So my bike is no garage queen.  I ride her like the dirty girl she is and have fun doing so.  I rarely wash her unless the filth is overwhelming or I am going to perform maintenance like hopefully sync my throttle bodies this weekend.

I wash the bike tonight with my normal hose, nothing crazy like a pressure washer.  After I'm done I hop on, turn on the key, and nothing... I have power, the computer fires up, but the immobilizer light is lit and the bike won't start.

Long story short I found my owners manual and referenced the section where you need to enter the secret code of your handy-dandy owners card.  I do so and the bike fires up without a complaint in the world.

What the heck?  I guess I'm glad I learned the process in my garage where I could get my card and owners manual instead of the side of the road during a rainstorm.  Has this happened to anyone else?

I have heard of a few odd instances where a bike's gotten wet and had the same symptoms as yours.  It's typically the result of a bit of moisture getting into the instrument cluster, or at least that seems to be the common thread.  They seem to almost always respond as yours did by resetting the system with your code key.  My guess is that some instruments are better sealed than others and thus some bikes exhibit this symptom occasionally while others never do.  I've had my Multistrada in some insane downpours with nary a hiccup, while I've heard from others who've had exactly the same situation you did.  In some cases the bikes have fired back up after drying up.  Good job figuring it out and getting it running again.

I suspected instrument panel too.  When I was trying to troubleshoot the problem I pressed the trip/odometer button and water oozed out of the button recess.  It was enough water that I actually said "uh oh".

My buttons have been sort of messed up since the bike was new.  Trying to switch between trip and odometer is tough and switching between temp and time is all but impossible while moving.  I actually need to press that button at an angle to get it to switch between functions which is starting to make sense now.

Good to know.

Quote from: gnostic203 on July 22, 2008, 07:59:51 PM
I rarely wash her unless .........

your bike must be in shock .........

Quote from: slyfox on July 23, 2008, 12:23:16 AM

Next time you wash it, try wrapping one of those plastic bags from the grocery store over the cluster. I do this when I wash along with baggies over the ignition and exhaust ends. when your done washing take the bags off and wipe all the protected parts down with the Damp rag. This should eliminate your problems.

so will or has this condition cleared up? 

Yeah the bike was fine once I used the secret code to reset the immobilizer.

Slyfox I always wrap my exhaust or stuff a towel in it.  I guess this just caught me by surprise since I've never experienced it before.  Live and learn, next time I'll wrap the instrument cluster.

This has not happened to me yet, but good to know. I will have that code available since I do on occasion ride through a heavy rainstorm during my commute.

Quick question in regards to the Code Card... I didn’t realize when I got my Monster that I was supposed to get one. When I got home and dutifully read through the manual is when I discovered that I did not have one. The dealer doesn’t have it either apparently, or they can’t find it.

Can a replacement card be ordered? The dealer didn’t offer this but if there is a way to get one I would like to try and make them do it.

Thanks in advance.

Quote from: bfoster on July 25, 2008, 05:34:43 PM
Quick question in regards to the Code Card... I didn’t realize when I got my Monster that I was supposed to get one. When I got home and dutifully read through the manual is when I discovered that I did not have one. The dealer doesn’t have it either apparently, or they can’t find it.

Can a replacement card be ordered? The dealer didn’t offer this but if there is a way to get one I would like to try and make them do it.

Thanks in advance.

the code card should be attatched to your red key. You do have a red key right? if not, then i hope you didnt sign anything that says the bike does not include the red key. If you didnt, how much did you get your bike for? because your bike is worht alot less without it. (im talking in the $1000+ price range.)

No I have the red key and 2 blaxk ones... just didnt get the code card.

Quote from: bfoster on July 26, 2008, 03:50:05 AM
No I have the red key and 2 blaxk ones... just didnt get the code card.

i have the red key and two black ones as well but no card....what are we to do?

I've got all three keys for mine too, but no code card. There is a little metal tag on the ring with the red key, and that has a 5 character code stamped on it. Is this the card you are talking about that you say should be attached to the red key? If not, what's the little metal tag for and how do I get the real code card?

the little metal tab contains one of the numbers on your code card. The tabs number is the Mechanics code. the other number is the electronic code. The electronic code can only be found on the  code card.

How can you get another one? I heard 3 stories. First one was, ducati throws away everything pertaining to the codes. So you can never steal a bike and expect to ride it. The other story i heard was, the codes are all kept with ducati, and they do not give them out no matter what. The last one is, they have given them to owners in a few occasions in very very special occasions.

I have a red key, two black keys and no card. I think this is a newer feature. Mines an 02 and all I need to reset the immobilizer is the red key *to my knowledge*. If someone knows any different let me know.