Vey is Mir...My baby, she's a dead!

Post by **mcooperstein** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 6:49 am

Yiddish said with an Itallian accent..am I ever confused!!!

Well, I've had my R1150R since September '01, and this is the first *serious* time she's failed me. Went riding last week, coming off the "four lane" (what people call a 4 lane divided highway here) and she starts sputtering, like she's running out of gas. My yellow low fuel light doesnt work (hasnt for years, but thats another story...) so I look down at the odometer. It's only showing 150 miles. Too soon, me thinks, for it to be running out of petrol. But, I limp off the exit ramp, and cross the road to a gas station and fill her up. I try to start, but no good. I notice the smell of gas. I look down and there literally a puddle of gas under the front wheel. Marron!!! Push the bike away from the pumps, let it sit on center stand for a minute, and try to start. Wont fire, but I notice gas dribbling out of the center exhaust cross pipe. Another puddle of gas under front of bike! Not good! Call my friend, brings his truck and ramps, take it over to his house. He lets it set a couple days, then takes out the plugs, inspects everything, makes sure there's no more gas in exahust, fires it up. Takes a few minutes, but it starts. He thinks I *really* did run out of gas, then flooded the engine at the gas station, hmmmmm....never happened before but I suppose there's a first for everything. Come over, we check valve settings, change oil, I decide to ride the 5 miles home (wife behind me in the mini cooper) so I can sync the throttle bodies. Within a mile, she starts surging real bad between 2-3K RPM, like she's running out of gas. I pull over shut her down. Try to start, nope. Wait a couple minutes, try again, she fires up. I ride the rest of the way home. Still surging real bad between 3-4K, but get home. Shut her down, go inside, come out an hour later and try to start her up, nope. Try several more times...nope. Lots of juice in battery (recharged with battery tender the last couple days), turns over, but no fire. Also, no gas spewing out of the exhaust cross piece (this is good at least). So, I take off the gas tank and look at all my wiring for my Techlusion R259. Looks ok, but just the same, I decide that *maybe* it's the problem, so I disconnect it and remove it putting everything back to factory specs. Put back on tank, yadda yadda, try to start, no fire. Take out plugs one at a time, hook up to plug wires, turn over engine, see sparks coming out of plugs, so I guess both sides are getting spark.

My bike is dead, and I guess I'll be putting her in a truck and taking her down to the BMW dealer, a 4 hour drive. I'm prolly looking at big $$$, but being as I've not used them a whole lot in the past two years (been doing all the maintenance myself), I suppose I'll be making it up to the gods of BMW this time!

Anyone got any ideas what could be wrong here?

Mark
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member #3

Post by **boxermania** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 7:27 am

Mark, based on your description of what took place I would point you in the direction of the fuel pump......did you notice a high pitched hum from the tank when the bike started back up?

I would check the pump and the filter.....yes, it's a bit of a pain but can save you a few bucks....

Just passing by,

Regards,

Al

Post by **Rootin55** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 8:18 am

Anything is suspect, that being said, I want to say I remember a similar discussion on another board. Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems the problem is associated with the bike being warm, Even though you had spark, I would guess she was cooled a bit prior to checking, don't rule out the hall effect sensor.

Post by **Boxer** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 9:47 am

Mark it sounds like your bike is due in to see the specialist or internist. You can't get by forever with the PA or nurse asst. doing the tasks. They (the real doctors) have so much more training and are board certified.

Just be prepared for an extended stay in the hospital at those BMW shop rates until all diagnoses and observations have been exhausted.

You're baby is like me. Never been in the shop for professional help for 56 years. When I DO go in, I may not be back!

Post by **DSKYZD** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 9:52 am

Mark,

mcooperstein wrote:Marron!!!

What did you call me?

That's a rotten deal you got there, my friend. I hope the solution is cheap and simple.

Or, you could look at is as the perfect opportunity to get a new R1200R!!!!

DSKYZD

Post by **mcooperstein** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:26 am

DSKYZD wrote: Or, you could look at is as the perfect opportunity to get a new R1200R!!!!

I thought about that Brian, but I was also thinking... wait a couple years when the R1200R appears used for thousands less then a new one!

Mark

domekrome · Post by **domekrome** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 11:18 am

Maybe one of the ignition coils is shot. Happened to me recently.

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 5:47 pm

I have no idea..but I can't see how fuel can leak from the exhaust cross pipe...there's no holes there for it to leak from.

It's a shame the warranty's not there when you need it...the BMW dealer should have it sorted and fixed up in no time..and she'll be as good as new.

