glad Im anal

[mig]

Well when I was struggling with the decision to buy the 07RT with 8000 miles on it in September, the fuel control problem was scaring me, so when I did buy the RT the first thing I did is find a broken fuel controller and made the jumper wire, never hoping to need it. well last night in 32 degree weather my fuel controller went belly up. the bike has 19,000 miles total 11,000 in 4 months. 15 minutes later the jumper is in and I ride home. About the only thing that i think could have caused this is that about 2 weeks ago I rode from Arizona to SF area through 4 hours of pounding rain. I think this lead to the controller burning out. I found some water in the recess and the rubber under seal was puffed out. I peeled it back and the pc board is burnt. I had inspected this area at 12k and used alot of di-electric grease to seat it. So long story short, check this area often if you ride in the rain and make a jumper. BTW i'll have a second jumper once I buy a new controller. anyone interested?

 

[johnlt]

That's a real sucess story Mig, are you coming to DVD?

O

[BlueByU]

Ok. I'm new to the Beemer world.What jumper and where is it installed.Where do I need to look for this control box.I don't have a service manual yet.

[mig]

It basically jumps the little control module that sits in s well on your gas tank/fuel pump housing. You need to remove the Left hand upper tupperware - 4 screws and you cant miss it.

here is the link to what I did

http://www.motorcycleinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?fa=contentGeneric.nvxszdkebklxuaer&pageId=428065

[hopz]

OK... I admit I have not followed the extensive information about the controller and the jumper etc... but does it seem unreasonable to somehow fashion a cover or shield of some sort to go over the connector well on the tank- to try to keep the moisture out... maybe a big piece of something like Cling Wrap or tin foil or even just multiple strips of electrical tape?

 

The issue is getting moisture in... right... just keep it out and no problem... or am I missing something?

[GordonB]

BMW actually has a bulletin out for a 'fix' or preventative measure.

If upon inspection the controller is dry and showing no signs of corrosion,

You can pull the controller, apply something such as dielectric grease (my LD used some sort of spray chain lube, very sticky stuff) to the gasket (LD recommends replacing gasket) and reinstall. A little dielectric grease on the topside plug fitting wouldn't hurt either.

[Steve Kolenda]

Is it save to assume that this issue has been corrected and should not exist on a 2011 1200RT?

[CoarsegoldKid]

Why are these bulletins kept secret? I don't expect my dealer to call me but how about a web site for owners to look up for ourselves occasionally. If there is one please post the link.

 

There maybe be more uses for dielectric grease than I'm aware. Once upon a time in a world far far away and many many years ago I came to appreciate that dielectric grease provided a tight thermal connection between large transistors and a mica "washer" upon a heatsink for improved heat transfer. I don't believe dielectric grease was for improved electrical conduction or water tight connections. Any E-engineers want to clarify?

 

Is it save to assume that this issue has been corrected and should not exist on a 2011 1200RT?

Never

[BerndM]

Is it save to assume that this issue has been corrected and should not exist on a 2011 1200RT?

 

DUDE...Where have you been??

Don't you know what ASSUME spells????

Geez.....

<:-))

[hopz]

Hey Joe...

 

Dielectric Grease is not magical. It is just grease that does not conduct electricity so you can use it to lube connectors. Since it is grease, the reasoning is that it keeps water out. I suppose it does that, but my beef is that it also insulates... based on the non-conducting part... thus if you get too much, in the wrong place it keeps things from connecting instead of making them connect.

 

Just my $0.02...

 

I still wonder if our best bet, as trouble avoiders, is to keep the water out of the area where all those wires and connectors live... I'm thinking duct tape.

[BerndM]

It basically jumps the little control module that sits in s well on your gas tank/fuel pump housing. You need to remove the Left hand upper tupperware - 4 screws and you cant miss it.

here is the link to what I did

http://www.motorcycleinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?fa=contentGeneric.nvxszdkebklxuaer&pageId=428065

 

Great write up MIG THANKS !

Are you planning to replace the controller or simply run it bypassed. From what I've read over on the ADVRider forum, Numerous GS riders are NOT replacing the controller at all with no ill effects.

Regards

Bernd

[Steve Kolenda]

OK, I left myself wide open for that one.

[Mudman]

I think this would be ill advised. The controller reduces pump flow to what is needed by supplying pulsed power as directed by the BMS-K. By eliminating the controller the pump is running full power all the time. This is likely to reduce the longevity of the pump. These pumps are very $$$$

The additional fuel pressure will shorten filter life and possibly affect the A/F ratio. The jumper method is excellent to get out of the break down but maybe not the best as a permanent solution. The newer controllers are black powder coated and are said to have been redesigned to reduce the corrosion issue. Time will tell if this solves the problem.

[mig]

Well when I did the 12K valves and bike inspection there was a tiny bit of pooled water laying against the controller. I remove the controller and found nothing in the well where the blue connector attaches. I did use a Q-tip to mop up the fluid. After that I re-installed the controller using alot of grease. But obviously that didnt work. I did think about not using one, but at 500 dollars for the fuel pump I dont want it running at 100% all the time. So on this new one I am going to put a bead of silicone in the seating area and hopefully make it water tight but not inpossible to remove if I have too. BTW the spare plug is spoken for.... sorry

But I am thinking about doing some research and see if I can find these connectors and make some. Otherwise the new controller is in and working fine.

