[rocker4x4]

The maverick has been sitting for a week, went out to try and start it, and nothing!! DESS Key Not Recognized across the screen. After f'n around with it for about 30min, finally got it to crank over. rode it for about 45min, parked it, and still acting up. You really have to mess with it to get it to crank. Anyone else have this issue, I searched and only came up with some post from the commanders. I'm prob just going to take to dealer to get it fixed under warranty , ether new key or ignition. But I'm worried its going to do it again with new parts, just trying to find a way it wont do it again. Here are some things I found on the commander.

SO THIS IS WHAT GOES WRONG AND HOW TO FIX IT:
The ignition switch got hot from the cabin heat and the body worped and the O ring seal failed to keep water out. Going through a puddle or washing the machine, lets water into the ignition and the water starts to mix with the grease in the ignition up to a stage where the grease is electrically conductive. Remember you are mixing everything up inside by turning the key. Trust me!

Then one day you go through a puddle and you get the dreaded DESS KEY NOT RECKOGNISED message. But you do not know what is wrong. So you swing away at the ignition key, untill the bike starts. Next time you go through water a little slower untill you look like a pissy in the canam.

Then one day the gunk in the ignition gets so bad that it bridges the gaps between the plates in the ignition. Now the lights stay on and the ignition stays on and you need to pull fuses and relays to get the bike switched off. Now the dess key message gets worse and the short sircuit gets worse, my bike tried to start itself, had to pull all the fuses.( still cant get my head round that one.
By this time there was a few volt running through your precious stupid key and it is erased or re de pre coded to the state of an earbud. If you, like me, are clever enough to insert the other key aswell, then that key gets stuffed aswell. Must say a stupid lowclass plastic ignition, but a bulletproof EMS.

WHAT TO DO IF DESS KEY NOT RECKOGNISED COMES ON?
Bring it to this guy in Pretoria, but if you cant this is what you do:
Take ignition out. Disassemble it. Dry it out completely. Put it back together. Plug in and see if it starts.*
*If it starts up, you need to waterproof the back of the ignition with glue or resin or insolation tape or buy a new one.
*If not, only then try the other key. If still no joy, take it to a machenic, not a dealer trying to be a wannabe machenic. There is some very able dealer macheniks aswell. He will most likely write new keys.

Hope this helps someone.*

Check your battery, a weak battery will do that

What should the battery be at while cranking, Mine does crank kinda slow, That normal??

My biggest concern is this thing leaving me stranded somewhere. In an emergency situation, is the a way to "hot wire" or bypass the ignition?

 

[Icky]

Disconnect your battery and charge it completely and see if that helps. I ended up replacing my battery and haven't had a problem since, I know there was a thread on here a few months back about the same issue and it was a fuse that was causing the problem.

 

[rocker4x4]

I tried to charge batt, no luck still does it. Looks like a trip to dealer, dam, only 8hrs and already got to make a trip.. Anyone else have ignition problems?

 

[1qwkgoat]

What about putting di-electric grease in it? that should solve the shorting problem, but would it cause errors reading the key?

 

[rocker4x4]

Kinda what I thought, I didn't try putting anything on the key, just cleaned it with dry towel. Well, its good to hear this isn't happening to others, maybe just a fluke thing with me.. At least I hope so.. Just figures it would happen to me, Hate to sound neg, but yeah, "I'm That Guy"

 

[boostin]

Well it's happening to me....your not alone! Have any issues since? I did notice some grease was on the key when I removed it..

 

[reded]

Hmmm, mine did this after washing it, the day after I bought it. I'm assuming that I should pull the switch and investigate. Too bad I can't just squirt it full of dielectric grease and fuhgettaboutit.

 

[heavysledz]

do you take your key out before washing it? If so...don't. The rubber boot on the key keeps water from getting in. If you think you have water in it, disconnect it and spray some rubbing alcohol in it and then let it dry out overnight and retry.

 

[reded]

do you take your key out before washing it? If so...don't. The rubber boot on the key keeps water from getting in. If you think you have water in it, disconnect it and spray some rubbing alcohol in it and then let it dry out overnight and retry.

