but the machine is low miles and mechanically sound. The only thing done to it is that I have dropped pre-load by about 3/4" in the rear, 1/2" in the front, raised the tender rings up 8 turns in the back and 4 in the front. The only thing I have seen on the machine in question is that the alignment is a titch off to the left.

Would the alignment / shock settings be causing the issues? The riding was30-40mph, not really rough, but a lot of chatter bumps.

I think this will help you.

Live Valve Steering Angle Sensor

Anybody with an Live Valve (2 or 4 seat) that have had issues with their Steering Angle Sensor? If so I'd like to PM you for more information about what became of the situation.

hondasxs.com

 

[PaulF]

So made my way up Munising, Mi to ride the north shore of the U.P. this week to get in some trail riding and have encountered some weird issues

So we put on about 25 miles and looked down and had the shock warning light on. We stopped and shut the machine off, unplugged all 4 shocks, plugged them in and the light went out, and all seemed fine.

20 miles or so down the road, immediately when shifting into 4wd, the light came on again right when pushing the button. We unplugged the rear shocks and plugged them back in, no issues for another 30 miles of riding.

Now this was all going on right at the end of the break in / initial service interval (started at 80 miles, ended the day at 135), but the machine is low miles and mechanically sound. The only thing done to it is that I have dropped pre-load by about 3/4" in the rear, 1/2" in the front, raised the tender rings up 8 turns in the back and 4 in the front. The only thing I have seen on the machine in question is that the alignment is a titch off to the left.

Would the alignment / shock settings be causing the issues? The riding was30-40mph, not really rough, but a lot of chatter bumps.

Alignment, no. Shock settings, I doubt it.

Sounds like a possible electrical problem. Common issue that causes your problem is loose grounds. Check them, there are 2 that I know of...

• Left side of engine to frame ground wire. There is a bolt on each end of the cable.
• Ground point under driver seat. There are 6-8 ground wires here. Bad ground here is a common problem.

 

[DorkMissile]

Slight amount of corrosion on the ground connection under the seat and it wasn't real tight - scuffed it with some ScotchBrite, and tightened it down. Engine ground was tight, battery terminal bolts weren't real tight. See if it makes a difference

 

[hotrod8605]

Hopefully you have resolved this issue by now. But I’ll add my experience anyway.... 😊 I went out one winter morning here in Michigan last winter. June’s in my talon, it fired up perfectly normal but all warning lights were on/flashing. I was bummed because we we’re headed out for a ride. I pulled it around front and decided to check my battery connections. Luckily this was a very quick and easy fix. The negative connection was almost off and the positive was only finger tight. I’m surprised it started at all. Tightened those up and haven’t had another issue, except I can’t figure out how to engage hill start assist.... probably doing it wrong

 

[Lil_Steve]

except I can’t figure out how to engage hill start assist.... probably doing it wrong

Foot on brake pedal, transmission in gear, hold down hill assist switch for a couple of seconds until the light on dash is solid, when you lets go of the switch the light flashes and you have a couple of seconds of "hill holding" when you let go of the brake to apply the throttle without the rig rolling.

 

[Montecresto]

Slight amount of corrosion on the ground connection under the seat and it wasn't real tight - scuffed it with some ScotchBrite, and tightened it down. Engine ground was tight, battery terminal bolts weren't real tight. See if it makes a difference

Did this end up correcting your problem?

 

[DorkMissile]

Still dealing with this - all grounds have been checked by the dealer and I, the steering sensor was re-centered by the dealer - the problem we are having is that the light only comes on after you ride it a few miles, so the dealer clears the codes, can't get it to happen in the parking lot so they give it back to me. I unload it, ride it 3-4 miles and it comes back.

Currently have a code #52

I believe it has one or more shocks that are low - talking to the service manager for Fox, he says that this has been common as the pressure drops, the floating piston moves in the resivour and it starts throwing codes.

 

[DorkMissile]

Well - have been dealing with this since the first week of July. Machine is still sitting at the dealer (Was brought there the last week of October, and they just got the machine into the service department last week).

