Removing gauges after deactivating immobilizer

[thump]

Hi all,

I've read up all the posts I could find here and elsewhere on replacing/removing the stock gauges, and anything that explains the Ducati immobilizer system. I thought I had learned what I needed to do, but I ran into a snag and wonder if anyone could help, as several members on this forum have gone this route before.

I have a 2003 M800ie and want to remove the stock gauges to replace with (possibly) the motogadget tiny. I went ahead and had my local bike shop deactivate the immobilizer. There was a bit of drama but in the end they told me the immobilizer was deactivated. The ECU is otherwise stock, no new maps, and the bike drives normally. However when I disconnect the dash gauges, the bike won't start.

The shop tells me this is because power is routed through the dash and I will have to 'close this circuit' and suggests I find a wiring schematic. Nothing I've read discusses this issue, and my impression was that the gauges could be removed with impunity once the ECU had a deactivated immobilizer. So did I miss something, or is the immobilizer still working?

I thought of an experiment to prove my theory, I was going to 'disassemble' the RFID from one of my black keys (with a hammer) and see if the bike starts with the dash connected properly. If it doesn't, then I guess I will need to have a chat with the bike shop regarding their work. Does anyone have another suggestion before I start breaking things?

Many thanks.

[DarkMonster620]

disconnect the dash and start bike, if it starts, you're ready to go

[thorn14]

If it doesn't start with the dash removed, the immobilizer is still enabled. The shop is wrong.

[Speeddog]

You don't have to hammer anything.

Merely unplug the antenna (it 's inside the keyswitch surround).

[brad black]

hammering can be fun though.

thorn is right.  whenever i've disabled an immo on a monster i can always start the bike with the dash unhooked.  they may have virginised the ecu, but the immo is still active in the software file and so it wants an input from the dash.

[Jarvicious]

Would he be able to tell immobilizer function by the light on the dash?  For anyone who has disabled the immobilizer, does the light still flash while the bike is off? 

[Speeddog]

hammering can be fun though.

~~~SNIP~~~

Indeed, and I missed that his toolbox was full of hammers.

[thorn14]

The light still blinks for 48 hours as if it was enabled while the engine and key position is off (or steering locked). When you turn the key position to on I forget what happened before/now. When on with no throttle input it's a steady light until you twist it once, then off until you shut off the engine.

[DarkMonster620]

The light still blinks for 48 hours as if it was enabled while the engine and key position is off (or steering locked). When you turn the key position to on I forget what happened before/now. When on with no throttle input it's a steady light until you twist it once, then off until you shut off the engine.

I seems to vary from "tuner to tuner". . . the ones I have had redone, they blink, once ign ON goes off . . .

Or you can have it programmed as a shift light

[thorn14]

Man, I would have loved a shift light!

[DarkMonster620]

Man, I would have loved a shift light!

take it out, resend it . . . have them program it that way . . .

[brad black]

if you reflash the ecu then it just ignores the dash.  the dash still behaves in the same way as it did before, as it has not changed.

[thump]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I'll make sure it starts with the dash on and the antenna disconnected. If not I'll have a little chat with the shop, and probably ship the ecu to Ducati Depot to have it de-immobilized for real. Probably shoulda done that in the first place, I was trying to 'keep it local' much to my regret.

I'll post again when the problem is solved. Thanks all.

[thump]

Update:

I took Speeddogs advice and unplugged the key antenna with the dash connected (thanks!). Sure enough, no start. So the consensus is correct and the immo must still be active. I'm taking it back to the shop and the mechanic says he will have another look at it.

Some further info I glossed over before, in the interest of brevity  - the 'drama' I originally mentioned was that the original ECU got fried when he first tried to flash it - in the midst of the flash process something lost connectivity, maybe a ground wire, it wasn't clear, and the ECU just stopped responding. He ended up sourcing (and paying for) another 5.9 MM ECU for my bike with stock maps, (tried to) de-immobilize the new one, and that's what's running the bike now (and it runs fine, can't tell the difference). As I understand the way the immobilizer system works, the dash checks that the key is correct and just sends an "all clear" message to the ECU - doesn't matter if the ECU has changed, it will still look for and respond to a signal from the dash if it has an active immobilizer. It needn't be paired with the dash otherwise.

I'm asking because I'm trying to shoot down his theory, which is "with the new ECU the bike wouldn't run at all unless the immobilizer was already de-activated". Back me up?

Much appreciated.

[thorn14]

I was under the impression that his theory is correct.

Was it a new, never before paired to a dash ECU?