I left the key in so that the switch wouldn't take on water but it apparently didn't work.

 

[heavysledz]

Try not to blast the dash with high pressure water....I usually wash that area separately from the typical wash since I have 5 gauges as well.....

 

[reded]

This isn't my first rodeo, I've ridden every type of on and off road machine made and washed them all. I didn't direct much water at all towards the interior as I was only trying to wash off the dust from riding gravel roads the night before. I honestly don't know if the key even got wet and I didn't try to start it until a few hours later but when I did I got the message and no start. After pulling the key and reinserting, it started right up. I chalked it up to an electrical glitch due to the overly complicated system that BRP uses.

 

[MadMaxME]

The maverick has been sitting for a week, went out to try and start it, and nothing!! DESS Key Not Recognized across the screen. After f'n around with it for about 30min, finally got it to crank over. rode it for about 45min, parked it, and still acting up. You really have to mess with it to get it to crank. Anyone else have this issue, I searched and only came up with some post from the commanders. I'm prob just going to take to dealer to get it fixed under warranty , ether new key or ignition. But I'm worried its going to do it again with new parts, just trying to find a way it wont do it again. Here are some things I found on the commander.



What should the battery be at while cranking, Mine does crank kinda slow, That normal??

My biggest concern is this thing leaving me stranded somewhere. In an emergency situation, is the a way to "hot wire" or bypass the ignition?

Add me to the lucky few w/ "DESS not recognized", funny thing is it usually starts on the first "on" position (the one w/ light symbol) but almost never when in the second on position. Cleaned the key and ignition over the weekend w/ Iso alchohol and it started in both positions but then on a second try reverted back to not starting in the second position. Its under warranty but Hate to drive over an hour to the dealer but can't deal w/ it much longer . . . . .


Taking the key out and retrying does help

 

[Soarksi]

I put dielectric grease on my battery terminals and it gave me problems so I rubbed it all off and my issues (with power steering) went away , for what it's worth .

 

[reded]

Add me to the lucky few w/ "DESS not recognized", funny thing is it usually starts on the first "on" position (the one w/ light symbol) but almost never when in the second on position. Cleaned the key and ignition over the weekend w/ Iso alchohol and it started in both positions but then on a second try reverted back to not starting in the second position. Its under warranty but Hate to drive over an hour to the dealer but can't deal w/ it much longer . . . . .


Taking the key out and retrying does help

A new switch is only $55, I'd burn up that much fuel hauling it to the dealer. If mine takes a dump I'll just fix it myself.

 

[mrrpm]

I keep my switches full of WD-40, simply put straw in switch, & pull the trigger. Never have switch issues.

 

[reded]

Thanks for the info, I'll give it a try.

 

[MiMav]

I keep my switches full of WD-40, simply put straw in switch, & pull the trigger. Never have switch issues.

Never thought about using WD-40 for that. No electrical issues using that stuff?

 

[mrrpm]

Never thought about using WD-40 for that. No electrical issues using that stuff?

No, says right on the can, good for wires & such, displaces water, & helps lube the switch. Also works great on other electrical plugs, like inj, tb etc plugs. I wouldn't use it on any kinda A/C plug, but D/C has always worked for me.

 

[MiMav]

No, says right on the can, good for wires & such, displaces water, & helps lube the switch. Also works great on other electrical plugs, like inj, tb etc plugs. I wouldn't use it on any kinda A/C plug, but D/C has always worked for me.

I guess I was pretty ignorant as to what you can use WD-40 for and I use that stuff a lot but never for switches.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[warlock]

I guess I was pretty ignorant as to what you can use WD-40 for and I use that stuff a lot but never for switches.

Thanks for the tip.

Ohh yeah WD-40 best stuff ever. Spray it on your fishing lures to catch more fish. Main ingridient is fish oil. Works good for cleaning Vinyl also and it has Lanolin in it. Good Stuff. Water Displacement (WD) 40 (40th Attempt at Chemical Make up to find perfect combination to displace water).