Possible UPDATED fuel strip??? 16 14 1 600 132 ???

[SHIMHEAD]

SOOOOOO, 

       I have been digging for ALL available information regarding the fuel strip SAGA in hopes of SOMETHING NEW for my '06 RT, and stumbled upon this.

 

 

 

Found this here.....     BMW upgraded fuel sensor strip. - Page 2 (ukgser.com)

 

Hoping to get some feedback on this. Real OEM and Max BMW part listings do not show this part number, only 16 14 7 675 547. Does anyone know if this actually an upgraded part, with direct supersession from the original part number, or simply a price change/other change besides the part itself. Will likely call my local dealer tomorrow and see if the parts dept. can shed any light on it for me.

 

   I am aware of the float conversion with the converter box. I would LOVE it if the new part number is indeed a SERVICEABLE/RELIABLE UPGRADED part.......

 

SHIMHEAD

[dirtrider]

6 hours ago, SHIMHEAD said:

SOOOOOO, 

       I have been digging for ALL available information regarding the fuel strip SAGA in hopes of SOMETHING NEW for my '06 RT, and stumbled upon this.

 

 

 

Found this here.....     BMW upgraded fuel sensor strip. - Page 2 (ukgser.com)

 

Hoping to get some feedback on this. Real OEM and Max BMW part listings do not show this part number, only 16 14 7 675 547. Does anyone know if this actually an upgraded part, with direct supersession from the original part number, or simply a price change/other change besides the part itself. Will likely call my local dealer tomorrow and see if the parts dept. can shed any light on it for me.

 

   I am aware of the float conversion with the converter box. I would LOVE it if the new part number is indeed a SERVICEABLE/RELIABLE UPGRADED part.......

 

SHIMHEAD

Morning  SHIMHEAD

 

Isn't the  16147675547 for the 1200GS not your 1200RT? 

[SHIMHEAD]

That part number is indeed the same for both bikes. Attached is a screenshot from Hornig USA website of the GSA 2004-2009/GSA 2005-2013 listing for the fuel strip.

 

SHIMHEAD

[dirtrider]

Morning  SHIMHEAD

 

This could be a good find.

 

I can't verify it yet but I have found reference to a new P/N  16141600132 fuel strip. It seems to be available but not much info on it as it doesn't show as a supersede for the P/N  16147675547 fuel strip. (at least that I can find from my parts sources)

 

It could be that BMW doesn't want to show it as a direct supersede as that would bring on MANY/MANY riders of older 1200 bikes trying to find a way to get their older working fuel strip updated under the extended warranty.   

 

Or, another possibility is it could  basically be cheaper fuel strip replacement from a different vendor.

 

If this is indeed a better (longer living) fuel strip it will become common knowledge as riders have more time using it.  

 

 

 

 

[SHIMHEAD]

My contact at Champion Honda BMW Ducati here in Charleston SC (I've known him for over 30 years) said no bulletins concerning the new part number, and no stock in the US, but available in Germany for $247. I asked him to update me if any info is released about it.

[greiffster]

Interesting maybe development.

 

Of course if a new version is as wildly inaccurate as the previous, I don't see much point of it lasting any longer.  I've had about 4 of the dang things on my '08 and I lost all faith in any kind of reading I could trust enough to not use the trip odometer.

[Doctor T]

Found zapping them is a better money saver. Going by my service history, my 07RT has had 6 new fuel strips and all failed within a year. So far my zap has lasted 4000 miles and 6 months. What i gather is the strip loses power continuity across the 4 wires. So by Zapping with a miniscule of a volt brings the strip back to life.

[dirtrider]

1 hour ago, Doctor T said:

Found zapping them is a better money saver. Going by my service history, my 07RT has had 6 new fuel strips and all failed within a year. So far my zap has lasted 4000 miles and 6 months. What i gather is the strip loses power continuity across the 4 wires. So by Zapping with a miniscule of a volt brings the strip back to life.

Afternoon Doctor T

 

It sounds like you have an outlier,  I have seen the zapping work short term on some & not at all on others but so far all that I have seen zapped have re-failed with one of my good friends running out of fuel on the hi-way as he through the zapping permanently repaired his 1200RT (obviously it didn't) 

[Doctor T]

Mine may have lasted longer due to it was only 6 months old when i bought the bike. Purhaps there is only a certain amount of times you can zap it.

