2011 model upgrades - archive - harley davidson community
go to page #27 of the above link.
It does not sound like much but it is a dramatic change from the past.
Example:
On the left side grip on your current bike there is a horn button. You press the horn button, it closes a relay,,the relay contacts close and your horn goes beep. Simple right.? How much can a problem in your horn circuit cost to repair.?? $50 tops? Maybe a couple of hours of labor if you never did it before.?
Not any more.!
The 2011 grip assembly now has a microcontroller inside of it that is constantly scanning the left grip waiting to see if you pressed the horn button. It is called multiplexing. When you do, the processor comes to attention and looks up what the "code signal" is for the horn. This code is similar to morse code. Lets say the horn represents 6 long flashes and 3 short flashes. The grip microcontroller goes on the network and sends this 6-3 code along with an address which finds it's way to the body control module. The body control ecm sees the 6-3 and looks it up in a chart. The chart says "blow the horn". Now the body control blows the horn.
So now lets say you push your horn button and nothing happens? Is it because the 6-3 was sent as a 6-5 code or is the body control ecm looking at a 6-3 and reading it as a 6-1 something else. Or was the code never sent by the grip processor to start with. Unless you have a "simulator" that has all the codes how do you go about fixing a simple "my horn does not blow" problem.
Is it the grip? Is it an invalid code. Is it the lan wiring itself. Is it the body control module not understanding the correct code? Is it the solid state relay on the body control model that is bad.? Guess what,,, if they use solid state relays,, they won't be replaceable.
How much did you say my problem is going to cost to repair? It's just the horn won't blow!
See where i am going with this. An extended warranty will be a must.