Currently waiting for information back from Honda to help diagnose. Major problem is that the local Honda regional service rep quit some time ago, so there is nobody in Minnesota to "carry the torch" on my issue. The dealer has to call in every day to Honda in Georgia to ask for progress on my issue, and they get someone new every time, so they have to start from the ground level with every person.

The machine is basically un-usable at this point. When at speeds of 40MPH+, the live valve system wants to soften the shocks, which in turn leans the machine drastically to the drivers side. I am not exaggerating - it leans 6-8" lower on the driver's side at speed. Even when not moving, and you power the machine on and the valves cycle, the machine will lean 2-3" on the driver's side, with nobody in it. At speed, it is at a major risk of a roll-over.

Ive owned this POS for 8 months, and it has 264 miles on it.

I notified Honda that I am hiring a Lemon Law Layer and will be filing a claim to have them to take the machine back. I also notified Honda Financial I am no longer going to make payments on it until the issues are resolved.

 

[McCarthy]

You will destroy your credit if you don't make payments on it. Don't do that. The only person you will hurt is yourself. Honda doesn't care if they're light 4 or 5x $400 payments, but once you go to buy anything else, renew your mortgage, buy a car etc, you're F*****. Once the lemon law thing is handled they will pay you in full I believe.

 

[NTCPrezJB]

You will destroy your credit if you don't make payments on it. Don't do that. The only person you will hurt is yourself. Honda doesn't care if they're light 4 or 5x $400 payments, but once you go to buy anything else, renew your mortgage, buy a car etc, you're F*****. Once the lemon law thing is handled they will pay you in full I believe.

^Excellent advice

 

[McCarthy]

^Excellent advice

Thanks

The one thing I wanted to add, if OP didn't make 2 or 3 payments out of spite, they would just repo the Talon anyway.

 

[DorkMissile]

Well - the machine has had the issue since July, has been to two dealers, and has been sitting at the dealer since Halloween waiting for Honda technical support for help. I have 27 documented called with Honda Customer support, and the dealer has been calling every business day since the beginning of December for help.

Maybe Im an idiot - but my payment was due 12/28. I called Honda Financial on 12/29 to inform them that I will not make a payment until I have my machine back and it is functioning, and that I have made plenty of payments in good faith waiting for the thing to be corrected. They reminded me that Honda Financial has nothing to do with Honda Powersports and it is my financial responsibility make the payments - however Honda Powersports approved to the dealer to replace the driver rear shock under warranty on 12/30.

Might be circumstantial - but it has gone farther in 5 days after calling Honda Financial than it did in the first 6 months all together.

I am near a 800 credit score, and know that it won't even be reported as a late payment until I am 15 days in the rear - but declaring my intensions sure made a difference.

I have a lawyer in the wings that tells me they can get Honda to take the machine back under the Moss-Magg act since there has been so much time that I have been denied use of the machine, so if this done not fix it - I am done with it all together

 

[McCarthy]

Honda financial has nothing to do with the warranty arm of Honda powersports. You don't honestly think someone from Honda Financial would call the warranty dept and say "Oh no! Someone is threatening to not make payments! You better fix there machine!!!", do you? Because, and I assure you, nobody at Honda cares whether you make your financial obligations or not.

Make your payments, lemon law the thing if you want to, and go buy a rzr or an x3 that will be in the shop roughly the same amount as a talon or krx or really any powersport thing.

Or, if you want to destroy your own credit, have fun. It doesn't matter if you're an 800 beacon (although 800's are usually smart enough to make their payments) or not.

 

[DorkMissile]

Honda financial has nothing to do with the warranty arm of Honda powersports. You don't honestly think someone from Honda Financial would call the warranty dept and say "Oh no! Someone is threatening to not make payments! You better fix there machine!!!", do you? Because, and I assure you, nobody at Honda cares whether you make your financial obligations or not.

Make your payments, lemon law the thing if you want to, and go buy a rzr or an x3 that will be in the shop roughly the same amount as a talon or krx or really any powersport thing.

Or, if you want to destroy your own credit, have fun. It doesn't matter if you're an 800 beacon (although 800's are usually smart enough to make their payments) or not.

