1200 Oil Reset Notice - Cannot Cleared

I can see this from both sides of the coin and I understand the above posts, but really? You are asking a workshop to reset a service indicator, that is now recorded by the manufacturer, to ascertain that the service has been done and by implication done by them. It's a digital "stamp in the book". Would you ask a dealer to stamp your service book on the say so you'd changed the oil? In the case of a authorised workshop, that is what you're now asking. Most manufacturers operate this system, cars have been centralised for years and the bike industry is now catching up, not just Ducati. Try going to Mercedes, Jaguar or BMW (car or bike) to get your service light reset.......
An independent workshop could clear it if they have a half decent diagnostic kit (although I know many wouldn't), or the owner could invest in their own. It's that easy. It's just that it's more complicated for authorised workshops now.......There's no conspiracy, no money making scam or "restrictive practice" going on. That's just the way it's gone. If the light distracts you, then put a piece of tape over it... That's an age old get out, similar to pulling the warning lamp out
Ducati have begun to build a centralised database that will, if nothing else, provide future owners with a central source to check a bikes official service history.

I mentioned before, that I know many owners that are more than competent in looking after their bikes, but the bottom line is that they can't complete the service to the schedule because they don't have some/any of the tooling required and without doubt don't have access to the diagnostic software, the ability to check and implement any updates/recalls or to carry out software upgrades. They record their work, providing a history. Jobs a good 'un. Every now and then they have us do a service, pull things back into line where required and I'll sign the job off. I'd happily buy one of these bikes.
Likewise I've sold parts to customers who have ended up coming back with tales of woe when ambition has been outweighed by ability, and in some cases catastrophically.... How would you feel buying one of these bikes, despite having "FSH" with no service lights lit? For every decent used deal, there are several of these out there. I've seen them and it's scary!

It's certainly not about money either, for me at least. I declined to do one yesterday, even though being offered payment. "I've changed the oil" is not an oil service. Got told where to go in not so many words and the phone put down on me.

No one is saying or implying that owners shouldn't or can't look after their own vehicles. I'm all for it, but what is being asked is that a workshop put their name "digitally" to work that they have not done. I roll my car and van into the respective dealers for service work. I can do it, but not fully as I don't have the equipment. I get that. End of....

The problem with "forcing" any area of the consumer market to be "opened up" is that for every 10 jobs "well done" there will be one where it's done wrong and someone gets hurt, then the coffin chasers jump in, media blows up and it all goes to shit. It's rarely the idiot that doesn't know one end of a spanner from the other, but the manufacturer (or workshop that just "stamped" the book) that gets it in the neck. It's the world we've created, the one we want, but also the one we pull down when it doesn't go our way......

 

No it's not. Would you want them to sell you official parts or shonky copies? You go there to get the genuine parts at genuine official prices, why would you think they would cut corners on servicing or any part of the service dept?

Look on ebay, given the electrickery of most devices, how many adverts have you seen that says "no warning lights showing on dash"?. Buyer comes and has a look, a pile of receipts from the early days but not so many from the last few years but you do see "oil service light reset" two weeks later the engine goes boom, who do you think the new owner will try and go after? both the seller and ducati, why would you reset a oil service light of a bike you never oil serviced?

Yes it's effing annoying things are made that in some incidences, you have to pay for things properly even more in this digital age where every one looks for a free cheat on you tube, but if you are that tight then some of the more elctrickal bikes may have not been for you.

Ducati are not the only ones to do this and bikes are not the only vehicles to do this. I have bought bikes with no service history that has still had a pile of receipts for servicing in parts and taken that as I find it. If you are seeking a full service history whilst not paying for one, how can you be angry at others?

 

@nelly I agree with the poster above, and I stand by my thought that Ducati and quite possibly other Manufacturers are creating a sort of Dynasty and this restrictive practice is another way to extract your cash.

As for sticking tape over my fancy colour dash that’s just plain stupid, and I stand by my reasoning that the service light will be a distraction to the rider.

A question, just what equipment would I need to purchase to turn this light off as and when I need to, I would be quite happy if the cost is reasonable to purchase it and offer to others the ability to turn the light off for a small fee, I don’t service other bikes, just mine own.