[lkraus]

In a former life, I repaired faults in telephone cables. Sometimes, a crack in one of a pair of wires within a cable would cause what we called a high-resistance open. It would work most of the time, but it would cause static as the current was basically jumping the gap. In the days before we had time-domain reflectometers, these faults were nearly impossible to locate.

 

One "repair" was to connect the pair of wires at one end, creating a short circuit, and then momentarily apply 600VDC to the other end. This sort of welded the cracked ends together as the spark from the resulting high current carried a bit of the copper along with it across the crack. This was sometimes good enough to quiet the line and would often work well enough to keep the 30 day "repeat" rate for the tech looking good.  But it always failed within a short time, and then there was often a total break in the wire resulting in no phone service at all.

 

The fuel strips are made of a conducting material (carbon?) essentially printed or painted onto a plastic substrate and then sealed with another layer of plastic. If the conductive material cracks from flexing, the gauge quits working. Some posters over at advrider have traced the faults to the point where the strip enters its fixed attachment.

 

I think the BBQ lighter "fix" is basically acting like our 600VDC breakdown sets, causing a brief high current within the strip, and carrying some of the conductive material across the gap. But it is still a weak spot, with the material near the gap being thinned out little, and it will fail again. The next time it is zapped there may not be enough material available to bridge the gap.

[dirtrider]

16 minutes ago, lkraus said:

In a former life, I repaired faults in telephone cables. Sometimes, a crack in one of a pair of wires within a cable would cause what we called a high-resistance open. It would work most of the time, but it would cause static as the current was basically jumping the gap. In the days before we had time-domain reflectometers, these faults were nearly impossible to locate.

 

One "repair" was to connect the pair of wires at one end, creating a short circuit, and then momentarily apply 600VDC to the other end. This sort of welded the cracked ends together as the spark from the resulting high current carried a bit of the copper along with it across the crack. This was sometimes good enough to quiet the line and would often work well enough to keep the 30 day "repeat" rate for the tech looking good.  But it always failed within a short time, and then there was often a total break in the wire resulting in no phone service at all.

 

The fuel strips are made of a conducting material (carbon?) essentially printed or painted onto a plastic substrate and then sealed with another layer of plastic. If the conductive material cracks from flexing, the gauge quits working. Some posters over at advrider have traced the faults to the point where the strip enters its fixed attachment.

 

I think the BBQ lighter "fix" is basically acting like our 600VDC breakdown sets, causing a brief high current within the strip, and carrying some of the conductive material across the gap. But it is still a weak spot, with the material near the gap being thinned out little, and it will fail again. The next time it is zapped there may not be enough material available to bridge the gap.

Afternoon Larry

 

 

I have cut 3 of those fuel strips apart very cautiously while measuring resistance and  measuring voltage drop using 1.5v voltage for input.

 

On all 3 I tracked the problem back to either inside the potted top junction or right at the upper potting (could never precisely tell if inside or at the upper connection potting).

 

 

[Rotor]

5 hours ago, lkraus said:

I

Some posters over at advrider have traced the faults to the point where the strip enters its fixed attachment.

 

Can you be more specific about the "fixed attachment" please.  I'm contemplating the replacement of my fuel strip.  I'd like to know as much as I can about the install and longevity.  

[lkraus]

18 minutes ago, Rotor said:

Can you be more specific about the "fixed attachment" please.  I'm contemplating the replacement of my fuel strip.  I'd like to know as much as I can about the install and longevity.  

Dirtrider described it better than I did:

"On all 3 I tracked the problem back to either inside the potted top junction or right at the upper potting (could never precisely tell if inside or at the upper connection potting). "

 

The junction of the wires and the top end of the strip is embedded in potting (epoxy?).  The failures are believed to happen at or near the point where the strip exits the potting.

 

I've been fortunate in that my '06 RT's original strip still works. 

[Rotor]

Thanks Larry.  Not sure that info helps with preventative measures for a new strip but appreciate your response.

