r1150rt stalling after warm-up

[Paul Van Loon]

Hi, I ride my '03 R1150RT 38 miles to work every day. Yesterday about 1 mile into my ride home from work, the bike momentarily lost all power. After about 5 seconds, it backfired a few times and started running again. Today, it completely stalled after 1 mile and stranded me on the high-rise of the San Mateo Bridge (very dangerous). I desperately tried to restart it and it finally started after about 3 minutes. This is an '03 R1150RT with 45k miles - the only modification is a Staintune exhaust. It's been serviced every 6k and has never been down or apart. It also hasn't started a few times when still hot, but then starts after sitting for 15 minutes. Any ideas? Thanks.

[andrewwinghale]

just to take a guess, fuel pump sending air from a low pressure side leak.

[Paul Van Loon]

I think you are correct. I found this on the web:

 

Recall Date

MAR 03, 2005

 

 

Model Affected

2004 BMW R 1200 GS

 

 

Summary

ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, THE DEFECT INVOLVES A WATER LEAK AROUND THE FUEL PUMP THAT IS INTEGRATED WITHIN THE FUEL TANK. AN O-RING SEAL ATTACHED TO THE PUMP'S ELECTRONIC HOUSING DOES NOT MEET SPECIFICATIONS AND WATER CAN BYPASS THIS SEAL AND CONTACT THE PUMP ELECTRONICS.

 

 

Consequence

ENGINE STALLING, OR A FAILURE TO START, COULD OCCUR WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. IF STALLING WERE TO OCCUR WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS BEING DRIVEN, THE RIDER WOULD BE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN SPEED OR ACCELERATE AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

 

 

Remedy

DEALERS WILL REPLACE A SEALING RING. IF THE FUEL PUMP ELECTRONIC UNIT IS CORRODED, IT WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN MAY 9, 2005. ADDITIONAL MY 2005 R1200 GS MOTORCYCLES WERE ADDED TO THIS RECALL IN DECEMBER 2005. OWNERS OF MY 2005 MOTORCYCLES WILL RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION DURING FEBRUARY 2006 THROUGH AUGUST 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117

[T__]

Hi, I ride my '03 R1150RT 38 miles to work every day. Yesterday about 1 mile into my ride home from work, the bike momentarily lost all power. After about 5 seconds, it backfired a few times and started running again. Today, it completely stalled after 1 mile and stranded me on the high-rise of the San Mateo Bridge (very dangerous). I desperately tried to restart it and it finally started after about 3 minutes. This is an '03 R1150RT with 45k miles - the only modification is a Staintune exhaust. It's been serviced every 6k and has never been down or apart. It also hasn't started a few times when still hot, but then starts after sitting for 15 minutes. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

 

Paul, that could be one or more of many things.. Can you give us more info.. Was the tac reading good & no fluctuations right up to the time it quit?.. When you did the re-start was it in gear with the clutch pulled in or did you place the trans in neutral to get it started?.. Did all the dash instruments remain working with the key on? (obviously not while cranking).. Did you have any surging or bucking just before it quit?..

 

Did it start back up cleanly or did it knock & puff lots of smoke on re-start? Did you have to hold the throttle wide open to get it to start?

 

 

If it happens again see if placing the trans in neutral helps it to start- (possible bad side stand switch)

 

Try moving the kill switch from on to off & back to on again-

 

Try turning the handlebars back & forth while cranking- (possibly pulled or tight wire in the neck area)

 

Try opening the fuel tank cap (if you hear vacuum whooshing in you probably have a plugged Evap can or pinched vent line-

 

See if you lost any power to other areas (like lights or dash)-

 

Listen for the fuel pump to run on key up (no pump running for a second after key on will tell us a lot) –

 

The MORE info you can give us here the better we can help..

 

The worst thing now is if you can’t reproduce the failure as you know it will happen again at some bad point in time..

 

Twisty

[Ken H.]

I think you are correct. I found this on the web:

 

Recall Date

MAR 03, 2005

 

 

Model Affected

2004 BMW R 1200 GS

That recall is for the R1200xx series only. In no way related to the R1150xx bikes. Completely different fuel pump system.

[Paul Van Loon]

Twisty,

Here's the answers to your questions:

 

Was the tac reading good & no fluctuations right up to the time it quit? Yes.