Just understand sir that the machine has been at a dealer for 21 out of the 29 weeks I have owned the machine - and you are right, I doubt anyone at Honda Powersports cares what I do with Honda Financial - but in the same timeframe as talking to HFS about the situation, I was speaking to Honda Powersports about me bering without my machine 6 out of the 7 months I have owned it - which is grounds for a case, and they agree. They didn't even argue it.

I bought this machine because every Honda I have owned I have had great luck with, but this whole ordeal is idiotic. Honda is literally selling product they have no knowledge or ability to support or service. I have a 2016 Africa Twin DCT that hasn't been any liability what so ever - so I am just flat ass befuddled how something like this can even happen. Its a onion with a lot of layers on it - no technical support on the system on site at the dealers, no technical support for the dealer support staff at Honda, Honda has no regional service manager for the dealers in Minnesota since August (the position has been open as the previous RSM took a promotion), etc... etc.... I just happened to finally grind the ax with the right dealer that had a good service manager and technician that FINALLY understood what the system was doing.

Id never buy a Polaris product, and am not bashing Honda - but if you do the research there are MANY people out there with LiveValve issues that have been given the run around with stuff like steering sensors, etc... that are just living with the issues. Many are just riding it with the warning light on as they have had it to the dealer multiple times and keep accepting what the dealers are telling them, and the dealers are not getting help from Honda. Its just "best guessing"

 

[McCarthy]

Just understand sir that the machine has been at a dealer for 21 out of the 29 weeks I have owned the machine - and you are right, I doubt anyone at Honda Powersports cares what I do with Honda Financial - but in the same timeframe as talking to HFS about the situation, I was speaking to Honda Powersports about me bering without my machine 6 out of the 7 months I have owned it - which is grounds for a case, and they agree. They didn't even argue it.

I bought this machine because every Honda I have owned I have had great luck with, but this whole ordeal is idiotic. Honda is literally selling product they have no knowledge or ability to support or service. I have a 2016 Africa Twin DCT that hasn't been any liability what so ever - so I am just flat ass befuddled how something like this can even happen. Its a onion with a lot of layers on it - no technical support on the system on site at the dealers, no technical support for the dealer support staff at Honda, Honda has no regional service manager for the dealers in Minnesota since August (the position has been open as the previous RSM took a promotion), etc... etc.... I just happened to finally grind the ax with the right dealer that had a good service manager and technician that FINALLY understood what the system was doing.

Id never buy a Polaris product, and am not bashing Honda - but if you do the research there are MANY people out there with LiveValve issues that have been given the run around with stuff like steering sensors, etc... that are just living with the issues. Many are just riding it with the warning light on as they have had it to the dealer multiple times and keep accepting what the dealers are telling them, and the dealers are not getting help from Honda. Its just "best guessing"

Trust me man, I 1000000% understand how frustrating it is. The only reason I own a Talon is I was tired of my Polaris constantly being in the shop.

Every base model, no power steering, single cylinder, utility ATV i've owned (polaris 570's, Honda 520's, can am 650's etc) all run flawlessly and never break. Every high end side by side i've owned (Polaris RZR Turbo, , $30k Can am Defender etc) has had lots of issues. Just seems to be the nature of it unfortunately. And the utility atv's live outside where it's -30 and get beat to s*** plowing snow all winter. The side by side lives in a heated garage and gets driven 80% in warm weather.

I've also noticed that my $80k pickup breaks? Fixed no problem within days by knowledgeable techs and parts are available. Sensor on a side by side goes? Takes 3 months, two dealers, and hours of yelling at people to fix it. Small manufacturers, even smaller dealers, and very little warranty support. I thought Honda being an automaker primarily would solve this, but it just is not the case. It took me 3 months of fighting with Honda to get the blown shock warrantied, and that was a problem documented by the dealer after the first ride, and Honda denied the claim. Dealer fought with Honda for a month, no results, and I fought with them for another two months before the dealer called me out of the blue and it was replaced. I still suspect the dealer paid for it as they felt bad.

I'm honestly considering getting out of the high end side by sides at this point. Like a lot of people, i'm growing tired of the issues they ALL have.