Honda dealer unable to fix my nc750x mil light on problem

[Johnny D 4]

My bike has had an on going problem where the engine\MIL light comes on intermittently when starting up. Has been into dealer in maidstone a few times now they have replaced the instrument cluster said it was down to them but the light came back on again pulling out of petrol garage.  It was in over a week ago and left them with it for over week said unable to reproduce concern even tho the same fault exists.  I picked up bike and then within three days went to leave work and light comes back on when starting up.  I contacted the dealer in maidstone again and said I'm now starting to get really badly annoyed as use the bike for work and goes out of warranty in september.  I've  now contacted Honda uk and had an intense discussion with them now saying i have to use public transport which I'm not happy about.  Has anybody had this problem or symptoms with there bike as dealer don't know what it is what would you people do next did think about going to dealer principle as have a service plan with them.

[DaveM59 1,603]

Replacing the dash seems an odd thing to do as it is only the display, the ECM is what reads and stores engine management errors and so connections to that and from the sensors would be a more logical option. It does say replace the dash only if the ECU lamp never comes on as that could indicate a blown display LED (probably non serviceable).

The manual makes a point of checking the black connector and particularly the grey one for loose or poor earth and power feed connections, almost as if these are weak spots that are likely to give errors.

Once again the usual suspect of the cluster of ground wires to the frame bolt point on the LH side seems to be a favourite point to check.

Are you still using the standard silencer, CAT header with O2 sensor? Regardless you need a dealer with the proper error code reader equipment to go straight to the problem not replace parts willy nilly until dropping lucky.

Intermittent faults like this are quite often failed to be replicated when a bike is left at a dealers as they aren't putting the bike through the same changes in moisture and temperature and shaking it around as you would riding it every day.

[Tonyj 6,907]

Most probably changed the dash as it can be claimed back as recall . Bmw cars did this with me once . Said no fault code shown twice . The third time I videoed it with my phone and said they need to replace their machine or fix mine , fella turned up with a low loader and took it away . £2k later, power steering issues . All fixed .

We know they have to have it broke most times to fix it , but if they can't do , what chance have we?. Too many workshop hours on nothing to charge I feel is often the case with this scenario.

Good luck , as this would agg me.

[Johnny D 4]

I've now left the bike with them and don't intend to get it back till its fixed thats why i have raised a case with Honda uk themselves so they can put pressure on the dealer to get it fixed.  I work for a car main dealer so know most routes to follow when getting mucked around by them.  I'm also considering a letter to the owner due to the lack of updates\none when your bike is there your not informed of whats going on with it and you have to ring them not the other way round.  They also toke my tool kit and puncture repair kit out of the storage compartment and did not put it back only realised when i got home so all in all not happy with the dealer and i filled out there survey a bit snotty.  

[Tonyj 6,907]

Your not feeling the love there my old friend are you.it is a shame when this kind of thing happens , it starts a negative feeling and it don't take much to expand on that .

Spent over £1200 on tyres at a local tyre place and they did the same with locking wheel nut and pump in the tray , they swore blind it wasn't them , they couldn't have got the wheels off otherwise:0)

[Mikdent 4,070]

Sorry to hear of your woes, but I'm not surprised that you are not happy with the dealer.

I could've got my NCX cheaper at Maidstone Honda but their attitude stank.

My hard earned went to a dealer who actually cares about their customers, Kent Motorcycles.

Maybe you could try them for a second opinion, I hope you get sorted soon, good luck.

[Guest bonekicker]

Johnny D you must be very peed off-- I think the dealer should call it a day and start selling vegetables-- they are more easily fixed-- I thought the mechanics were --Honda Trained???--- Did a member say once??-- that Honda have a specialist who go out to dealerships--when they can not fix them themselves????

Use your knowledge of the motor trade -- and get the bike sorted out-- have you got a loan bike from them???

[Johnny D 4]

Trust me I'm using the full force of every avenue I can go down no stone unturned. They lent me a loan bike but on my way back to get my bike had a road traffic collision that was not my fault and have a witness to state to that case. The dealership when phoned at the side of the road said they where shutting in ten minutes when I was just round the corner which wound me up then when I got there was quick enough to take the excess money off me and obviously my bike is still not fixed now so I am now on my other little 125 I have. So basically I'm out of pocket they have not fixed the bike after multiple attempts, with out my bike now basically going for everything

[Rocker66 34,351]

As Maidstone Honda are part of the Laguna group nothing surprises me they have other shops selling different brands near me (one with a few minutes walk) and bad reports are quite common which is why I never use them. 