[mig]

here is what the inside of the controller looked like once I peeled the rubber base piece off. Sorry not excatly focused.

[Jack90210]

Great thread -- thanks for taking the time to do the writeup, mig.

[Sailorlite]

When (prod. date) did BMW begin installing the new-style FPC in RT's?

 

I'm pretty sure mine, prod. 10/07, is the earlier version - so I do carry the burnsmoto jumper rig and a T20 bit with me.

[Boxtop]

http://burnsmoto.com/bmw-fuel-pump-bypass-cable.php

[SK_in_AB]

Thanks for the interesting thread. Does anyone know if this is a problem with a 2006 RT? or is the FC position or protection from rain different such that failures are less likely.

 

Also reading down the leaks it seems the power for the bypass needs to be from the battery rather than from a powerlet due to the 5 amp draw tripping the canbus. If that is true the jumper for sale at the burnsmoto link would not be helpful.

 

 

[Boxtop]

Thanks for the interesting thread. Does anyone know if this is a problem with a 2006 RT? or is the FC position or protection from rain different such that failures are less likely.

 

Also reading down the leaks it seems the power for the bypass needs to be from the battery rather than from a powerlet due to the 5 amp draw tripping the canbus. If that is true the jumper for sale at the burnsmoto link would not be helpful.

 

 

The Burns site has a cable and instructions that address this point:

 

"The stock accessory port has a 5 amp limit and the fuel pump draws 7 amps, which will trip the canbus virtual fuse. To fix this issue you can connect directly to the battery with the iCan Powerlet Socket Kit or the SAE Battery Lead. To install the cable to the fuel pump you need to carry a T-20 Torx socket in your tool kit."

 

Also, I believe that in later models, at least for '09 RT's, the Powerlet trip current has been increased to 10 amps.

 

No affiliation to Burns, and I've never bought anything from them. Just happened to encounter them by Googling "R1200RT fuel pump controller," or something similar.

[racer7]

The newer controller is not a guaranteed fix for the problem because it only addresses 1 mode (of many) of how they fail. It is black powder coated and that prevents corrosion from starting on the controller body and breaking the seal at the bottom where water then penetrates and smokes the board. New ones are known to fail, also. The UK GS site is the best source of statistics. If your fpc is metallic in color it is the old style- newer style ones appeared sometime around 09, IIRC. Part of what causes problems is the heat the fpc creates while controlling a 7A pump. Also, the board sealer is cheap crap and should be a hard epoxy if one wants to ensure no water penetration, not the silly little rubber bit used now that is easily dislodged with anything.

 

Hopz- trying to cover the well isn't easy- remember that fuel hoses, etc are all there. And anything that gets through a cover won't evaporate if the cover slows/prevents that. It would also trap any fuel vapors from leaks under it and be a potential explosion hazard. Remember that fuel fittings and the flange at the top are known to crack/leak sometimes because they are plastic. My current fpc is on with silicon seal all around and the area is inspected every time the tupperware is off- that's about as good as its going to get.

 

The GS, RT have essentially the same design and it is unchanged on the newest models. Some other models have the fuel pump located where the well can drain better.

 

There is no way to drill the well and make it self draining that I can see but that would be part of decent redesign. Also, the existing gasket and two T-20s into plastic is no way to seal anything that sits in water. 3 points define a plane and the gasket ought to be a good compression fit - instead it is a side slider- no wonder it leaks. Simply getting the fpc well to a high point rather than the lowest point would be obvious and a simple way to re-engineer it.

 

The fpc is a demonstration of German operating methods at its finest- let some company "expert" design something without any real critique or feedback and don't admit or engineer out failures unless their cost to the company becomes ridiculous. This cultural method of operation that is normal is Europe is why Koreans and Asians in general make more reliable machinery. Several thousand fpc's have died as is pretty obvious from simple extrapolation of what is publicly reported on websites but as usual there is no communication with owners because its not an item covered by recall laws. If you own a bike with one of these and you ride in the rain, or stick a hose under the tupperware when you wash the bike, sooner or later it will die on you so carrying the jumper or knowing how to make one roadside from the dead fpc is the minimum needed to avoid a tow.

 

On newer bikes where the outlet is 10A you can plug into the outlet for power- I did. The older bikes with 5A outlets can't run the pump from it- pump takes 7A. Owners manual or websites give the spec for your bike if you don't know it. Don't carry the "plug into outlet" style of jumper unless its the 10A version.

 

You could also "permanently install" a jumper plug in parallel with the existing wiring but not connected to the pump. In case of failure, all you'd need to do is pull the fpc and push the plug on.

 

I carry a spare fpc and a jumper on the bike and my GS-911/netbook when on trips. I expect there is a good chance I will kill another fpc eventually because I don't stop for rain.

 

It will be interesting to examine the electrics on the new 6 cylinder to see if anyone at BMW is listening and addressing design goofs like the fpc, the inadequate outlet capacity that can't run US heated gear without rewiring, etc etc. Inadequate waterproofing applies to some other items- I (and others) have also drowned the BMW accessory tail light.