 

Interesting thought. I do my own oil service and the engine warning light stays lit. I know it’s only a service reminder and can see as such by scrolling through. MOT wise the new rules state a warning light is now a fail.

 

I see an engine management light failure is an issue on section 8.2 but can't see anything about a service reminder being present ??

 

But some display the engine management light when a service reminder is present. Is it for the MOT tester to assess what the light is to fail or will they just fail it?

 

A very subjective issue here, I can see both sides of the spectrum, but as stated by Stavrich I own my bike and should have full control of all its faculties including software that belies simple references that control basic functions, I am not asking for control of entire ECU parameters that sustain ABS functions or such like, but having control of service reminders factors seems a simple request if you ask me.
It’s my right to control who or when I service my vehicle not the control of the manufacturer.

 

The manufacturer is not controlling when you should service your vehicle. You could buy it new, ride it for 5 years if you want without servicing it. All manufacturers have serving schedules and their software acts as a guide/reminder, whether you do anything about that is upto you

The trouble with that, as you pointed out, you own the bike. You never bought the machines and equipment to do what you now want done.

Ducati did and as they are not available to franchised dealers or even independents for free, then there is an expectation that those machines will pay for themselves somehow. Again, this is not exclusive to Ducati and is more likely to mean most vehicles whether 2 or 4 wheeled.

The only way out of this is to buy older machines without the need for electrickery

 

Maybe, like VAG cars (maybe they've changed since my MY05 Golf, now have a MY17 Tiguan but dealer serviced as still in warranty) there's a manual way in which to reset the indicator? Holding a particular button whilst cycling the ignition or some such. This would just reset the indicator for the home service mechanic. Such a system would seem fair and obviously not register with the manufacturer database.

 

I get that. I really do, but currently there's no option to simply flag the reset as an indicator cancel. It may come, and if it does, I'd happily do it. Until that is made available then I wouldn't reset it unless I'd done the work. The wording on our screens is quite specific as to what we are confirming by clicking the "confirm" button......
Personally, I wouldn't go anywhere near a bike with no history, especially one within 5 or 6 years old, but that's your call. A wad of invoices for parts, proves nothing other than you bought them. That's your call.
I know there are some very competent folk out there. I have customers I'd happily give a job to! Likewise there are many that really shouldn't be let loose with a spanner, and the problem with some is that they truly believe they can do the work.... that's the issue.
We'll have to agree to disagree on the conspiracy theories. It's all about turning a reminder light off at the end of the day. There's bigger things to worry about.

 

The service indicator won't light a warning indicator. The MOT is quite specific about which lights are covered and a service indicator isn't one of them afik.

 

The go to for DIY seems to be the JPDiag software. I have no experience of this though. With regards to you mentioning "colour screen" I guess you will have calendar/mileage indicators. I don't know how these would be handled by JP or other systems. Rexxer single user units have reset options, as do the professional ones but it's a generic service reset and doesn't differentiate between date/mileage resets. Texa Navigator is the basis of the Ducati diagnostics but would be an expensive get out. I guess the development of the JP software is the best option to keep an eye on.

 

I've read the thread alright and despite your claims of moral high ground, you sir are a tight arse

You either didn't research your bike properly in that it, along with many other bikes, requires on occasion, a dealer/independent involvement and that might have a cost or you are one of those who puts a tin foil hat on instead of a helmet.

There is no blackmail, whether through a main dealer or an independent, some tasks are to be done by machines that have to be paid for, in your world that cost should not have you, as a customer, brought into the mix. Tell you what, show the Ducati emails that say pay us for a service or the dog gets it, blackmail my arse.

Personally I have a good relationship with my independent mechanic and if he tells me something needs doing, it gets done. There are times he will do stuff I think needs doing too and might not charge and other things he will do and say don't worry about paying for it. That relationship however takes time and cash and is built up.

You give the impression of a man that would turn up at a garage when it is shut, standing outside the door and start ranting about your human rights.

Cough up tight wad, it is about the money for you, you just don't like to admit it.

 

This has all gone very ‘tin foil hat’ hasn’t it?

Did anyone buy a modern bike and not consider this factor?