I know this doesn't solve your current problem but in future may I suggest you do as Mikdent says and go few miles further down the A2 to Kent M/Cs

[Guest bonekicker]

Sorry to hear the saga--is still continuing-- they really need to pull their socks up--man up--and get your bike sorted.

 

And as Sir Rocker66 says--go a few miles further to a decent bike dealership-- I have stopped using both of my local ones--and go to Rochdale Honda--and I am 100% sure they would have treated you totally differently--and you would have been back on the road in no time at all--and not having to keep returning--for the same fault--time after time.

 

All the very best to you in getting your bike sorted. 

[embee 7,288]

If it's always just after starting up, I'd be looking closely at the charging, the state of the battery, condition of terminals, the common earthing point etc. The first thing is to check the battery volts during and immediately after a start.

 

Have you recently had the starter relay changed in the recall?

 

When starting the voltage can dip quite low, and the ECU is engineered to expect this but it then expects the voltage to recover quite promptly after the start. If for some reason the voltage doesn't recover as quickly as it should, some values the ECU receives from various sensors can be out of the expected range and it will flag a MIL fault. This used to be a common problem with certain cars back in the 80s-90s, They would start and run but then die because fuelling correction wasn't coping with the low afterstart voltage. A new battery would frequently solve the problem.

[Mikdent 4,070]

"We close in 10 minutes" !!!!!!! Really? WTF!!!!!!!!

If I were you I'd going for someone's jugular, that statement has really made me feel quite livid, and it ain't even me!!!!!!!!

I wonder if KMs would be prepared to go to Maidstone Honda and retrieve your bike so that they can sort you out properly?

It's gotta be worth a call to find out, and it'd be a good advert for MH wouldn't it, having a rival dealer take over the work.

I know that they have had folks who have bought bikes from MH but then gone to KMs for servicing, and that came straight from the guvnor at KMs.

As for MH, Bastards!

[Guest scrumpymike]

A useful name at Honda UK is Phil Dix, Customer Service Manager. Problems referred direct to him always seem to get sorted double quick.

[Johnny D 4]

Cheers scrumpymike will record his name for near future use as Honda uk is supposed to be ringing me back around Wednesday. As for Maidstone Honda got a text yesterday saying it would not be looked at till Wednesday piss takers. By the way who is kms Mikdent have u got an address/phone number

[Guest Ncmike]

I think that he might be referring to Kent Motorcycles- owner and all round good guy Hadrian Powell. They are mid-way between Canterbury and Dover on the A2. Solus Honda motorcycle dealer.

Having worked for Honda UK for a number of years (car division), I know a good dealer when I see one.

Bought mine there and wouldn't even dream of going anywhere else.

Phone 01227 832601

Good luck.

[kayz1 2,928]

A useful name at Honda UK is Phil Dix, Customer Service Manager. Problems referred direct to him always seem to get sorted double quick.

Phil Dix no-longer works for Honda UK, so says the out of office reply i got to my e-mail to him.

Lyn.

PS: and the sods have not even had the good manners to reply to my second e-mail so i

had to buy new tyres...

[Johnny D 4]

Question how can I recover the excess payment that had to pay Maidstone Honda they tell me I have to go to the third party insurance to get it as there insurance cannot recover it. Have thought about going to there insurance direct to ask the question if they can or cannot incase there fobbing me off. Otherwise go to the third party insurance directly to try to recover it but don't know how successful I will be in trying to do this and if they will entertain me as not a big company with clout. Any ideas what to do in this situation?

[Rocker66 34,351]

Cheers scrumpymike will record his name for near future use as Honda uk is supposed to be ringing me back around Wednesday. As for Maidstone Honda got a text yesterday saying it would not be looked at till Wednesday piss takers. By the way who is kms Mikdent have u got an address/phone number

Yes as Ncmike says Mikdent was referring to Kent M/Cs ad was I . . Here is a link to their site http://www.kent-motorcycles.co.uk/

[Guest Ncmike]

If the accident was not your fault then a claim for your out of pocket expenses ( the excess ) should be easily claimed from the 3rd party's insurance. You might want to talk to your own insurers first as many of them have set up their own non- fault claims departments to deal with this type of claim. Previously you would have needed to use a specialist non- fault solicitor who, while rather good at what they do, fell foul of the major insurers by tending to 'max- out' the claim to a level that wasn't particarly equitable to all parties.

[TheEnglishman 401]

Ever get to the bottom of this?