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Fault code e3 on my R1200GS Adv. 2010 Fault code e3 on my R1200GS Adv. 2010
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  #1  
Old 19 May 2012
Steve aka Ratty / frozen rat's Avatar
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Fault code e3 on my R1200GS Adv. 2010
I have searched all over for a list of fault codes for the error e3 on my bike and I have tried many variations of the wording for my many many searches,so I am hoping that someone may have the answer for this error or point me In the direction of a list that I can go through.Please note this is not a ews fault it reads only e3 when I start the bike.
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Old 19 May 2012
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I don't own an oilhead so can't help, but I would probably post this question over on advrider.com in the Gspot bike section. Lots of mechanics over there.

Or call a BMW dealer. Receptionists and salespeople are clueless, but the service manager would know.

Good luck.

Best,
John Downs
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Old 19 May 2012
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Good idea thanks
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Old 19 May 2012
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Lightbulb
Steve
I have put your question to:
BMW Battersea and BMW Plymouth and am awaiting call backs.
So far they do not recognise 'E3' and are looking into it further.
In the meantime,
Can you please provide more information as to symptoms?
i.e engine runs or not, vibrations, no power etc etc
please be specific
cheers

(yet another example of why I won't leave home on my beemer without my diagnostic dongle!)


UPDATE
Ocean BMW Plymouth have called back- Wonderful dealership thank you Peter
IF your bike is running as it should, they believe that the fault is not engine related.
They suggest that there is a good chance that IF your bike is fitted with an alarm/immobiliser that the batteries EITHER in the fob OR on the bike are getting low (or both)
Last edited by Bertrand; 19 May 2012 at 18:52.
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Old 19 May 2012
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I have noticed nothing wrong,it starts and runs fine but until the last four startups the fault shows up.I was worried it was the EWS fault but it is not,I have time to go over as much as I can on the bike today and if it is the beginning of the ews ring failing I have a spare with me.
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Old 19 May 2012
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You might want to replace your fob batteries as well as those on the alarm itself. If that freezes shut....

on the matter of your ring antenna- it is fitted with 'use once' sacrificial bolts which have to be drilled out- carefully!
If the antenna fails, the easiest way out is to cable tie the spare ring antenna to handlebars, disconnect cabling from original and fit to new one, insert spare key in it and you're away to the next BMW dealership.
Merci!
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Old 19 May 2012
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The bolts have been replaced with ones I can remove,I have had many of problems on my R1200R where I had count them 5 EWS rings replaced so there is no worries about that and the work around,you have me at a loss on the fob battery I understand that the key has no Bat. In it it is charged via magnetic connection
I would like to thank you for the help it means a lot .
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Old 20 May 2012
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Found out e3 is an emission code most likely a o2 sensor
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Old 20 May 2012
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Ocean bmw said they went through all error codes and that E3 was unknown and not engine related.

They said that collective wisdon thought it was likely to be low/failing batteries in the remote control fob (not the key) and/or the batteries in the actual alarm device mounted on the bike.

That was echoed by BMW Battersea a few hours later.
How did you find out re above? just curious!
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Old 30 May 2012
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bertrand View Post
Ocean bmw said they went through all error codes and that E3 was unknown and not engine related.

They said that collective wisdon thought it was likely to be low/failing batteries in the remote control fob (not the key) and/or the batteries in the actual alarm device mounted on the bike.

That was echoed by BMW Battersea a few hours later.
How did you find out re above? just curious!
A low battery in either with would show up DWA with a battey symbol so likely to be something not to do with the alarm

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve aka Ratty / frozen rat View Post
Found out e3 is an emission code most likely a o2 sensor
I will type it into the diagnostic machine at work tomorrow, im a BMW Tech, and see if it comes back with anything to back this up although i cant promise anything as user displayed faults dont necessarily match up to control unit faults (clever bmw lol)
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Old 31 May 2012
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Hey thanks tonylester I was in touch with my dealer back home in Canada and that is what the service manager told me,now I figured it might have been caused from some poor quality fuel in Guatemala so I pulled the muffler off and ran it around the town for a bit to clean out the Cat and the next day on start up I had no error so maybe that was the problem.I will be interested in your findings
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Old 31 May 2012
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve aka Ratty / frozen rat View Post
Hey thanks tonylester I was in touch with my dealer back home in Canada and that is what the service manager told me,now I figured it might have been caused from some poor quality fuel in Guatemala so I pulled the muffler off and ran it around the town for a bit to clean out the Cat and the next day on start up I had no error so maybe that was the problem.I will be interested in your findings
I did a search on our diagnostics but as i thought it didnt come back with the fault. Im glad you seemed to have sorted it out though
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