DJ

Post by **mcooperstein** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 7:54 pm

I took boxermania's suggestion and went outside, turned on the ignition, and did NOT hear the 2 second fuel pump whine that I used to always hear after immediately turning on the ignition. I guess that means my fuel pump is shot. Now I have to decide whether this is something I can replace, or do I need to haul my baby to the dealer....

Mark
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member #3

Post by **Boxer** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 8:07 pm

Mark, have you never replaced the fuel filter?...Inside the tank?

Unless there is some kind of special priming procedure related to replacing the pump, it shouldn't be much more difficult than taking it apart to replace the filter....Which is tedious but not so hard.

Post by **Biff's R** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 9:56 pm

Mark,
Check the lines into and out of the tank. There could be a hole that is casing the leak and also not allowing the pump to get the fuel to the propler pressure. My father had that happen last year on the ride back from the MOA Rally. That could also explain some of the leakage.

Good Luck

Post by **mcooperstein** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 7:05 pm

update.... I checked the voltage going into the connector on the gas tank which presumably feeds the fuel pump. Since I no longer hear the fuel pump 'whine' noise when I turn on the ignition, the fuel pump is suspect. I have 12 Volts going into the connector on the gas tank, so I know the pump is getting jolts. I think.. ah ha! Bad fuel pump. Well, I call my friend at Chicago BMW parts, and the assembly with the 20% discount is $350.00 (ouch!!). He suggests that I be absolutely sure it's bad before ordering a new one for obvious reasons! He also suggested that the problem might be in something he called a 'regulator', which ostensibly sits under the seat and connects the fuel lines coming from the fuel injectors. It's a whole lot cheaper then a new fuel pump. But, as I havent actually been able to find this bugger on my bike, I'm not sure! I think I might take the tank off again (I can do this blind folded now!) and take out the fuel pump, and put 12 volts directly to it and see whether it comes on or not. Oh well, I'm not a whole lot closer to a fix yet, and I think I don't want to truck my baby down to the dealer and end up spending a gazillion dollars on something that I can probably fix in the same amount of time all things considered!

Mark
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member #3

Post by **yjleesvrr** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 7:53 pm

Mark - just curious. How many miles do you have on your Roadster?

Airman · Post by **Airman** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 4:04 am

I think you're on the right track. Take the pump out, give it direct power and see if it comes on. You can eliminate the pump at least if it will suck fuel.
And, dang that thing's expensive!

Post by **mcooperstein** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 4:09 am

yjleesvrr wrote:Mark - just curious. How many miles do you have on your Roadster?

41000

Mark
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member #3

Post by **rdsmith3** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:40 am

Keep us posted on what you find.

Why is this in Off Topic?

Post by **mcooperstein** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:12 pm

rdsmith3 wrote:Keep us posted on what you find.

Why is this in Off Topic?

I will bob. Why is this in off topic? I guess I thought nobody really would want to hear my whining in the main section!

Mark

Post by **scottybooj** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 9:04 pm

FYI, an italian patient explained where "maron'' is derived from.

It stems from saying 'mia madonna' which then got shortened and abridged over time to it's current form.

I never knew that. So, this jewish kid has been saying "maron!'' everytime I got pissed off.

also, put this onto the main board for god's sake! Maron!

Post by **mcooperstein** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:02 pm

Ok...so after all my diagnostications....I had a bad fuse. Doesnt explain what happened initially...fuel pouring out of front exhaust crossover pipe, and all the surging between 2-3K that it was doing on the way home..like it was running out of gas. But by the time I got home, the fuse must have burned. I ended up taking out the fuel pump assembly from the tank (what a pain in the ass...) and hot wiring it. Lo and behold it worked. That was when I thought...hmmm...better check the fuses. Found one out, replaced it, put the tank back on, bike started right up. I wont be able to finish putting it back together and ride it till Monday, so my 'shake down' ride will have to wait. Tomorrow I go in to work and dont get out till sunday night.

By the way for anybody who might be interested...after 25 years I finally got a college degree! I went back to UVA and got a BS degree in nursing. I started work in a cardiac intensive care unit at a hospital in Tennessee last month. Nursing is brutual...to say the least!! But at least I got a job!

Mark
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member #3

Post by **Boxer** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:10 pm

Congratulations Mark! I know you've been working on that nursing degree for a while. My oldest daughter got her BS in nursing at Georgia State back about 10 years ago and is now half way through a nurse anaesthetist program out at UCLA or somewhere. It's hard work I know, but we need all of'em we can get. Her first job was pediatric intensive care at Crawford Long here in Atlanta.

Nice work on troubleshooting that bike fuel problem. Too bad you had to go to all that trouble to find the fuse. Any idea what blew the darn thing in the first place?