I’d have thought it was quite simple, if you don’t want your service light on, either get your bike serviced by a main dealer or buy (know someone who has) the equipment to reset it.

Everything else is just a waste of bandwidth IMHO.

 

The difficulty with the DIY approach is that, depending on the bike, the software/equipment to reset service light just isn't available.
JPdiag or Scan5MX is fine if you have an older bike with a Marelli ECU. Melcodiag will (should) work for the MTS, Diavel and 1199/1299 Panagales. M3C from JP diag will work for the Monsters with the Siemens ECUs but not for Scramblers because the onboard firmware is different. Newer bikes like the Supersport, Monsters 1200 and 821, MTS950 and Hyper 821 have the newer Siemens M3D ECU and currently nothing from freeware will reset the service light on them.
Then there is the paid for stuff. The only one I know of that will work for many models, but probably not all, is as Nelly mentioned Rexxer. It is quite expensive but for an owner who is serious about doing their own servicing and intends keeping the bike for a while it could be a worthwhile investment although resetting service lights is not the primary function of the Rexxer, it is a tuning aid for altering the fueling map.
The Texa costs mega bucks. My local independent workshop (not Ducati) looked at them and decided he just couldn't justify the cost and, although I might be mistaken, to make full use of it you also need the software from Ducati which is only available to Ducati dealers and official service centres. I would welcome news of any other commercial options that will clear service lights.

I fully understand Nelly's position about not clearing the light when he hasn't done the work and have no argument with that. However, as the owner of the bike Stavrich is quite entitled to use alternative serving either by himself or an independent and should be able to clear the light when the work has been done. That may reflect on the eventual resale value of the bike but he will have saved much more than that in service costs. It's up to any buyer to ascertain the service history of the bike and if the owner has kept a proper service along with all receipts that should go along way to help.

As to being cheapskates. Has it occurred to Noobie that many owners can't afford main dealer service costs. I'm not talking about those who buy brand new bikes but those who are buying bikes that are maybe 5 years old or older. For many, doing services themselves or by an independent is the only way that they can afford to run a Ducati, it was certainly the case for me for many years. For an older Monster a full desmo service from a main dealer could amount to half the value of the bike. Noobie's approach would seem to be to keep Ducati ownership exclusive to the well heeled. Not the best way of promoting the brand.

 

Then you would be wrong. Mine cost me £2,500 for a 2003 fugly. I knew a honda, suzuki, yamaha would generally be more cheaper to service and run but I wanted a Ducati, read up on the costs and thought apart from the belt change, the costs were reasonable.

I also knew, LIKE A LOT OF BIKES, at some point it may require equipment I could not afford to own so might have to pay someone else to do something. At no point did I think, I know, I'll buy a bike then complain I am being blackmailed.

My service history is a mix of early official and later independents. I maintain the servicing to keep the bike going, the service history is my own preference in the event for any sale. This is not again, just limited to ducati's but most people looking at buying a ducati will see a service history of some kind as a sales positive.

However, as the owner of the bike Stavrich is quite entitled to use alternative serving either by himself or an independent and should be able to clear the light when the work has been done.

As the owner he can do what ever he wants, just as the owner of any bike can. What he can't do is do a oil service himself, then go to someone who has paid for the correct equipment and then start shouting the odds because they won't do what he wants as they didn't do the work

Let me put it to you in another context, you're an electrician, you get a call out to a house and there is a bloke there who has rewired the house and says, can you sign off my electrics, you don't need to do anything as honest I've done it all okay and because of that, I don't intend to pay for a full check as I've done it myself. What would you do?

 

I don't think that at any point Stavrich has been "shouting the odds" about the dealer. He expressed disappointment that his dealer wouldn't clear the light despite the fact that he had purchased all the service items from them. I wouldn't expect them to do that myself because as Nelly correctly says they wouldn't want to put their name against something which may not have been done to the required standard or may not even have been done at all.

But the real issue here is that there is a service light that cannot be extinguished except by an official Ducati dealer (certainly the case for the newer bikes) irrespective of the circumstances.

 

Is it an issue ? it doesn't effect the running of the bike at all does it? It comes down to, a person wants something done, there is a cost to doing it properly, you either pay that cost or don't either way it does not effect the item. It is that simple.