[dirtrider]

8 hours ago, Rotor said:

Thanks Larry.  Not sure that info helps with preventative measures for a new strip but appreciate your response.

Morning John

 

I'm not sure there are any preventive measures, I have seen new fuel strips fail in a day or two after installing & some that lived a long life with nothing special done to them at install or after install.  

 

At one time it was thought that keeping the fuel tank full (or overfull)  allowed the potting area to stay under fuel therefore fuel attacking the potting area but I know of a number of 1200 bikes that have failed fuel strips & they are seldom if ever are kept full. 

 

If you have your fuel strip replaced by a BMW dealer then it should fall under the BMW parts warranty so ask your dealer about that but also keep your repair receipt so you can show the install date & show that a dealer did the repair.   

 

 

[Rotor]

Will do D.R.  Thanks.

[Doctor T]

On 5/21/2022 at 11:45 AM, dirtrider said:

If you have your fuel strip replaced by a BMW dealer then it should fall under the BMW parts warranty so ask your dealer about that but also keep your repair receipt so you can show the install date & show that a dealer did the repair.   

 

 

This seems what my bikes previous owner did.

[SHIMHEAD]

Sooooo.....,

     I decided to order the new part number fuel strip, and while I was poking around the good old internet, I found this....

 

Inicio | Fuel Sensor Tech   

 

I have ordered one of these as well, $158 shipped. I will post pics of the part once I have it. Any comments are welcomed. I realize this is now an ANCIENT issue, but I still own and love my '06 R12RT, just hoping to get PAST the fuel gauge issue once and for all. Wish me luck!

 

Be sure to watch the installation video on YouTube, you can go to "Settings" (gear icon) and set it to auto-translate to english sub-titles/close captioned.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 20, 2023 by SHIMHEAD
Added information.

[lkraus]

Seems like a good solution, let us know how the installation goes.  Where did you purchase it?  motohank.com seems to be the only seller in the U.S. and it is not shown on that site.

[SHIMHEAD]

Larry,

      If you scroll down on the page in the link I provided, there is a "Where to Buy" section. I clicked on the "EURO Zone-UK-US", then translated the page in Edge. I used the G-Pay link, shipping to US was $18. I already received an order confirmation, had to translate that also.

[Csabo]

Hello! I rebuilt it for the swimming version. I replaced everything with DOHC RT parts (tank, AC housing with the float, and ZFE) It works flawlessly, and I got away with disassembled parts cheaper than if I had bought a new fuel tank. Eternal life...

[SHIMHEAD]

Hello Csabo,

       Could you possibly post the part numbers you used? Where did you purchase the parts? Was there any coding/programming required? Did you do the work yourself?  Are there any tips or tricks you would like to share?

[SHIMHEAD]

    Update: Latest part number fuel strip is installed, calibrated 1st try using MotoScan. Fuel gauge operation restored, will update as time passes on durability. Aftermarket strip arrived from Spain, was ordered 4-26-23. Tracking from Spain did not show who carrier would be in the US, but got a missed delivery notice yesterday due to signature required from USPS. Picked it up from Post Office today. Pictures are attached of the strip. It appears that there are pads to solder resistors, and what I believe to be thermistors, with components attached to every other set of pads. There is a 3D printed section at the top that replicates the original plastic that forms the attachment to the plastic channel that holds the OE strip. I have installed the new strip in the OE housing, and cut the harness wiring from the failed strip for connection to the new strip pigtail. I will finish that work, and keep the assembly at the ready in case the "Latest, Improved" strip fails. Just putting this info out there for anyone who may be interested in this ancient issue......

[SHIMHEAD]

One more pic....

[DavidR8]

@SHIMHEAD Curious if after three months this is still working for you.

[John Ranalletta]

34 minutes ago, DavidR8 said:

@SHIMHEAD Curious if after three months this is still working for you.

FWIW, I replaced the strip in a '10RT about 2 months ago with the replacement BMW part #16141600132.  Has 2000-3000 miles on it and still working as advertised.

[SHIMHEAD]

My "New" OEM strip is still functioning properly. Pretty sure having a potential replacement for the OE strip on hand will prevent any failures.......

[its.metony]

See my post of today.