HISS and startup issue

Hi Guys, My VFR800 2008 suddenly stopped recognising my key. FI light doesn't turn on and rest you know, can't fireup the engine. Please help me on this as there is no honda dealer in this part of the world and i don't know what to do? Complex things are hard to fix in these parts of world.

 

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I fear you are in very BIG and EXPENSIVE trouble.

The HISS system was specifically designed by Honda with the intention of making it prohibitively expensive for people stealing vehicles to sell them on as a working vehicle without a HISS matched key. I think the HISS system was fitted to VFRs in Europe from 2006 and as a result there was a sharp drop in thefts of HISS equipped vehicles basically because they could not be on-sold without a working key. At the same time many dealers also began fitting bikes with microdot/smartwater systems which made stolen component parts very traceable and as a result a number of gangs handling stolen motorbikes were eventually caught.

The downside of this enhanced security is that if you no longer have a working key for your VFR, then you now own a very expensive piece of scrap metal.

When new, Honda would have supplied two keys individually matched to your bike. The coding on the keys is checked via sensors within the ignition lock. Only if the correct input reaches the HISS system will the fuel injection system energise allowing the bike to fire up. HISS is a high security immobiliser which Honda took great care over to prevent people circumventing, with cross checks to prevent even authorised dealers coding unauthorised addtional keys without the registered owners consent.

Inherently the coding is embedded within the fuel injection system computer (which alone will cost around 2000 euro from a Honda Dealership). Main dealerships are unable to create additional coded keys WITHOUT having access to at least one working key, and relevant supporting ownership documentation.

So the message is - if your bike has HISS fitted and you ever loose (or never received a second key) then make sure you get a second key cut and coded by a dealer before you loose (or have problems with) the second key.

In your case I can only suggest you contact a Honda dealer in another country. They will need you to provide them with evidence to show how/where you obtained the motorbike, along with the full vehicle model type and chassis /VIN number. Only then will they be able to sell you a complete new fuel injection system computer, a set of replacement lock barrels (ignition, filler cap and seat) and two pre-coded keys which you will need to get your bike running again

I fear the cost will however be astronomical.

 

Thank you for you response. But I didn't lost my key. Its still with me. My bike just suddenly stopped recognizing it. Spending 2000 euro on this bike. Naa, not a good idea. I can buy another bike. After all these troubles with this VFR. I am thinking to switch to CBR600 now. I will contact a local mechanic which is considered good if he can help me otherwise I will consider it bad loss.

 

OK perhaps the situation is not so totally dire, provided you still have at least one of the original Honda keys, even if it has somehow lost its coding.

Again you will need to contact an official Honda dealership - so if there are none in Ghana you will have to go on the web to find out which countries near you do have official Honda motorcycle representation. I am fairly sure there are official dealerships in South Africa but there may be dealerships which are nearer to you. Once you have tracked down a suitable dealership, give them a call and explain the problem.

As its a security device the Honda Dealer will need you to demonstrate that you are now the registered owner of the motorbike probably by sending them copies of all the registration papers showing the relevant vehicle chassis and engine numbers.

At the very least if you still have a genuine key then you will not need to change the seat and filler cap locks (the downside you may end up with different keys for different locks). Obviously the real issue is getting new keys coded to match the fuel injection system computer. If you are very lucky the dealership may be willing to let you disconnect your current computer module and send it to them together with the remaining key. Its ages since I read up on the HISS system but I think Dealerships MAY still be able to recover the code from the key. If so, they should be able to code up two new keys and match them to the HISS computer chip before posting the whole lot back to you to reinstate on your VFR. OK you will pay a lot of postage but it would still save you a lot of expense.

Good luck - let us know how you get on.

 

I really appreciate your response. I spoke to mechanic. He said as I changed my battery (old one died) that might be reason. I should disconnect battery terminals and try again. I will try that tonight. Right now stuck in office :/

 

It could be something simpler. When you turn he key, does the fuel injection pump prime ? If not check the kill switch on the right hand switch block. If the kill switch is off, then all power to the ignition system components is disabled. You can tell if the key is recognised, because the speedo & tachometer will power cycle.

 

the key may be fine, the reader around the lock cylinder may have taken a crap... or just came unplugged.

 

And just in case:
Program extra HISS keys - Sixth Generation VFR's - VFR Discussion

 

that is so cool.

 

Hi Guys. Its not kill switch. When I turn on switch I can see speedometer etc having power cycle. But FI Light doesn't light up and I don't hear any fuel pump prime up. Yes that can be a reason that reader is unplugged. I will check for it. As it started happening when I was riding on a bit bumpy road.