 

When you did the re-start was it in gear with the clutch pulled in or did you place the trans in neutral to get it started? I tried restarting it in gear first, and then put it in neutral. It eventually restarted from neutral.

 

Did all the dash instruments remain working with the key on? (obviously not while cranking)? Yes.

 

Did you have any surging or bucking just before it quit? This has happended 3 times this week and each was a little different. 3 days ago it lost all power for about 3 seconds, then backfired and kept running, then lost all power again, then backfired and kept running, and that was all. 2 days ago it lost all power from 60mph and stalled on the bridge. There were no surges or backfires. Yesterday morning, it backfired and bucked a few times but did not stall. Each time, I was about 1 mile into my commute.

 

Did it start back up cleanly or did it knock & puff lots of smoke on re-start? It started back up cleanly each time.

 

Did you have to hold the throttle wide open to get it to start? No, it seems to start best with no throttle.

 

If it happens again see if placing the trans in neutral helps it to start- (possible bad side stand switch): Will do. About 2 weeks ago I rode it a mile to the store, and it wouldn't start when I was on my way home. After waiting about 5 minutes, it started. It was in neutral the whole time. I knew to wait 5 minutes because a similar event happened about 6 months ago.

 

Try moving the kill switch from on to off & back to on again: Will do.

 

Try turning the handlebars back & forth while cranking- (possibly pulled or tight wire in the neck area): Will do.

 

Try opening the fuel tank cap (if you hear vacuum whooshing in you probably have a plugged Evap can or pinched vent line: Will do. I have never heard whooshing in the tank before, but will listen for it more closely.

 

See if you lost any power to other areas (like lights or dash): Will do.

 

Listen for the fuel pump to run on key up (no pump running for a second after key on will tell us a lot).

 

The MORE info you can give us here the better we can help.

 

The worst thing now is if you can’t reproduce the failure as you know it will happen again at some bad point in time.

[T__]

Paul, I have heard of a similar instance to what you are relaying (almost exactly) .. It was the aftermarket fuel controller acting up.. If you have a Techlusion or other type aftermarket fuel controller try disconnecting it (do not just turn it off but completely disconnect it).. Problem happened at about any time but more specifically next morning after a bike wash the night before..

 

I also had a similar experience myself about a year ago— would ride about a mile or two then the bike would start surging like crazy & buck along.. If I stopped or dropped to idle it would stall & not restart for better than an hour.. Turned out to be water in the fuel tank.. Sitting all night (I’m guessing here) the water would settle out to the low parts in the tank then start OK the next day using the good fuel above the water.. There is a sharp sweeper to the right about 1 mile from home & that is where it would start acting up (probably brought the water up).. It would run almost OK after quite a while of bucking along but would surge way worse than usual (not sure why).. It would pop & bang & sputter pretty good after the re-start though.. Finally ran the tank low to the low fuel light then added 2 gallons,, then ran it to the low fuel light again & filled it & it ran great after that.. I caught the water problem by pulling a spark plug after a stall & it was wet with water not fuel.. Probably the hour sat allowed the water to settle out to the bottom of the tank once again.. Doesn’t sound exactly like your problem but just FYI..

 

Twisty

[Paul Van Loon]

Thanks Twisty, I will look into those items. I have more info from my ride to work this morning:

At 3.1 miles, the bike stalled for 1 second, then backfired, then was fine. The same thing occurred at 4.1 miles. The bike bucked once at 5.3 miles. The final 33 miles of my morning commute were uneventful. The total stall yesterday was at mile 2.5 of my commute home. I am scheduling an appointment with my dealer (California BMW) today. I also was down to 1 gallon of gas this morning and filled up at a different gas station than my normal one.

[T__]

Paul, is it stalling at steady state cruise, or when you let up on the throttle, or under accel, or other?

 

 

Twisty

[Paul Van Loon]

It just happened again as I was taking it to the dealership (California BMW). Each time, I get on the freeway at the beginning of my ride, and after about 3 miles I lose all power while cruising at a steady state of about 65mph. This last occurrence, I lost all power, pulled off the freeway while staying in gear, and the bike resumed normal operation right before I was completely stopped. I got back on the freeway and rode to the dealership.

[Paul Van Loon]

Just got my bike back from the dealership. They said the problem was a bad hall sensor. It seems to be working fine now ...